Subcontractor employees managed by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions dismantle one of six Savannah River Site buildings for donation to the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization.
Subcontractor employees managed by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions dismantle one of six Savannah River Site buildings for donation to the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization.

AIKEN, S.C. – EM and the management and operations contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS) have been working with a local community reuse organization to dismantle six buildings for resale, with proceeds supporting regional economic and workforce development activities.

Built in the early 1990s, the metal buildings at SRS were no longer needed for DOE missions. They had been used to store materials for a coal-fired powerhouse shut down in 2012.

Under an agreement with the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO), DOE-Savannah River disassembled the buildings and donated them to SRSCRO, which will sell them to be reassembled elsewhere. DOE-Savannah River expects to avoid a nearly $2 million cost to decommission and demolish the structures.

“From a reuse perspective, businesses can purchase and reassemble these buildings for a fraction of what a new building would cost and use that savings to purchase machinery and tools and hire employees,” Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Manager Andrew Albenesius said.

Albenesius noted that the partnership between DOE-Savannah River and SRSCRO has resulted in a cost avoidance of approximately $12 million dollars over the past six to seven years while they reduce the site footprint and support economic development in communities surrounding SRS.

“It’s a win for everyone involved,” Albenesius said.

Rick McLeod, SRSCRO president and CEO, said SRSCRO has invested more than $4.5 million in regional programs in the past five years. Those programs include career forums, regional industrial park expenditures, SRS economic impact and regional workforce studies, and support for local economic recruitment efforts.

“A large percentage of these funds come from the sale of SRS surplus items. In addition, as fiscal agent and manager for a DOE workforce grant, the SRSCRO has secured and provided over $6 million dollars to our five local colleges and university partners.”

SRSCRO’s region includes Richmond and Columbia counties in Georgia, and Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell counties in South Carolina.