An Oak Ridge First: Demolishing Two Uranium Enrichment Buildings in a Year

Workers collected more than 900 samples to support characterization efforts inside the 210,000-square-foot Beta-1 facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The building was constructed to enrich uranium for the Manhattan Project.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and cleanup contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) are setting a new benchmark in cleanup progress — conducting demolition on two former Manhattan Project uranium enrichment facilities in a single year.

Crews have successfully prepared the 210,000-square-foot Beta-1 facility for teardown to begin this summer at the Y-12 National Security Complex. That demolition comes after workers finished knocking down Alpha-2 six months ahead of schedule.

“Achieving demolition readiness so promptly highlights the caliber of our workforce,” said Morgan Carden, Y-12 portfolio federal project director. “The precision of this sequencing avoids lag times and allows our crews to move immediately to the next project to continue Y-12’s transformation in a major way.”

Crews discuss isolating electricity to get the Beta-1 building to the “cold and dark” stage before deactivation can safely begin.

OREM and UCOR have cleared more than 20 acres of Manhattan Project and Cold War infrastructure at Y-12, and deactivation is underway in facilities spanning another 20 acres. These projects are removing hazards, enabling modernization and opening space to advance important national security missions.

After deactivating Beta-1’s above-ground floors, crews began addressing the basement in fall 2024. It was a complex, multidisciplinary effort, including collecting more than 900 samples, pumping 17 million gallons of water, testing and removing 3,000 feet of drainpipes, and pouring more than 2,500 truckloads of a cement mixture.

Getting the Beta-1 facility demolition-ready involved filling its basement with 2,500 truckloads of a concrete mixture to support the weight of large teardown equipment.

Use of light detection and ranging scanning technology helped quicken the pace of Beta-1’s deactivation while strengthening worker safety. The technology provided engineers a detailed 3D map of building spaces without requiring workers to enter contaminated or confined spaces.

“The journey to bring Beta-1 to this point has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Clint Wolfley, UCOR’s senior vice president of end state delivery. “This accomplishment, alongside the completion of Alpha-2, represents a transformative moment for Y-12, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to safety, innovation and reclaiming valuable land for the future of our nation.”

Beta-1's demolition is set to conclude in 2028. Following that project, crews will pivot immediately to remove the Old Steam Plant at Y-12.

-Contributor: Ryan Getsi