Lower-Risk Demolition Work Resumes at Hanford’s Plutonium Finishing Plant

RICHLAND, Wash. – Demolition-related activities resumed last week at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) on the Hanford Site.

   Crews are loading out demolition debris that has been on the ground since December, when work stopped after a spread of contamination. 

   Since the incident, EM Richland Operations Office (RL) and contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) performed recovery actions and developed a revised demolition strategy. 

   “The new strategy and enhanced safety controls will help protect workers, the public, and the environment,” said Tom Teynor, RL federal project director. “Additional oversight from DOE and the contractor will ensure those controls are protected.” 

   The demolition and its related activities will occur in two phases. The first phase involves two lower-risk activities: processing and packaging of existing debris from the Main Processing Facility demolition, followed by the teardown of the remaining lower-risk portions of that facility and an associated vault.

   Following another management assessment with DOE oversight, and DOE and regulatory approval, the second phase, consisting of higher-risk work, will begin. That work includes demolishing the Main Processing Facility’s two former processing lines and the tunnels beneath, and removing the remaining rubble from the Plutonium Reclamation Facility demolition.

   This animation shows the revised demolition approach and enhanced controls, which reflect worker input. Pauses are built into the schedule to review lessons learned and incorporate additional input before proceeding.

   “I want to thank the PFP team for providing valuable input into the plan,” said Jason Casper, demolition resumption manager for Jacobs, parent company of CHPRC. “Our key goal while moving forward is to perform the work safely and compliantly.”

   RL will post weekly updates on PFP activities here.