Crews knock down an equipment repair shop that supported the site’s vitrification operations from 1996 to 2002.
Crews knock down an equipment repair shop that supported the site’s vitrification operations from 1996 to 2002.

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM crews recently demolished two of seven facilities that supported past vitrification operations at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP).

   EM WVDP Director Bryan Bower commended workers with the site’s cleanup contractor, CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV), for tearing down the two ancillary structures, together totaling 3,620 square feet in size.

   “Once again, the CHBWV team did an excellent job in their pre-planning and execution of this challenging work,” Bower said. “The completion of this work evolution further changes the landscape and footprint of the WVDP site, and is a reminder of the ongoing progress here.”

An excavator relocates a dust collector removed from one of two ancillary facilities workers recently demolished at the West Valley Demonstration Project.
An excavator relocates a dust collector removed from one of two ancillary facilities workers recently demolished at the West Valley Demonstration Project.

   The team tore down facilities used to repair and decontaminate equipment supporting the solidification of 600,000 gallons of high-level liquid radioactive waste at the site from 1996 to 2002.

   CHBWV President Scott Anderson said his employees used their combined knowledge and expertise to safely complete the demolitions.

   “I’m proud of their accomplishment, and in the work they continue to do on this project,” Anderson said.

   WVDP crews moved their focus to the two ancillary facilities after successfully demolishing the 10,000-square-foot Vitrification Facility last year. That building removal was EM’s largest and most complex environmental cleanup achievement at the West Valley site to date.

   EM is scheduled to demolish the five remaining Vitrification Facility ancillary structures this year.