RICHLAND, Wash. - EM’s Richland Operations Office (RL) is making strides toward mitigating highly radioactive soil underneath the 324 Building near the Columbia River.
EM and cleanup contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CH2M) are building a mockup structure to replicate the B Cell, a hot cell area in the building under which the contaminated soil is located. View this video of the project.
Workers expect to enter the area in March or April, marking the first entry to the airlock leading to the cells since 2013.
“Initiating the procurement process for the three main systems to be used to remove soil from within the 324 building - to be installed in the mockup later this year for testing - represents an important step forward," said Mark French, EM’s project director for the 324 Building.
Vendors will fabricate and install remote excavator arms (REA) to remove debris, the hot cell floor and soil; cameras and lights to aid operators; and a transfer mechanism to load the debris and soil from the cell.
“Placing the REA system into the mockup will be pretty exciting," said Forrest Blackburn, CH2M design authority for the REA system. “It will allow us to make sure the way we designed the equipment aligns with our intended use inside the 324 Building, which is critically important to ensure the success of this project."
At another location, crews are constructing a reinforced concrete pad to replicate the floor of B Cell. Workers recently built a mockup of a large, remote-operated saw to cut through the stainless steel-lined and concrete B Cell floor. The REA will remove the floor.
“This is an exciting time for the project," said Bill Kirby, CH2M vice president of the 324 Building Disposition Project. “The mockups bring the strategy to life, allowing employees to really become familiar with the equipment and strategy, which will improve their safety and reduce project risk, because we can do this work in a non-contaminated environment."
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
