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West Valley Site Completes Second Phase of Vitrification Facility Demolition

Crews take the “first bite” of the Vitrification Facility during the second phase of demolition.

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WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM and cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) recently finished demolishing a heavily reinforced process cell and removed thousands of pieces of equipment in the Vitrification Facility at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP). 

   “The CHBWV team continues to perform well in the safe execution of this high hazard work evolution,” WVDP Director Bryan Bower said. “This accomplishment allows the workforce to continue with the demolition of the Vitrification Facility, another step forward in the ultimate closure of the site.”

   This latest work — the project’s second phase — began in November 2017. The process cell contained higher levels of radiological contamination than the building exterior and aisle areas demolished in the first phase. 

   “The CHBWV team is making great progress with the safe completion of the second phase of this facility’s demolition,” CHBWV President and General Manager Jeff Bradford said. “The Vitrification Facility demolition is one of the project areas we were able to accelerate using this year’s additional funding. This helps pave the way for Phase 3 work activities and the eventual completion of this major milestone.”

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Workers tear down a portion of the Vitrification Facility containing a process cell.

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With the second phase of the Vitrification Facility demolition project complete, all that remains for removal is the south wall, shield doors, small cranes, and minor equipment.

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   Using a variety of heavy equipment and specialized tools, workers safely removed, processed, and shipped for disposal four 7,188 pound in-cell coolers, six shield windows, and a 38,000-pound process crane.  

   In the third and final phase, crews will remove the 100-ton crane maintenance room shield door, 60-ton transfer tunnel shield door, cranes and equipment, and south wall. Completion of the Vitrification Facility demolition is planned for later this year.

   The facility was used to solidify 600,000 gallons of high-level liquid radioactive waste from 1996 to 2002. This waste was generated from 1966 to 1972 during the reprocessing of spent fuel by Nuclear Fuel Services, the former operator of the site.

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere

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