Crews Demolish Support Area Near Former Hanford Processing Facility

Demolition of two chemical storage areas at the Hanford Site's Plutonium Uranium Extraction Plant has significantly changed the landscape near the largest of Hanford's five former plutonium production facilities. Aerial images from July 2023, top, and March 2024, bottom.

RICHLAND, Wash. - Crews at the Hanford Site are reducing risk at the Plutonium Uranium Extraction Plant (PUREX), one of the site's five former chemical separations facilities.

A team with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) recently finished demolishing a former chemical storage area that supported the nearby plant during Hanford's operations to produce plutonium.

Demolition of the 211-A Chemical Storage Area included the removal of more than 20 empty tanks, a pumphouse and hundreds of feet of pipeline.

This is the second chemical storage area next to PUREX that workers have demolished, allowing crews to begin cleanup activities inside the main PUREX facility.

EMTV - Gone in a flash: Time-lapse video highlights demolition of a former chemical storage area at the Hanford Site.

"PUREX has undergone significant remediation efforts over the past few months," said Andy Wiborg, EM project director at Hanford. "Our teams continue making tremendous progress to reduce risk on the Central Plateau of the Hanford Site by removing former processing and support facilities."

PUREX was key to Hanford's plutonium production mission during the Cold War era. The plant processed nearly 70% of Hanford's estimated 20 million reactor fuel rods to recover plutonium for further processing.

"Completing demolition of PUREX North was a team effort," said Robert Wade, CPCCo project manager. "Our crews have worked hard over the past two years to safely prepare and demolish both chemical storage areas."