September 15, 2022 – The following is a guest article from the United State Department of Energy project director at the West Valley Demonstration Project Bryan Bower.
The U. S. Department of Energy plans to commence the controlled deconstruction of the Main Plant Process Building in September, as part of its ongoing cleanup efforts at the West Valley Demonstration Project site. This facility removal and major milestone is expected to take about three years to complete.
Our dedicated workforce has conducted significant work over the past two decades to prepare the MPPB for deconstruction in a manner that is protective of human health and the surrounding environment. These employees have safely reduced the radioactivity in the facility by over 98 percent through the removal of more than seven miles of contaminated piping and over 50 tons of contaminated equipment. This effort also included the use of liquid nitrogen at up to 60,000 psi (pounds per square inch) to provide an aggressive, yet safe, cleaning application to ensure that deconstruction is safe and protective of the surrounding community. Link to article
