For Immediate Release
Contact: Wayne McKinney
wayne.mckinney@ettp.doe.gov
(865) 576-6284
Oak Ridge, Tenn., July 12, 2012 – URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) has safely shipped
more than 10,000 loads of waste from the K-25 building demolition project at East Tennessee
Technology Park (ETTP).
Workers demolishing the former gaseous diffusion building are close to finishing the facility’s
east wing, with the exception of five gaseous-diffusion process cells contaminated with
technetium-99. This slow-decaying radioactive material will require further deactivation before
demolition begins.
The K-25 building, shut down in the early 1960s, was a mile-long U-shaped structure covering
more than 40 acres. The west wing was demolished by a previous contractor. Most of the waste
being generated from the demolition project is being disposed of at the Environmental
Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF), located near the Y-12 National Security
Complex. A haul road links ETTP to EMWMF, keeping the shipments off public roadways.
All demolition and waste shipments from the non-technetium portion of the east wing should be
completed in October. That will leave only the north end, which forms the base of the U shape,
as well as the technetium-contaminated portion of the east wing standing.
“We’ve completed all waste shipments without incurring any injuries,” said Leo Sain, UCOR
President and Project Manager. “When we took over the ETTP cleanup contract last August, we
stressed safety as our top priority, and the exemplary performance of our K-25 crew is a
testament to the continued safety focus needed to perform at a zero accident level.”
The 10,000-plus shipments have transported more than 78,000 cubic yards of waste for disposal.
These wastes include processed steel, asbestos, concrete rubble, compressors, and converters.
UCOR is disposing of the waste as it is generated to eliminate the need for double handling and
storage.
“Our strategy to dispose of the waste as we demolish the building has allowed us to proceed
efficiently and cost effectively,” said Mark Ferri, K-25 Project Manager. “From the in-field
demolition team, to the transportation crew, to the EMWMF staff, we are working like a welloiled
machine to safely bring down the building and dispose of the debris.”
The project is currently ahead of schedule and expected to be completed by the summer of 2014.
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UCOR is the Department of Energy’s Environmental Management contractor at the Oak Ridge
Reservation. In addition to demolishing the K-25 Building, UCOR is responsible for other
specific scopes of work at ETTP, the Y-12 National Security Site, and the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory.