November 21, 2019 – Cost savings continue at the West Valley Demonstration Project from its transfer of a highly specialized piece of equipment that was used for lifting and moving 86.5‐ton steel reinforced concrete casks to a heavy‐duty transfer cart during the High‐Level Waste Relocation Project. The transfer of this equipment to the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation for reuse avoids the time and expense of having to dispose of it as waste and will achieve a total savings valued at approximately $1.0 million. Link to article

November 16, 2019 – Cost savings continue at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) from its transfer of a highly specialized piece of equipment that was used for lifting and moving 86.5-ton steel-reinforced concrete casks to a heavy-duty transfer cart during the High-Level Waste Relocation Project.

The transfer of this equipment to the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) for reuse avoids the time and expense of having to dispose of it as waste and will achieve a total savings valued at approximately $1 million. Link to article

November 9, 2019 – The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management and CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, its cleanup contractor at the West Valley Demonstration Project, recently conducted a full-scale exercise that included Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department, Cattaraugus County Special Response Team, Cattaraugus- Chautauqua Bomb Squad, West Valley Volunteer Hose Fire and Rescue, and evaluation assistance from Cattaraugus County Emergency Services.

This exercise, which was based on a hypothetical incident, tested the skills and response of these local agencies as well as the site’s Radiological Controls Department, Environmental Department, Emergency Medical Response Team, Security Force and Operational Response Team. Link to article

November 8, 2019 – Crews recently demolished two Waste Tank Farm condenser structures and its equipment shelter at the West Valley Demonstration Project. Link to article

November 7, 2019 – Crews recently demolished two waste tank farm condenser structures and its equipment shelter at the West Valley Demonstration Project. These structures were associated with the main plant process building’s former ventilation system, which was taken out of service in 2001. This recent demolition brings EM’s total number of structures removed at West Valley to 64.

WVDP personnel removed, size‐reduced and packaged the two condenser structures for offsite disposal. Each condenser contained two heat exchangers that cooled the off‐gas and condensed the vapor. Each 360‐square feet structure was constructed in 1966 to remove water vapor from the tank off‐gas ventilation system and was further treated and filtered before being directed to the main plant process building stack. Link to article