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Latest Teardown Brings EM's Total West Valley Demolitions to 65

Latest Teardown Brings EM's Total West Valley Demolitions to 65

Office of Environmental Management

October 29, 2019
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A large crane is used to relocate sections of a former waste storage structure for safe demolition at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project Site.
A large crane is used to relocate sections of a former waste storage structure for safe demolition at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project Site.

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – Workers recently tore down a former waste storage structure, bringing EM's total number of buildings removed at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Site to date to 65.

EM WVDP Director Bryan Bower commended crews from cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) for demolishing the structure safely.

“The CHBWV team continues to make great progress in completing the demolition of on-site structures as part of our cleanup efforts,” Bower said.

Crews tear down sections of a former waste storage building. Debris from the demolition was loaded into waste containers and shipped off-site for disposal.
Crews tear down sections of a former waste storage building. Debris from the demolition was loaded into waste containers and shipped off-site for disposal.
The site of a former waste storage area has been cleaned up and restored as part of ongoing efforts to reduce legacy risks at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project Site.
The site of a former waste storage area has been cleaned up and restored as part of ongoing efforts to reduce legacy risks at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project Site.

The 13,000-square-foot metal arched structure was built in the mid-1990s for storing containers of highly contaminated fuel reprocessing equipment. That equipment had been removed from a former chemical processing cell to make way for high-level waste canisters in the cell.

Years later, EM crews processed the containers of fuel reprocessing equipment at the site’s Remote-Handled Waste Facility, which was commissioned in 2003. Most of the containers were processed remotely at the facility, and shipped off-site for disposal or packaged and stored on-site until a disposal path is determined.

CHBWV President Scott Anderson said his employees continue to reduce the West Valley footprint and eliminate legacy risks.

“I’m proud to be a part of an organization that prides itself on delivering results in a safe and compliant manner. Our accomplishments on this project would not be possible without the dedication and skills of our employees,” Anderson said.

Tags:
  • Environmental and Legacy Management
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Clean Energy
  • Decarbonization
  • Energy Efficiency