A freight train operated by BNSF Railway and carrying debris from the demolition of the Energy Department’s Separations Research Process Unit in upstate New York derailed on May 13 near Bosworth, Mo., though no one was hurt and no waste was spilled.
A spokesperson for AECOM, prime contractor on the demolition of the 1950s-era plutonium research facility near the town of Niskayuna, confirmed the accident Thursday. The waste was en route to Waste Control Specialists’ privately operated disposal facility in Andrews County, Texas.
“According to the rail carrier, there were no injuries and no indication of debris spill,” AECOM spokesman Keith Wood said by email. “The intermodal containers are currently awaiting transport to Texas.”
BNSF and DOE did not reply to requests for comment this week.
From 1950 to 1953, the federal government used the Separations Process Research Unit (SPRU) to experiment with separation of plutonium from irradiated uranium. The facility is co-located with the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. AECOM became the prime contractor when it acquired URS in 2014.
AECOM has been working on demolishing the two main buildings at SPRU, G2 and H2, and completed demolition of the above-ground portions of G2 late last year. H2 demolition, taking place under a ventilated cover after a series of radiation incidents in 2010, is slated to wrap up this summer.
