Halfway to Finish Line: New Video Marks West Valley Demolition Milestone

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. - A new video released today by the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) captures cleanup progress by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) and its contractor as they highlight the halfway point in the demolition of the Main Plant Process Building.

The video features subject matter experts from EM and contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) with more than 200 years of combined experience in nuclear decommissioning and environmental cleanup.

"The purpose of this video is to thank every employee here and commend them for their safety and compliance with local, state and federal regulations while performing this work," WVDP Director Bryan Bower said. "It all started 20 years ago with the deactivation and decontamination of the Main Plant. Dedicated men and women went room by room and removed contaminated piping and equipment to help get us where we are today. This is truly an incredible workforce."

Jason Casper, CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley president, recognizes the efforts of the workforce in reaching the 50% completion milestone in the safe demolition of the Main Plant Process Building.

The Main Plant is one of the most difficult facilities to be removed from the site. Some employees have worked their entire careers in the building, supporting operations, deactivation, and now demolition.
The building's successful deconstruction will further reduce environmental risks and position the site for the next phase in cleanup. The demolition is expected to be completed in fiscal year 2025, which begins this October.

The video features subject matter experts who provide technical support and oversight to ensure work is performed safely.

"We have excellent craft and skilled workers at the site," said Stephen Bousquet, WVDP assistant director of the Office of Project Management. "They work hard every day to ensure that the work done here is protective of the public and environment."

EM's planned approach to safely deconstruct the Main Plain incorporates best practices and lessons learned from WVDP and the greater DOE complex. It includes use of deliberately planned and sequenced demolition, implementation of robust work controls and use of specialized tools and techniques.

"The engineering and planning for this project was extremely detailed and comprehensive so we could execute this work safely at a deliberate speed," CHBWV President Jason Casper said. "This is a spectacular group of people performing this work. It's truly been a team effort among EM, CHBWV, union workers and subcontractors."

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere