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