Crews at Oak Ridge recently achieved a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management 2024 priority by initiating demolition on a facility in the Manhattan Project-era Alpha-2 complex at the Y-12 National Security Complex.
Office of Environmental Management
September 17, 2024
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Demolition is underway on the Alpha-2 complex. In October, crews are scheduled to transition to tearing down the complex’s 325,000-square-foot main structure that covers 2 1/2 acres at the Y-12 National Security Complex.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Crews at Oak Ridge recently achieved a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management 2024 priority by initiating demolition on a facility in the Manhattan Project-era Alpha-2 complex at the Y-12 National Security Complex.
The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and contractor UCOR began deactivating the Alpha-2 complex in 2020. It includes three major buildings. The main facility is Alpha-2, a 325,000-square-foot former uranium enrichment facility that covers 2 1/2 acres. The other structures are the Carpentry Shop and Old Steam Plant.
Teardown commenced on the Carpentry Shop on Sept. 6. Meanwhile, crews are finishing the final demolition preparation tasks in the basement of the adjacent Alpha-2 building.
“After years of hard work deactivating these facilities, it’s exciting to begin the next phase of cleanup at the Alpha-2 complex,” OREM Project Manager Morgan Carden said. “This is an important first step as we look to achieve the first teardown of a former enrichment building and our biggest demolition project yet at Y-12.”
UCOR Chief of Staff Jamie Standridge, UCOR Safety Systems and Services Manager Clint Wolfley, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) Deputy Manager Erik Olds, UCOR President and CEO Ken Rueter, OREM Manager Jay Mullis, UCOR Deputy Chief Operating Officer Samantha Dolynchuk, UCOR Alpha-2 Deactivation Project Manager Billy Lloyd, UCOR Y-12 National Security Complex Area Project Manager Chad York and UCOR Site Integration and Cleanup Manager Larry Brede visited the Carpentry Shop project site as demolition began.
More than 60% of the facilities throughout the National Nuclear Security Administration complex are more than 40 years old. The Alpha-2 complex is one of the oldest among them, dating back to the 1940s.
Alpha-2 is categorized as a high-risk excess contaminated facility, and its removal eliminates hazards and opens land for national security missions moving forward.
“It is exciting to finally see demolition begin. We’ve been deactivating Alpha-2 for almost four years. During that time, we have dealt with supply chain issues due to the pandemic and a number of other unexpected challenges,” said Chad York, area project manager for Y-12. “We have reached this point thanks to our amazing team of workers who do this kind of high-hazard work in the safest possible way.”
Demolition began on the Carpentry Shop in the Alpha-2 complex on Sept. 6, marking a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management priority for 2024.
Demolition on the main Alpha-2 facility is scheduled to begin in October. Crews have also completed deactivation on the Old Steam Plant, and that building is slated for demolition after the Alpha-2 facility is removed.
With this project underway, OREM has now achieved all of its EM priorities for the year. The other priorities completed include processing and disposition of at least 35 canisters of uranium-233 from storage at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and finishing soil remediation at East Tennessee Technology Park.
-Contributor: Susanne Dupes
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