Oak Ridge Today

Contractor completes K-25 east wing demolition, moves to north end

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K-25 East Wing Demolition

Workers wrap up the demolition of the K-25 east wing, pictured at left, in this Sept. 5 photo. The north end is in the foreground. (Photo submitted by UCOR)

One month after a historic preservation agreement was signed, a federal cleanup contractor announced Friday that it has completed demolition work on the east wing of the K-25 Building and is preparing to demolish the north end.

Historic preservationists had lobbied for years to save the north end, but its deteriorated condition made that option unfeasible, a press release said.

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ETTP security staff cut by 15 employees

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The plan to cut security staff at the Y-12 National Security Complex has been canceled, but the proposal to cut staff at the East Tennessee Technology Park has not, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Courtney Russell Henry, public affairs manager for security contractor WSI Oak Ridge, said 15 employees at ETTP have left the company, including 13 security police officers and one support staff member who accepted a voluntary separation. One officer left the company outside the voluntary separation program, or VSP, Henry said.

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Officials cancel plan to cut guards at Y-12

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A plan to cut up to 34 guard positions at the Y-12 National Security Complex has been canceled, a federal spokesman said Tuesday.

WSI Oak Ridge, which provides security at Y-12, no longer has the authority to restructure its staff since it is now a subcontractor reporting to B&W Y-12, rather than the National Nuclear Security Administration, said Steven Wyatt, public affairs manager for the NNSA Production Office in Oak Ridge. That change in reporting authority followed an unprecedented July 28 security breach at the plant, the nation’s main production facility for many nuclear weapons components.

The WSI plan had called for cutting a total of up to 52 jobs at Y-12 and the East Tennessee Technology Park. Employees were to be offered voluntary separations, and today was supposed to be the last work day for those who were accepted.

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UCOR and steel workers union approve four-year contract

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A steel workers union has approved a new four-year contract with UCOR, the U.S. Department of Energy’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, for work at the former K-25 site.

The agreement between UCOR and the United Steel Workers Local No. 9-288 of Oak Ridge includes a 2 percent wage increase in each of the next four years and benefit changes similar to those announced for non-union employees earlier this year, a press release said.

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Final signature clears way for demolition of K-25 North Tower

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K-25 Demolition

Demolition is almost complete on most of the K-25 Building’s East Wing, and work on the North Tower, pictured in the background at left, could start in September. (Photo submitted by UCOR)

Historic preservationists lobbied for years to save the North Tower of the mile-long, U-shaped K-25 Building in west Oak Ridge, but an agreement that received a final signature on Tuesday clears the way for demolition work to begin there in late September or early October.

“It allows us to proceed with our cleanup activities … without delay,” said Mike Koentop, U.S. Department of Energy spokesman in the Oak Ridge Office.

However, officials plan to pay homage to the site, built during World War II to enrich uranium for atomic bombs, with a replica equipment building, viewing tower, and nearby history center, as well as a Web-based virtual museum and a $500,000 grant to buy and stabilize the dilapidated, historic Alexander Inn in central Oak Ridge.

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DOE public bus tours in Oak Ridge end Aug. 31

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Public bus tours of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge facilities end for the year on Friday, Aug. 31.

The tour includes stops at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex, and East Tennessee Technology Park. The tour includes historical commentary on the transformation of the Oak Ridge Reservation during the past 65 years, a press release said.

So far this season, 1,099 visitors from 36 states have participated in the three-hour summer tour.

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At one-year anniversary, UCOR says K-25 demolition ahead of schedule

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K-25 Demolition

Demolition is almost complete on most of the K-25 Building’s east wing, and the project is ahead of schedule. (Photos submitted by UCOR)

UCOR celebrated its first anniversary as the U.S. Department of Energy cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge this week, and the company announced that its most high-profile project, demolition of the K-25 Building, is ahead of schedule.

Demolition of most of the building’s east wing is almost complete, and more than 10,000 loads of debris have been shipped off for disposal, UCOR said in a press release.

Located in west Oak Ridge, the K-25 site was built to enrich uranium during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project, but it’s been shut down since 1987.

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Up to 52 Oak Ridge security jobs could be cut

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A total of 52 jobs could be cut at two federal sites in Oak Ridge, the Y-12 National Security Complex and the East Tennessee Technology Park, a security contractor said Monday.

The plan, which follows reviews by federal officials, calls for a reduction of up to 34 security police officer and three staff positions at Y-12, according to security contractor WSI Oak Ridge. It also calls for the elimination of up to 14 security police officer positions and one staff member at ETTP.

Company employees at Y-12 and ETTP will be offered a voluntary separation program, or VSP, and applications will be accepted until Friday.

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UCOR ships more than 10,000 loads of K-25 waste

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UCOR announced Thursday that it has safely shipped more than 10,000 loads of waste from the K-25 building demolition project at East Tennessee Technology Park.

Workers demolishing the former gaseous diffusion building are close to finishing the facility’s east wing, except for five cells contaminated with technetium-99, a press release said.

“This slow-decaying radioactive material will require further deactivation before demolition begins,” it said.

The K-25 building, shut down in the early 1960s, was a mile-long U-shaped structure covering more than 40 acres. The west wing was demolished by a previous contractor.

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DOE drafts $17.5M plan to preserve K-25 history

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All of the K-25 building would be demolished under a draft agreement issued by the U.S. Department of Energy last week, but a replica equipment building would be erected as part of a plan to honor the history of the massive uranium enrichment plant.

The replica building would have three stories and a basement, and it would display equipment used to enrich uranium through a process called gaseous diffusion.

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Decision on preserving K-25’s North Tower could come soon

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ETTP Preservation Meeting

National Park Service employee Jeff Durbin, left, outlines three options for preserving the North Tower at East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site. Also pictured, at right, are Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan and, second from right, City Manager Mark Watson.

A decade worth of discussions over whether to preserve a part of the historic K-25 uranium-enrichment building in west Oak Ridge could conclude at the end of this month.

A final plan has not been presented, but a final memorandum of agreement could be drafted by May 31, said Susan Cange, acting manager of the U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management program in Oak Ridge.

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DOE to discuss ETTP historic preservation Thursday

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management program is hosting a Thursday morning meeting to discuss preservation plans for the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site.

This public meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the conference room of Building 2714-G, which is located across from the Federal Building in Oak Ridge. There will be an opportunity for the public to provide comments.

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