The Department of Energy’s semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration said Monday it has disposed of more than 100 “legacy” facilities at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee and the Pantex Plant in Texas.
“For years now, we’ve been strategically removing legacy equipment and materials, packaging and shipping contaminated waste, and demolishing outdated facilities,” Jim McConnell, associate administrator for NNSA’s Office of Safety, Infrastructure, and Operations, said in a press release.
It is a process that allows NNSA to reduce risk and modernize its facilities, McConnell said.
Most of the old facilities, contaminated with industrial hazards such as asbestos, mercury and beryllium, are located within the security fences at the sites that contribute to the national nuclear deterrent. About 60% of NNSA’s facilities are more than 40 years old, according to the release.
Both Y-12 and Pantex are managed by Bechtel-led Consolidated Nuclear Security.