Oak Ridge crews are deactivating Beta-4, which spans the equivalent of nearly seven football fields, as similar preparations for demolition draw to a close at another former Manhattan Project-era uranium enrichment facility, Beta-1, at the Y-12 National Security Complex. This marks a significant step forward in the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management’s (OREM) effort to remove legacy hazards, enable modernization and open space for important national security missions at Y-12.

A detailed data-gathering process known as characterization is helping the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) advance cleanup at one of the nation’s most important national security sites. Teams are characterizing land, buildings and slabs to identify contamination at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Field work underway by contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) and subcontractor RSI EnTech is paving the way for upcoming demolition and land reuse at Y-12.

A demonstration of an innovative technology has proved successful in safely treating and permanently disposing of a complex legacy waste stored at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the past 50 years, reducing significant risk. “This effort demonstrates how innovation and strong partnerships can solve some of the most complex cleanup challenges,” said Steve Clemons, ORNL portfolio federal project director for the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM).

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) have begun major field work to address an old scrapyard, a project that will remove risks and allow future industrial reuse on the land. The site, called White Wing Scrap Yard, is adjacent to an announced multibillion-dollar uranium enrichment facility and near the East Tennessee Technology Park, where private industry has announced billions of dollars in capital investments that will generate an estimated 2,500 new jobs.