UCOR has officially wrapped up a four-year risk reduction effort after removing 447 legacy containers from Y-12’s Alpha-4 building, bringing full-scale deactivation one step closer.
The 447 containers had been stored at the former uranium enrichment and lithium separation facility since the 1990s, originating from multiple facilities across the Y-12 National Security Complex. They contained a wide range of materials, including piping, valves, personal protective equipment, sludge, and other legacy waste from Cold-war era activities.
Crews began sorting each container and contaminant piece-by-piece in 2022. The process was lengthy but crucial as materials inside were unknown because records from previous facility operations did not exist. Without this extensive effort, unknown materials could have complicated future deactivation activities and created difficult-to-manage waste streams without disposal paths that could have prolonged the project and increased costs.
Because the sanitization and legacy shipment efforts were done side-by-side, the sanitization process is accelerated. Through these efforts, crews removed over 300 classified items from the facility before deactivation begins. By permanently removing the legacy containers, workers have eliminated potential risks and opened space inside the facility to store future sanitization shipments.
