April 29, 2004

NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:                                     

CINCINNATI  - Today Fluor Fernald demolition crews brought down the Pilot Plant, the last of 10 former uranium complexes that produced 100 million pounds of high purity uranium metal from 1951–1989 to support the nation’s weapons production needs.  The demolition of these structures clears a major hurdle toward completing the environmental cleanup of the 1,050-acre Fernald site in 2006.

The former production area at Fernald sits on 125 acres in the middle of the property.  Uranium production plants once stretched over 9 city blocks with buildings standing anywhere from one to seven stories tall.  The mission of the facility was to take uranium ore and ore concentrates, remove the impurities and ultimately produce uranium metal for Defense Programs.  Over the course of nearly 40 years of production the plants and the soil beneath the plants were contaminated.  To reduce the spread of contamination during demolition, the Department of Energy and Fluor Fernald worked closely with Ohio and U.S. EPA to develop work processes that protected workers as well as the environment. 

Building demolition is not an easy job.  In many cases workers using powered hand equipment had to cut systems into pieces, which were removed before building demolition could begin.  In all cases workers wore respirators, heavy anti-contamination clothing, radiological and sometimes air monitoring devices in addition to construction related equipment like hardhats, boots and gloves to complete their tasks.  “There are only about three weeks in the year you’d want to wear that kind of equipment, “ said Fluor Fernald Project Director Jamie Jameson.  “Other than that, it’s stifling hot in the summer and cold in the winter.“

Despite the difficult conditions, workers and safety personnel developed work plans and processes that fostered a safety record far superior to the national average.  “Despite the challenges and all of the unknowns you face when taking down a 40 year old plant, the workers were committed to safety.  They refused to accept that getting hurt was part of the job.  The results were outstanding,” said DOE Fernald Director Bill Taylor.    

With the demolition of the last production building soil excavation personnel will begin removing contaminated concrete and soil beneath the surface of the old plant.  Some demolition workers will begin asbestos removal in several administrative buildings slated for demolition next year.