The West Valley Demonstration Project has obtained a fork truck capable of lifting more than 90,000 pounds for waste removal in the future demolition.
Office of Environmental Management
September 8, 2020
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WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – The West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) has obtained a fork truck capable of lifting more than 90,000 pounds for waste removal in the future demolition of the Main Plant Process Building (MPPB) — an EM 2020 priority.
“Safe and successful operations begin with safety, extensive planning, and the right equipment,” said Stephen Bousquet, EM WVDP deputy facility project director for the MPPB demolition. “This paves the way for the future demolition of the Main Plant Process Building.”
The fork truck was delivered to the site on three separate tractor-trailers. Workers used a mobile crane to assemble it.
“This fork truck is a versatile machine capable of lifting and stacking heavy box containers and loading railcars or tractor-trailers, and has a long reach for safe distancing” said Scott Chase, facility disposition operations manager for EM WVDP cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley. “This fork truck will provide flexibility for safe, efficient, and successful waste operations during demolition activities.”
The five-story, 350,000-square-foot MPPB was constructed in the 1960s as a commercial reprocessing facility to recover reusable plutonium and uranium from spent nuclear reactor fuel. It operated from 1966 to 1972.