Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn. recently downgraded Building 9206 from nuclear facility status to radiologically contaminated, local publication The Oak Ridger said Monday.
Building 9206 was constructed in 1944 and was used for processes such as uranium recovery and processing, as well as chemical recycling. The Y-12 building was shut down in 1994, but still had an inventory of uranium, contaminated equipment, and other fissile materials. This meant the building needed to be monitored and managed by staff at the site.
“Our goal was to deactivate and downgrade Building 9206 by the end of 2025 to reduce nuclear criticality safety risk, free up valuable resources, and apply lessons learned to efforts in other production buildings,” Building Transition Strategy Program Manager Anita Hazelwood said in a news release by prime Y-12 joint venture contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS).
The efforts to remove materials from the building also began in 1994, and the decontamination and de-inventory was conducted on and off until 2015, when Y-12 and its Transition Strategy program received funding to downgrade the facility.
The CNS press release said downgrading was completed on schedule and cost $60 million, or $100 million less than the original estimate. Now, Building 9206 will transfer to management under Y-12’s Legacy Facility Stewardship program until the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management begins future demolition work.