PIKE COUNTY, Ohio – EM’s Portsmouth Site has been using a new tool as part of its dust-suppression systems at its X-326 process building demolition project.

The tracked Prinoth Panther T16 crawler carrier features a zero-degree turn radius and is able to adapt to irregular terrain. It traverses the demolition area daily, spraying fixative on building debris with an onboard Dust Demolisher and 2,700-gallon tank of fixative to lock down dust.

The Dust Demolisher is a high-pressure water cannon that delivers water and fixative up to 150 pounds per square inch with a 150-foot-plus throwing range on demand. It has a 30-to 330-degree rotation capability with 10-degree manual incremental range settings.

“The Panther and Dust Demolisher represents state-of-the-art mitigation tactics for dust suppression,” said Acting Portsmouth Site Lead Jeremy Davis with EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office. “They are part of a comprehensive strategy to protect workers and our neighbors from any potential hazards associated with cleanup activities.”

In addition to the Dust Demolisher, the demolition project has multiple other dust-suppression systems in place. More than 80 percent of the X-326 building has been demolished. Finishing the teardown of the half-mile-long building is one of EM's 2022 priorities.

Once demolition of the X-326 and debris removal are complete, the dust suppression systems will be moved to the next process building slated for demolition.

The X-326 is one of three massive process buildings originally built to enrich uranium at the Portsmouth Site.