Small-Scale Decommissioning Projects

The Argonne D&D group has been managing numerous smaller-scale D&D projects including decommissioning a 5,000 sq ft kennel facility, multiple glovebox facilities, and plutonium contaminated equipment.

Bldg. 315 Radio-Chemistry room remediation project.

Building 315 Radiochemistry Lab

Area was formerly used for various experiments involving radioactive materials.

Mechanics transferring B-12 metal bin into Cell 6 pit.

Building 315 Beryllium Remediation

Area was formerly used for various experiments involving radioactive materials.

Outside of dog kennels prior to the start of D&D Operations.

Building 202 Kennel Areas

The kennel areas were formerly used for housing dogs.

Mechanics donning PPE prior to entering containment in the Carousel Room.

Building 205 Carousel

A concrete block storage area used to remotely handle and store high dose rate radioactive material samples.

Building 306 Hot Cells

The Building 306 Hot Cells 1 & 2 and Room D-102 D&D Project was identified as an excess facility and scheduled to be decontaminated for reuse. These rooms were formerly used for neutralization and solidification of extremely high dose rate plutonium-bearing acidic wastes. Planning and documentation began in April 2003 and were completed in August, 2003. Characterization activities began in July and were completed in September 2003, and subsequently D&D activities also began in August 2003 and were completed in the last week of November 2003.

Building 306 TRU Waste Neutralization Rooms

Area was formerly used for neutralization or treatment of liquid TRU radioactive wastes from research program activities.

Building 594 (earlier referred to as Bldg 579) was a pre-engineered metal building with a concrete foundation and floor.

Building 594 Waste Ion-Exchange Facility

The Building 594 was a pre-engineered metal building with a concrete foundation and floor. The building was cleared of all equipment and components and demolished after decommissioning and prior to demolition.

$Argonne was responsible for the removal and size reduction of the tube, and for its packaging and disposal as low-level waste. Technicians first flattened the tube at various intervals using a hydraulic crimper. \ The tube was then cut in the middle of each crimped area using a hydraulic cutter. Tube ends were taped over and further size reduced as needed for disposal.$

Building 200/205 Pneumatic Transfer Tube

The Bldg. 200/205 pneumatic transfer tube was constructed in the late 1960s to transfer irradiated fuel specimens and other samples between a Hot Cell and a glove box in different buildings. The tube was in operation until the mid-1970s. Project scope encompassed only the removal of the tube between the two buildings and not the facilities within the buildings.