Deep Isolation Acquires Freestone Environmental Services, Established Leader in Nuclear Waste Site Clean-Up Contracts

Berkeley, CA – Deep Isolation, a leading innovator in spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level nuclear waste (HLW) storage and disposal solutions, announced today it has acquired Freestone Environmental Services, a multi-discipline environmental and water resources consulting firm based in Richland, Wash.

Freestone Environmental, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Deep Isolation, brings to Deep Isolation a team of 25 scientists and engineers experienced in providing services to public and private sector clients, with the most notable being the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford project, one of the largest nuclear weapons production clean-up efforts in the world.

“We are pleased to welcome Freestone as a Deep Isolation company,” said Deep Isolation CEO Liz Muller. “Freestone has a track record of delivering high-quality regulatory planning and environmental clean-up projects for government customers. These are essential elements of solving the nuclear waste disposal problem, and we are excited about our future.”

The acquisition broadens the depth of Deep Isolation’s science and technology teams, adding a cadre of scientists and engineers with expertise in environmental investigations and with providing scientific and regulatory support services to their clients.

The Freestone team, led by President Steve Airhart, a geologist, boasts decades of professional consulting experience with the environmental industry.

“We’ve been watching Deep Isolation’s progress toward solving the seemingly unsolvable problem of nuclear waste disposal, and we’re excited to join such an important mission,” Airhart said. “Having been involved in work at Hanford and the commercial nuclear industry, we know firsthand how critical it is to find a safe, permanent home for nuclear waste. Combining Freestone’s Hanford site consulting experience with Deep Isolation’s scientific and technological waste disposal capabilities will benefit both companies.”

Deep Isolation has recently seen renewed global interest in deep borehole technology as a safe and flexible solution for nuclear waste disposal that could be simpler to deploy than a mined repository for many countries. Deep Isolation is investigating deep borehole disposal at potential locations around the globe and continues to be open to conversations with communities.

“This acquisition is a significant milestone in the history of both of our companies. It gives Deep Isolation access to experts with a wealth of real-world nuclear waste clean-up experience and opens up Freestone to new opportunities through our global network,” said Deep Isolation Chief Operating Officer Rod Baltzer.

Baltzer will oversee the interface of Freestone’s operations with Deep Isolation. Airhart will remain President of Freestone and maintain responsibility for its daily operations.

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About Deep Isolation

Berkeley-based Deep Isolation is a leading innovator in nuclear waste storage and disposal. Founded through a passion for environmental stewardship, scientific ingenuity, and entrepreneurship, Deep Isolation has developed a patented solution using directional drilling and inclusive community engagement to safely isolate nuclear waste deep underground.

About Freestone Environmental Services

Washington-based Freestone Environmental Services, like its namesake — a swift-flowing stream that turns and wears smooth the streambed’s stones — brings experience, fresh perspective and energy to solve the complex environmental challenges of today via science-based, cost-effective solutions that are responsive and focused. Freestone provides services in environmental site characterization, planning and remediation, and in management of water resources for commercial and public sector clients, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.