WEST VALLEY, N.Y. - EM’s West Valley Demonstration Projec t (WVDP) Site has finished installing a protective cover over the Vitrification Facility site, signifying the end of physical work associated with the demolition project.
The weather-shielding cover over the remaining concrete slab prevents water infiltration into the below-grade portion of the facility.
The facility was a three-story, 10,700-square-foot structure made of steel, reinforced concrete, and metal siding. Its footprint was 133 feet long by 102 feet wide. It is one of two vitrification facilities to have operated in the U.S., and the first one to complete its mission. The teardown was completed in September.
“The WVDP team continues to eliminate potential environmental threats and reduce the site’s footprint. Their safe and compliant work demonstrates their deliberate and methodical approach to decommissioning," said Dan Sullivan, EM WVDP federal project director for the Vitrification Facility demolition.
“The installation of this cover signifies months of planning, safe execution, and reducing environmental risks," said Scott Anderson, president of CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, EM’s WVDP Site cleanup contractor. “I am proud of our team and what they continue to accomplish."
Prior to the demolition, crews removed approximately 10,000 cubic feet of material from the facility, including a 195-ton melter and two tanks each weighing more than 150 tons.
In the demolition phases, workers first removed exterior parts of the facility with the least contamination. They later took down the heavily reinforced concrete process cell and remaining in-cell equipment. In the final phase, they demolished the crane maintenance room and transfer tunnel, each with doors weighing 100 tons and 60 tons, respectively.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
