WEST VALLEY, N.Y. - Workers recently removed an estimated 20,000-pound ventilation stack from the Main Plant Process Building at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Site.
“Once again, the CHBWV team did an excellent job in their pre-planning and execution of this challenging work," WVDP Director Bryan Bower said referring to cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley. “This work evolution will forever change the landscape of the WVDP site, and will become a reminder of the ongoing progress here."
Crews removed the ventilation stack as part of efforts to dismantle and demolish the Main Plant’s associated facilities. Other work will include demolishing structures such as an office building.
“Developing a comprehensive plan and using it with a deliberate approach is a combination for safety and success," said Scott Anderson, CHBWV president. “Our team continues to complete demolition work at the site in a safe and compliant manner."
The stack and other materials removed and packaged during the project will be shipped offsite for disposal.
The 160-foot-tall cement-reinforced stainless steel stack atop the five-story building was part of the Main Plant’s ventilation exhaust system.
Built in the 1960s, the Main Plant Process Building served as a commercial reprocessing facility used to recover reusable plutonium and uranium from spent nuclear reactor fuel. It operated from 1966 to 1972, processing approximately 640 metric tons of irradiated nuclear fuel.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
