EM and cleanup contractor AECOM have marked a major milestone with the removal of all buildings, foundations, and debris at the Separations Process.
Office of Environmental Management
February 12, 2019
NISKAYUNA, N.Y. – EM and cleanup contractor AECOM have marked a major milestone with the removal of all buildings, foundations, and debris at the Separations Process Research Unit (SPRU) at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.
The demolition work concludes several years of cleanup operations by EM and AECOM. In May last year, they completed demolition of Buildings H2 and G2, a project that began in 2016. The buildings supported improvements in the chemical separation of plutonium for the nation’s strategic defense early in the Cold War.

By fall last year, crews removed all concrete debris, and remaining soil was verified to meet cleanup objectives. Workers then stabilized the excavation areas for the winter. The final excavator used during the demolition was shipped from the site late last month.
Completion of backfilling and site restoration are scheduled for this summer.