June 18, 2020 – Two articles:

FIRST: The Ashford Town Board, at its June 10 meeting, approved a resolution for the town’s notice of internet to act as the lead agency for the BQ Energy LLC/West Valley Solar LLC Project.

The project is a 10‐megawatt photovoltaic facility consisting of two five‐megawatt projects from BQ Energy LLC and its affiliate West Valley Solar LLC planned to be constructed and operate on 54‐acres of land on either side of Buttermilk Road at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center in Ashford. Work would include the installation of solar panels, installation of ancillary and support equipment, a buried electrical line and access road and related improvements. The project will provide two‐megawatts of community distributed electricity and eight‐megawatts to larger users.

SECOND: Crews continued work on a smaller scale than usual while in an essential mission‐critical operating posture at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project. While deactivation and decommissioning operations were put on hold, workers completed critical compliance inspections, environmental monitoring, and other activities.

“The protection of our workers, the public and the environment has always been our core value,” EM WVDP Director Bryan Bower said. “During our pandemic response, the WVDP team maintained our focus on safety and compliance, while continuing to advance our mission to eliminate legacy risks at the site.”

Link to both articles

June 9, 2020 – While deactivation and decommissioning operations were put on hold, workers at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) completed critical compliance inspections, environmental monitoring, and other activities. 

Employees installed a new hoist in the Equipment Decontamination Room inside the Main Plant Process Building. This new hoist will be used for moving waste boxes and drums when the site returns to full operations and resumes deactivation work inside a former reprocessing cell in the building. Link to Update

May 28, 2020 – After the success of its Solarize Southtowns campaign, Green Springville was recently awarded a 2020 Environmental Excellence Award from the Erie County Environmental Management Council.

The Environmental Excellence Award program began in 2015 to “recognize exceptional projects carried out by municipal and non‐profit organizations in Erie County that stand to have a significant and lasting positive impact on the natural environment. The awards program is designed to help showcase and publicly promote projects that can be replicated in community throughout the Western New York region.” Link to article

May 23, 2020 – CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV), the prime contractor at the West ValleyDemonstration Project, recently purchased cloth face coverings for its employees. “Throughout the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDOE and CHBWV have continued to follow the guidelines of the Administration, DOE, and other federal officials and state and local authorities, USDOE-WVDP Director Bryan Bower, said. One of those guidelines was the use of cloth face coverings when social distancing is not practicable. Link to article

May 21, 2020 – The Ashford Town Board, at its May 13 meeting via teleconferencing, discussed the COVID‐19 pandemic and the recent effects it is having within the town.

… Communications Manager for CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, LLC Joe Pillittere reported on back to work policies at the West Valley Demonstration Project. Employees will have to check in on their arrival, with the process already being tested. Some employees at the site are essential and have continued to work on site, while being compliant with CDC guidelines. Link to article