WEST VALLEY, N.Y. - EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) and cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) have released two videos related to the planned demolition of the Main Plant Process Building featuring site subject-matter experts with more than 130 years of combined experience in nuclear decommissioning and environmental cleanup.
One of the videos, on environmental monitoring, details the site’s innovative monitoring system that verifies protective measures and safeguards in place continue to be protective of employees, the public, and the environment.
“The removal and disposal of the Main Plant Process Building is the primary task we have left to do under our contract scope of work," CHBWV President John Rendall said. “More than 98 percent of the contamination has been removed from the building, and we have monitoring controls in place to ensure safety and compliance."
In the video, the experts discuss how the site’s robust environmental monitoring system provides notifications when operating conditions change, allowing workers to adjust operations based on data collected. The system also confirms that controls are functioning as designed.
In the other video, on the Main Plant demolition, employees describe the site’s safe and compliant approach to deconstruct the facility.
“This is an engineered approach designed to safely deconstruct this facility at a deliberate rate and sequence while maintaining the building’s structural integrity," CHBWV Deputy General Manager Kelly Wooley said.
Wooley said EM’s strategy for the Main Plant project incorporates best practices and lessons learned from the WVDP and the greater DOE complex.
“In addition to the use of deliberately planned and sequenced demolition, this approach includes the implementation of robust work controls and the use of specialized tools and techniques to safely deconstruct the building," Wooley said.
EM plans to begin demolishing the Main Plant later this year. Over the past two decades, workers have been preparing to ensure the demolition is conducted in a manner protective of human health and the surrounding environment. The teardown is expected to take more than 30 months to complete.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
