Oak Ridge Removes 81 Million Pounds of Debris Clearing Alpha-2 Footprint

Before-and-after aerial views of the Alpha-2 building show the facility prior to when demolition began in 2024, and after the teardown was finished earlier this year, a feat that cleared 2.5 acres of land for reuse.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) crews have cleared the 2.5-acre footprint of the former Alpha-2 facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex following demolition and removal of 81 million pounds of rubble and debris.

Waste disposal by OREM and cleanup contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) signifies the final chapter of this Manhattan Project-era building demolition project, moving this area of Y-12 closer to reuse for national security missions.

“Bringing the Alpha-2 building down was a significant achievement, but now the team has accomplished something equally as important by removing all the waste,” said Morgan Carden, Y-12 portfolio federal project director. “It’s rewarding to see how our cleanup progress is modernizing the site and providing the space necessary for new infrastructure.”

The Alpha-2 demolition project yielded 81 million pounds of debris and rubble.

Clearing the debris generated by razing the 325,000-square-foot former uranium enrichment building required nearly 3,500 truckloads. Crews wrapped up the demolition six months ahead of schedule.

“Disposition truly took a wide array of disciplines,” UCOR Lead Project Manager Joe Barletto said. “Daily coordination was crucial among demolition operators, laborers, teamsters, engineering, radiological technicians, industrial hygiene techs, industrial safety personnel, waste packaging specialists, transportation specialists, and environmental compliance teams. These groups worked together to safely dispose of the last remaining portions of the former Manhattan Project facility.”

The next project phase involves reducing the size of 800,000 pounds of lead removed from the building and packaging it for specialized shipments offsite, scheduled to begin in June.

Oak Ridge crews load one of the final truckloads of waste for shipment from the former Alpha-2 building footprint at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

The scale and success of the project are earning accolades.

The Association of Union Constructors recently recognized the Alpha-2 cleanup with its Project of the Year Award. Recipients are normally large-scale construction efforts, but the value of the Oak Ridge project’s environmental restoration and opportunities created by it led to the top honor.

With the Alpha-2 project complete, crews are scheduled to begin tearing down another former Manhattan Project-era uranium enrichment building at Y-12, Beta-1, this summer.

-Contributor: Ryan Getsi