Deactivation & Decommissioning (D&D) News

A room full of professionals, some sitting at tables and some standing in a room
In-person engagement and direct conversations with those invested in cleanup at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory were core concepts of the new series launched last month by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Technology Engineering Center team. February 10, 2026
Employees in protective gear use a roller stand at the Paducah Site
Sharing knowledge of the best approaches to deactivating process buildings is one of the ways the two Portsmouth Paducah Project Office sites align to advance cleanup of former uranium enrichment plants and free up land for America’s golden era of energy dominance and strong national security. January 27, 2026
Rotating set of images of portable units being moved from the Argonne National Lab
A U.S. Department of Energy collaboration led by the Office of Environment Management has saved $250,000 by empowering federal and contractor team members at program offices and field sites across the complex to share excess materials and equipment among themselves, reducing costs for new projects, maintenance and disposition. January 13, 2026
A building at the Oak Ridge Site being demolished
Crews removed 64 million pounds of waste from Oak Ridge’s cleanup sites in 2025, a tally showcasing the pace and progress of projects clearing away old infrastructure and preparing numerous buildings for demolition. December 23, 2025
Before and after photos of demolition on a building at the Idaho Site
The Idaho Cleanup Project has closed the first chapter of cleanup of three legacy nuclear propulsion prototypes at the Naval Reactors Facility by completing deactivation and demolition of the defueled Submarine 1st Generation Westinghouse — the historic Navy prototype that helped develop the first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus. December 23, 2025