In the News

Below are articles and other news published since the last West Valley Citizen Task Force Meeting. They relate to the West Valley Demonstration Project, nuclear waste cleanup or are otherwise relevant or of potential interest to stakeholders interested in the Project. After each Citizen Task Force Meeting, these articles are compiled into a single document and may be found with the meeting materials for that month.

EM Update -West Valley to Remove Ductwork to Prepare for Future Main Plant Demolition

April 20, 2021 – West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) workers are preparing to remove ductwork that
carried exhaust from past operations at the Main Plant Process Building as part of deactivation preparations for the
facility’s future demolition — among EM’s 2021 priorities.

EM and its prime contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) recently constructed a containment tent above a room and access door in the building to support cutting a 26‐inch‐wide duct inside the room

“The WVDP team’s work was well planned and executed in an effort to maintain safety, including the addition of COVID‐19 protocols,” EM WVDP Deputy Federal Project Director Steve Bousquet said. Link to Update

EM News Flash – Updated EM Strategic Vision Outlines Coming Decade of Achievements

April 13, 2021 – The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management today released its Strategic
Vision 2021‐2031, a blueprint to the program’s anticipated accomplishments over the next decade that will protect the public and environment.

The Strategic Vision outlines goals for 2021‐2031, focused on safety, environmental cleanup priorities, innovation, and improved performance. EM is working to fulfill the commitment to clean up the environment in communities that
supported past national security and energy research programs so they can continue to grow and thrive. Link to News Flash

Olean Times Herald -Open air demolition of main plant at West Valley is six months away

April 16, 2021 – It will be at last six months before the open‐air demolition of the main plant process building will begin at the West Valley Demonstration Project.

Officials from CHBWV, the contractor involved in the cleanup at the nuclear cleanup site in Ashford, briefed Cattaraugus County lawmakers on the planned demolition on Wednesday.

The main plant process building is where the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel was conducted by the former Nuclear Fuel Services company from the mid‐1960s until 1972 when it closed. Link to article

Los Alamos Reporter -Updated EM Strategic Vision Outlines Coming Decade of Achievements

April 13, 2021 – The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management today released its Strategic Vision 2021‐2031, a blueprint to the program’s anticipated accomplishments over the next decade that will protect the public and environment.

The Strategic Vision outlines goals for 2021‐2031, focused on safety, environmental cleanup priorities, innovation, and improved performance. EM is working to fulfill the commitment to clean up the environment in communities that
supported past national security and energy research programs so they can continue to grow and thrive. Link to article

Springville Journal -CHBWV receives Silver Level recognition from American Heart Association

April 8, 2021 – CHBWV recently received Silver Level recognition from the American Heart Association for taking significant steps to build a culture of health in the workplace. The American Heart Association’s Workplace Health Achievement Index is a self‐assessment scorecard that measures the comprehensiveness and quality of a company’s workplace health program and the overall heart health of its employees. Link to article

Upcoming meeting information

The next CTF meeting will be on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Ashford Office Complex, 9030 Route 219, West Valley
On-line webinar: Link to come

Agenda to come!

For more information

on the West Valley Citizen Task Force, please contact:

Nancy Raca, Facilitator
West Valley Citizen Task Force
c/o Highland Planning
nancy@highland-planning.com