US Oak Ridge Research Reactor Decommissioning to Begin in 2029

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Environmental Management Office (OREM) has made phased progress in deactivating the Oak Ridge Research Reactor facility, following the removal of its reactor vessel by workers two years ago. The reactor vessel was previously loaded into a 32,000-pound shielded transport container and shipped offsite for disposal, with current efforts now focused on hazard mitigation within the basement of this large facility. Located on the central campus of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the facility is progressing in tandem with multiple cleanup projects, involving hazard elimination, cleanup of aging nuclear infrastructure, and making room for modernization.

The Oak Ridge Research Reactor began operation in 1958 and was shut down in 1987, during which time it supported neutron research, isotope production, materials testing, and reactor development, underpinning Oak Ridge's standing in nuclear science. Decades of operation left highly contaminated systems and infrastructure within the facility, and workers must complete deactivation before the building can be safely demolished.

United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR), as OREM's primary environmental cleanup contractor, is responsible for the deactivation and demolition of aging, contaminated nuclear facilities and Cold War-era legacy waste sites. Workers have removed more than 160 waste containers, 16,000 linear feet of contaminated piping, six glove boxes, and approximately 300,000 pounds of lead shielding from the facility, while continuing extensive characterization activities. Steven Reed, project manager at United Cleanup Oak Ridge, stated that the reactor removal has opened the door for the next phase of cleanup, and the team is steadily progressing toward the safe dismantlement of contaminated systems and preparing for the eventual demolition of the building.

Under the current plan, workers expect to complete the cleanup of remaining radioactively contaminated equipment in the basement within this year, before moving to the upper floors to address piping and equipment removal. Following deactivation, a concrete-like grout will be poured on the basement floor to form a stable foundation to support subsequent demolition equipment. Demolition of the entire building is expected to begin in 2029.