Washington Closure Hanford has begun demolishing the 327 Building in the Hanford 300 Area just north of Richland after two years of preparation.
Nine radioactively contaminated hot cells have been removed from the research building and are being sent to a central Hanford landfill for disposal one at a time each Saturday. The fifth is expected to be shipped this week. Part of a 10th hot cell remains below ground at the facility.
Accidents and other problems through the years had left the interior of the building heavily contaminated, and extensive work was needed to clean the building or fix the contaminants in place before demolition began using heavy equipment.
The building, which is just a couple of hundred yards from the Columbia River, should be down at the end of the month.
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Hanford critical mass lab demolished (w/ video)
Hanford critical mass lab demolished (w/ video)
RICHLAND — One of the most contaminated buildings at Hanford, the 209 East Critical Mass Laboratory, has been demolished.
The 8,979-square-foot building was used for more than two decades for research on plutonium and uranium solutions to identify controls for uncontrolled nuclear reactions called criticalities.
After research stopped in the central Hanford lab in 1983, most of the radioactive materials were removed and the tanks and pipelines were flushed. But work to clean out the building to prepare for demolition still took almost two years of work by CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Co.
Support buildings coming down at Hanford's FFTF
Support buildings coming down at Hanford's FFTF
Work is under way to tear down some of the buildings that once supported work at Hanford's Fast Flux Test Facility.
No decision has been made about the fate of the research reactor, but work is under way to tear down 14 buildings outside the secure area immediately surrounding the reactor. They include warehouses, a large office complex and security buildings that date from the mid-1970s.
In addition, an older office building that looks similar to the 1940s structures on the site will be demolished. It may have been moved to its present location to be used as an early administration building.
Hanford stimulus spending called a success
Hanford stimulus spending called a success
Not since environmental cleanup began at Hanford has the nuclear reservation had a period where it could point to as much work completed as in the last 30 months.
As the Department of Energy wraps up most spending of its $1.96 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money, Hanford regulators and the state of Oregon, which keeps a close eye on Hanford, are calling the program a success.
Within a day of receiving its first Recovery Act money in spring 2009, Department of Energy contractors were hiring to ramp up cleanup.
Research reactors in Hanford 300 Area set to go
Research reactors in Hanford 300 Area set to go
Work is ready to begin to remove two research reactors from the Hanford 300 Area just north of Richland.
A $19 million subcontract has been awarded by Washington River Protection Solutions to Phoenix Enterprises NW of Richland to remove the reactors and a vault with two tanks used for hazardous liquid research wastes.
"This contract covers the last of the nastiest facilities in the 300 Area," said Tom Kisenwether, Washington Closure subcontract manager for the area, in a statement.
Second chapter of video about Hanford released
Second chapter of video about Hanford released
The "second chapter" of The Hanford Story video series explaining the 586-square-mile nuclear reservation to the public has been released by the Department of Energy.
This five-minute chapter, which cost $11,000 to produce, focuses on the groundwater beneath Hanford, covering how 65 square miles became contaminated, and work to clean up the contamination. The first chapter released gives an overview of Hanford.
In addition, the videos will be screened by speakers requested from the Hanford Speakers Bureau. More information is available by emailing HSB@rl.gov.
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