It’s been a long time coming but the vast K-25 building is finally down.
Federal contractors have completed demolition of the west wing of the World War II-era K-25 uranium-enrichment facility, marking a major milestone on one of the largest nuclear cleanup projects in history.
The work has been delayed on multiple occasions because of safety issues or technical concerns, and some aspects of the project were complicated by the deteriorated condition of the 65-year-old building.
In a statement, Department of Energy Manager Gerald Boyd said, “We are extremely pleased to have gotten this portion of the project done. The work force has done a remarkable job, and we thank them for their hard work.”
At the time of its construction during the wartime Manhattan Project, K-25 was the largest building in the world under one roof, covering about 40 acres and containing miles and miles of equipment that processed uranium in a gaseous form.
Demolition of the U-shaped, milelong building began in December 2008 under the direction of Bechtel Jacobs Co., DOE’s environmental manager in Oak Ridge.
Read more here.
