January 8, 2022 – Workers continue to reduce risks and prepare to deactivate the Main Plant Process Building for what will be the West Valley Demonstration Project’s most complex demolition since crews knocked down the Vitrification Facility in 2018.

As part of the latest work, crews are removing a 26‐inch‐diameter ventilation duct that carried exhaust from past operations at the main plant. They are performing the work remotely to reduce exposure risk.

“The effort in the vent wash room involves extensive planning and deliberate execution to perform the work safely and compliantly,” said Steve Bousquet, EM WVDP deputy federal project director for the main plant. “The WVDP team continues to reduce legacy risks while protecting employees, the public and the environment.” Link to article

January 6, 2022 – Workers at the West Valley Demonstration Project continue to move forward in their efforts to decommission the West Valley Nuclear Service Center and build on the success from last year. New projects and
goals have been set for 2022 as crews continue work on the site.

In 2021, crews from CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, LLC at the West Valley Demonstration Project completed a variety of projects including restoring rail shipment capabilities for the site, continuing preparation for the main plant process building demolition, installing a new water collection and treatment 2 of 3 system, repurposing an administrative trailer complex into a multipurpose building to support MPPB demolition, placing several cells used during spent fuel reprocessing operations into a readiness state for future demolition, removing the west wall of the MPPB to continue deactivation inside the acid recovery cell and continuing aggressive decontamination in the product purification cell‐south. Link to article

January 5, 2022 – Crews are set to complete the 69th building demolition at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) early this year when they finish knocking down the seventh structure standing that supported operations at the former Main Plant Process Building.

Workers recently began the demolition of the load‐in facility, the last ancillary support structure that surrounds the Main Plant Process Building. The 4,500‐square‐foot building has been used for several purposes over the years and is no longer needed for current or future cleanup activities. Link to article

December 30, 2021 – The Office of Environmental Management leveraged the results of years of successful work in 2021 to launch a new era for the U.S. Department of Energy’s cleanup mission, all while continuing to manage the challenging conditions of the COVID‐19 pandemic. EM summarized its cleanup accomplishments across the complex, including numerous major program priorities, in its 2021 Year in Review released today. Link to News Flash

December 21, 2021 –

FOOD DRIVE –

The workforce at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) completed its annual food drive after 15 employees volunteered to deliver more than 119,000 pounds of food, including 400 turkeys, to nine area food pantries. This year’s tally brings the cumulative donation total to more than 2.1 million pounds of food since the inception of the food drive in 1989. “The success of this annual food drive is a direct result of the generosity and kindness of employees, partners and subcontractors,” said Lettie Chilson, the site’s facility manager and food drive organizer. “It demonstrates the positive impact that kindness can have on a community.”

MAIN PLANT –

EM workers continue to reduce risks and prepare to deactivate the Main Plant Process Building (MPPB) for what will be the West Valley Demonstration Project’s (WVDP) most complex demolition since crews knocked down the Vitrification Facility in 2018.

As part of the latest work, crews are removing a 26‐inch‐diameter ventilation duct that carried exhaust from past operations at the MPPB. They are performing the work remotely to reduce exposure risk.

Link to Update