Name and Location
Portsmouth gaseous diffusion plant deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) project, Ohio, US.

Client
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and US Department of Energy (DoE).

Project Description
The Portsmouth gaseous diffusion plant, in Piketon, Ohio, was built by the Atomic Energy Commission in the early 1950s to enrich uranium for national defence purposes.

It later provided enriched uranium for commercial nuclear power fuel, but enrichment operations were discontinued in 2001.

The project entails the demolition of the massive process buildings and other facilities undergoing D&D at the plant.

It includes the controlled removal of stored waste, materials, hazards, process gas equipment and process piping, as well as:
• demolition of the buildings or structures,
• characterisation and demolition of underground man-made features,
• treatment as needed to meet transportation and disposal requirements,
• packaging of generated waste for final disposal, and
• transportation and disposal of the waste.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
Fluor-BWXT started work on the initial five-year contract on March 28, 2011.

Latest Developments
The US DoE has exercised its option to extend the current D&D work on the former Portsmouth gaseous diffusion plant for an additional 30 months.

The contract will be executed by Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, a Fluor-led partnership, comprising subcontractors CH2M and small businesses Pro2Serve, Innovative Solutions and Wastren Advantage. The estimated value of the option period is about $750-million.

The contract extension includes completing the deactivation of the massive X-326 uranium enrichment plant, initiating deactivation work in the X-333 process building, continuing the uranium barter programme, completing on-site waste disposal facility design and moving construction forward to prepare the first cells to receive contaminated plant soils and demolition debris.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Fluor-BWXT (D&D contract).

On Budget and on Time?
The D&D work has been extended for an additional 30 months.

Contact Details for Project Information
US DoE media contact Lynette Chafin, tel +1 513 246 0461 or email Lynette.Chafin@emcbc.doe.gov.
Fluor Corporation media relations, Brian Mershon, tel +1 469 398 7621.