Congratulations to UCOR’s Molten Salt Reactor Experiment team for successfully completing the final Continuous Purge System (CPS) Readiness Assessment. CPS is an active safety upgrade that mitigates hazards and facilitates remote monitoring. Starting a new system is no small feat as the process is filled with many difficult requirements. Assessment members from across the DOE…
The first seven sodium shields that we sent to the Veolia Nuclear Solutions Federal Services facility in Andrew, Texas, have all been successfully melted. Veolia used its GeoMelt® technology to convert the waste into a stable, durable glass for safe, permanent disposal. This legacy waste from the 1960s and 70s was used to pioneer radiation…
Several UCOR teams quickly responded last week to a deteriorated drain line connected to the main transfer pipe from the Melton Valley Collection Tank Facility (Building 7961) and the Process Waste Treatment Complex (Building 3608) supporting ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor. After a sump pump alarm signaled potential flooding concerns, ORNL Nuclear Operations crews responded…
A fiber optic outage will take place this weekend. The outage, which is not under UCOR control, will impact everything—Teams, Outlook, shared drives, Citrix, etc. The services will be down and inaccessible, including network services to ORNL, Y-12, and TWPC. The outage will begin at 6 p.m., Friday, June 12, and continue until 6 a.m.,…
UCOR is making great progress preparing the remaining hot cell from the former Radioisotope Development Laboratory (Building 3026) for demolition. With the help of robotic equipment, 19 drums of waste have been removed. View the video for more on this project.
UCOR has added a new type of crane to its D&D inventory. Last week, several iron workers and operators were trained on the assembly and disassembly of a Spydercrane. This crane is the first of its type for UCOR. It will be used inside the Alpha-4 facility assisting the workforce with ongoing sanitization efforts. The overhead cranes…
UCOR has completed replacement of electrical feeds to 13 well pumps at Solid Waste Storage Areas (SWSA) 4 and 5. These pumps are part of the Melton Valley Hydraulic Isolation wells, which were installed to minimize movement of rain and groundwater through these areas. While the wells have functioned as required by regulatory documents, UCOR…
UCOR’s deactivation and demolition crews officially start deactivation on the 360,000-square-feet Beta-4 facility, a former Manhattan Project-era uranium enrichment building. The National Nuclear Security Administration transferred operational responsibility of the 360,000-square-foot Beta-4 to OREM for the characterization, deactivation, and pre-demolition work. While preparation to begin deactivation on the facility was underway, UCOR’s Y-12 infrastructure crews completed a major…
The Chromium Water Treatment System (CWTS) at the ETTP Heritage Center has successfully completed its five-year dye test. During the test, 45,500 gallons of water tinted with a benign bright green dye were pumped from the 802 Basin to Clinch River mile marker 12.0. The absence of the bright green dye once pumped through 3.3-mile…
ORNL Nuclear Operations has started the final round of above ground piping replacements at the Building 2600 Process Waste Facility. Project, maintenance, and operations crews worked together to minimize the downtime of the Liquid and Gaseous Waste Operations (LGWO) system by replacing piping from the 2105 Sump to the 2106 Sump first. This will allow…