UCOR’s successful teardown of one of the most complex Oak Ridge legacy facilities has earned national recognition for project execution and safety excellence.
The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC), representing over 1,800 contractor companies that use union labor, presented UCOR with the 2026 Joseph R. La Rocca Union Project of the Year Award for demolishing Alpha-2, a former uranium enrichment facility from the Manhattan Project. UCOR’s award was in the “more than $50 million” category.
“UCOR’s Alpha-2 Deactivation and Demolition Project reflects the very best of union construction and maintenance: complex work performed with discipline, expertise, and an unwavering commitment to safety,” said TAUC Chief Executive Officer Dan Hogan. “Projects of this scale and significance require tremendous coordination and trust across every level of the team, and UCOR delivered an outstanding result.”
Receiving this award recognizes the successful completion of the largest deactivation and demolition project to date at the Y-12 National Security Complex, generating over 83 million pounds of waste disposed. The award criteria include collaboration, teamwork, construction quality and craftsmanship, project execution and scale, and safety.
The Joseph R. La Rocca Union Project of the Year Awards typically honor new, large-scale construction and infrastructure installation. However, UCOR’s recognition underscores the national importance of environmental restoration, demonstrating the value of safely removing, restoring, and revitalizing legacy facilities for the nation’s future.
“This recognition highlights the extraordinary partnership among UCOR, our union craft workforce, and the Department of Energy,” said Clint Wolfley, UCOR Senior Vice President of End State Delivery. “The Alpha-2 Project represented some of the most challenging cleanup work performed on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Completing this work allows the National Nuclear Security Administration to build new infrastructure for future national security missions, supporting Oak Ridge’s future.”
UCOR also received the prestigious 2026 TAUC Thomas J. Reynolds Safety Award which is reserved only for companies that achieved a 2025 Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rate of zero.
Pictured accepting the award at a ceremony Thursday are Ken Rueter, Jimmy Hughes, Larry Brede, Bobby Alred, Chief Executive Officer of TAUC Dan Hogan, Joe Barletto, Clint Wolfley, Dawn Millis, Steve Manthe, and Brian Langhorst, presenter of the award from Procore Technologies.
