34 AUGUST 2026 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Enthusiasm by Tim Connor I have been studying the idea of enthusiasm for many years. In fact, the above was one of the first quotes I read while in my first job years ago. The thing I learned then was enthusiasm is an inside-out process or trait, not one developed because of outside-in circumstances. Let me briefly explain. Are you enthusiastic when you find out you have cancer, your spouse wants a divorce, or your boss has just fired you? Or are you only enthusiastic while on your honeymoon, on vacation, or you just won the lottery? See the difference? Is enthusiasm due to positive outside people, events, or circumstances, or is it what you bring to life’s circumstances whether they are positive or negative? The real meaning of the word enthusiasm is “God within.” So, does this mean if you are an agnostic or atheist, you can’t be enthusiastic? Well, like many areas in life, as an author and lifelong student, my answer would be - it depends. Or could it be determined by your perspective? Is enthusiasm, excitement, passion, dedication, or resolve outside-in or inside-out grounded? I could go on for pages with these, so let me give you my quick answer if you are still reading. Enthusiasm is to have the emotional ability and control of your attitudes, feelings, and responses in a positive way regardless of circumstances or people around you. My life mantra for this subject is: “I was not put on this earth for your approval.” Just a quick final note - The medical profession has documented that people who tend toward positive enthusiasm live longer and healthier. Go figure. In His service, Tim Tim Connor may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com “If you are not getting as much from life as you want to, then examine the state of your enthusiasm.” ~Norman Vincent Peale Subsurface Sampling in the West Valley Adapted from Information by U.S. Department of Energy West Valley, New York, was home to the only commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in America. Removal of the Main Plant Processing Building took place in 2025, leaving the site ready for subsurface sampling. Teams of geologists have begun drilling multiple boreholes around the site completing 11 of the planned 20. Using a geotechnical boring machine, work crews extract subsurface material from varying depths, allowing them access to information about the land’s characteristics. Taking this data from the recovered samples, the teams can decide on the best course of action to help the land begin its recovery. Subsurface samples come from a variety of sources such as soil composition, rock, and groundwater flow. Having multiple sources of data shows the geologist exactly how the area has been affected by contamination. Analyzing these samples requires them to be sent off-site. Another side of taking these subsurface samples is it allows the West Valley Cleanup Alliance (WVCA) to locate compromised areas of land. Part of the future plan is to design and build retention walls around the former main plant site. Having a retention wall in place will help to stabilize the excavation area and prevent water from infiltrating the work site. Putting this plan into affect will allow work crews to excavate the needed materials safely. Safety for the work teams as well as for the land is of the utmost importance. Motivation for the project in the West Valley is having clear goals of cleaning up the contaminated areas and soil remediation gives definition to the end of the project. Moving forward, the lessons learned from this event may influence others to be aware of the risk and effort it takes to restore a work site from contamination, preventing possible legacy risk to other parts of America. “Ultimately, it comes down to stewardship,” said Day Way, Manager of Decontamination and Decommissioning at WVCA. “Our objective is to mitigate legacy risks at the site. Accordingly, our planning and execution are guided by lessons learned and best practices derived from the data we have collected.” Changing and correcting past mistake starts with properly handling the present, like the work crews at West Valley. Workers collecting samples. ENV
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