EM and cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) have replaced six railroad ties along nearly 8,000 feet of track within the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) following an annual inspection.
EM resumed using the rail line in June to ship waste offsite for disposal. Shipping the waste by rail enhances safety by reducing vehicle traffic associated with completing the shipments via truck. Train shipments increase efficiency by allowing more material to be shipped compared to trucking. The train shipments also cost less than truck shipments, saving taxpayer dollars.
“The rail line will be used for the future demolition of the Main Plant Process Building and future cleanup work at the site,” said Linda Michalczak, CHBWV projects manager. “This rail line will continue to play an important role in the present and future cleanup of the site. It represents a better method for waste disposition that’s safer and more efficient; it will ultimately accelerate remediation efforts in the future.”
The project is shipping tens of thousands of cubic feet of soil crews had removed to make way for a unique groundwater treatment system that has been constructed. A structure used to store that soil also will be shipped for disposal by train.
WVDP worked with the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Railroad (BPRR) Administration to rehabilitate the Western New York Nuclear Service Center rail spur and BPRR’s main line prior to WVDP's use. The WVDP continues to maintain the track inside the service center’s perimeter.
