Demolition is underway on several former chemical storage tanks and associated infrastructure as risk-reduction activities continue at a former plutonium processing facility at the Hanford Site.
Office of Environmental Management
August 22, 2023
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RICHLAND, Wash. – Demolition is underway on several former chemical storage tanks and associated infrastructure as risk-reduction activities continue at a former plutonium processing facility at the Hanford Site.
The demolition project follows months of work by EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) to prepare the outdoor storage area near the Plutonium Uranium Extraction Plant (PUREX) for safe removal, including remediation of asbestos-contaminated material on nearly 2,000 feet of pipeline, and isolation of mechanical and electrical systems.
PUREX was key to Hanford’s plutonium production mission during the Cold War era. Nearly 70% of Hanford’s irradiated uranium fuel rods were processed through PUREX, which recovered plutonium from the rods.
“Removal of the Acid Storage Area and Pump House is key to implementing safe and efficient future risk-reduction efforts for the PUREX complex,” said Andy Wiborg, RL Projects and Facilities Division team lead for Hanford’s Central Plateau Cleanup Project.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of September.
Contributor: Dieter Bohrmann
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