OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – Federal cleanup crews are continuing efforts to remove highly radioactive materials from a former isotope production facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as preparations move forward for the building’s eventual demolition.
The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and cleanup contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) announced that workers have successfully removed 10 radioactive legacy materials from Building 3029 and are working to safely remove the remaining items.
The project is part of a larger risk-reduction initiative on ORNL’s central campus.
Building 3029 is one of several structures that made up the laboratory complex known as Isotope Row, where workers produced, processed and researched radioactive isotopes for medical, industrial, scientific and national defense purposes from the late 1940s through the early 1960s.
Cleanup efforts began in 2020 when UCOR started preparing the aging facilities for demolition. During that process, workers discovered unexpectedly high radiation levels inside Building 3029, the largest facility on Isotope Row.
The radioactive materials were found inside the building’s heavily shielded hot cells, specially designed rooms constructed to safely contain and handle highly radioactive substances.
“Once this unexpected level of radiation was discovered, work was immediately paused to ensure that we had a path forward that would keep the workers and environment safe,” said UCOR Project Manager Zachary Dew.
After developing a new safety plan, crews used radiation-resistant cameras to locate and identify the source of the contamination. Investigators eventually traced the radiation to 18 high-dose legacy materials inside the hot cells.
The specialized camera systems allowed workers to remotely inspect the area and use long-handled tools and remotely operated equipment to safely handle the materials from a distance.
Officials said crews are now carefully packaging and removing the radioactive items. The process involves transferring the materials through a small window between hot cells before placing them into heavily shielded metal drums for transport and disposal.
The containers are then moved outside the facility and loaded into secure shipping containers.
Eight remaining radioactive items still need to be removed before demolition preparations can continue.
“By carefully finding and removing these hazards, the cleanup team is permanently removing risks from ORNL and protecting future demolition crews,” said Acting ORNL Portfolio Federal Project Director Michael Griswold. “This project brings us closer to another project that will help transform and modernize the site.”
Officials say the cleanup effort is a key step toward reducing environmental and safety risks associated with aging nuclear-era facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
