Bryan C. Bower, Director, West Valley Demonstration Project
“The West Valley workforce successfully completed 75 percent of the Main Plant Process Building demolition, safely removing more than 50 cells without incidents. The team’s dedication is further highlighted by achieving over one million work hours without a lost-time injury, emphasizing the importance of safety and compliance in ongoing cleanup efforts and future site closure.”
MAIN PLANT PROCESS BUILDING DEMOLITION
Workers safely shipped more than 40 million pounds of demolition debris from the Main Plant Process Building, the last major facility to be removed at the West Valley Demonstration Project since starting the project in the fall 2022. For the second year in a row, crews packaged and shipped by rail more than 1,000 waste containers for safe disposal off-site, achieving the annual goal ahead of schedule.
SAFELY DISPOSING LEGACY WASTE
West Valley crews safely overpacked and shipped eight high integrity containers; processed, overpacked, and shipped four Chemical Process Cell specialty containers; and overpacked and shipped 12 oversized legacy waste containers to an off-site disposal facility.
COMPLETING DEMOLITION PROJECTS
WVDP crews safely demolished the former security guardhouse. Built in 1965, it was one of the first facilities constructed at the former commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. Workers also completed the demolition of old locker rooms near the former guardhouse, restored the area and installed new sidewalks.
SAMPLING CONTENT FOR CHARACTERIZATION
Crews safely collected a liquid sample from an underground tank that once stored liquid waste from spent fuel reprocessing operations to characterize the tank’s content for future disposition and cleanup.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Reached 75 percent completion on the Main Plant Process Building (MPPB) demolition.
- Disposed of a cumulative 20,000 tons of MPPB waste since the start of the demolition project— an EM 2024 priority.
- Completed disposal of remaining eight high integrity containers and seven legacy debris
containers. - Demolished the former guardhouse and locker rooms.