OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management is preparing three support facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for demolition soon.
OREM cleanup contractor is deactivating the Graphite Reactor, the oldest reactor in the world, ancillary facilities, according to a release from OREM. The buildings include the filter house, fan house and exhaust stack. They were previously used to filter and release exhaust from Graphite Reactor operations.
The removal of the facilities will continue the transformation of ORNL's central campus, eliminate hazards and enhance visitor access to a historic landmark.
The reactor was designated a historic landmark in 1966 and is a key component of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. It was the first facility built at ORNL during the Manhattan Project and will remain for visitors to learn about the history of the site.
According to OREM, moving equipment to support deactivating the facilities has been challenging. They are located on a hill that is almost 100 feet from the reactor and within 20 feet of a fence line for a neighboring operational facility.
Much of the work throughout last year involved crews sampling the buildings and ducts and the removal of numerous filters and hundreds of contaminated rock wool filters. With the filters out, employees are preparing to decontaminate Building 3002’s interior. The process includes vacuuming and using a solution for overall decontamination and again for targeted “hot spot” decontamination, OREM said.
The upcoming work moves the facilities closer to demolition, planned for next year.
