As the fiscal year draws near and with Isotope Row demolition only weeks away, the ORNL team had a luncheon to celebrate numerous achievements made during this fiscal year.
Within this past year, crews have implemented the BROKK robotic system and even fabricated their own robotic handle at Building 3026, accelerating deactivation activities so the final portion of the hot cell can be demolished in FY 2027. Crews have also worked tirelessly deactivating Building 3038, including removing highly contaminated process off-gas lines, and they have started characterizing a legacy carousel system within the facility using manipulator arms.
Crews have also worked hard at isolating the Oak Ridge Graphite Reactor’s 3002 support facility from the historic landmark and are actively researching ways to get the support facility down once and for all. Several deactivation projects are underway, including at Building 3042. Crews are removing radiological contaminants from the basement to prepare for the next phase of deactivation activities, moving the building closer to demolition.
In the coming weeks, workers will complete demolition of Isotope Row’s 10 facilities, a multi-year effort that will open the heart of ORNL’s central campus. Finally, crews at 3544 have officially begun characterizing the inside of the facility to bring it toward demolition alongside multiple other aging facilities. ORNL crews work hard to make the future of ORNL a reality, and this luncheon was an opportunity for UCOR’s President and Program Manager, Jim Blakenhorn, alongside other executive team members to recognize and honor the hard work they put in this past year.
