Workers begin removing transite paneling from the outside of the K-31 Building at East Tennessee Technology Park. (DOE Photo/Lynn Freeny)
Preparing the building for demolition, workers on Tuesday began removing transite paneling from the outside of the K-31 Building at East Tennessee Technology Park.
The former gaseous diffusion building, which is about 1.5 million square feet, was once used to produce enriched uranium for defense and commercial purposes. It was permanently shut down in 1987.
UCOR, a partnership between URS and CH2M Oak Ridge, is preparing the building for demolition, which is scheduled for later this year. Approximately 10,000 transite panels are expected to be removed during the next several months, a press release said. These panels are removed ahead of demolition because they contain asbestos and must be handled and treated with separate hazard abatement crews.
“This is another example of the tremendous cleanup progress being made at ETTP,” said Leo Sain, UCOR president and project manager. “Once K-31 is demolished, only one gaseous diffusion building out of the five that were located here will be left standing.”
K-31 was part of a three-building decontamination and equipment removal project completed by BNG America in 2005. The other two gaseous diffusion buildings that were part of the cleanup effort—K-29 and K-33—have already been demolished. Demolition of the largest gaseous diffusion building at the site, K-25, was completed late last year.
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