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UCOR: Highest-risk components safely removed from K-27

Posted at 8:30 am March 4, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

NaF Trap Removed at K-27

Ernie Gunter, left, and Michael Shirks watch as a NaF trip is lifted through the roof of K-27. (Submitted photos)

UCOR has removed the highest-risk components remaining in the K-27 building at East Tennessee Technology Park, a press release said.

Six components known as NaF, or sodium fluoride, traps have been removed by crane, the press release said.

The K-27 building is a “sister” to the mile-long K-25 gaseous diffusion process building, which is now nearly demolished, the release said. Both are Manhattan Project buildings built to produce materials for nuclear weapons. As work is completed at K-25, crews are shifting to K-27.

The release said the NaF traps were part of the final uranium removal process in what was known as the “purge cascade” when K-25 and K-27 were operational. Sodium fluoride pellets were used to trap the uranium, and the removed traps still contain uranium materials from when the facility was shut down decades ago. The NaF traps are each about the size of a household water heater and range in weight from 1,500 pounds to 2,000 pounds each, the release said.

NaF Trap Practice

Workers practice lifting a “dummy” NaF trap as part of preparation for the actual job. Pictured are crane operator Chester Sheldon, and riggers Michael Shirks, left, and Larry Leonard.

The two NaF traps deemed highest risk were removed first.

Dell Simpson, project integration manager for the K-27 project, said the traps were high risk because of the amount of uranium still remaining in them. They are being stored in the K-25 area until the materials can be removed. The other four NaF traps were removed on Monday, Feb. 25. These can be disposed of as waste, Simpson said.

“It’s a big accomplishment to remove these vessels,” said Steve Dahlgren, UCOR D&D Manager. “They represented the highest risk remaining in the K-27 building. Safely removing them is a big step toward getting this project completed.”

Filed Under: East Tennessee Technology Park, Top Stories Tagged With: Dell Simpson, East Tennessee Technology Park, gaseous diffusion, K-27, K-27 Building, Manhattan Project, NaF traps, purge cascade, sodium fluoride, Steve Dahlgren, UCOR, uranium

Comments

  1. Sam Hopwood says

    March 4, 2013 at 4:04 pm

    Worked a number of years in K-27 way back in the days of yore. Helped in a massive clean-up project following a huge UF6 spill in K-27 that really was a mess. We had little, if any, protective equipment and I have to chuckle a bit when I see all the special protective suits that the clean-up folks use now. But, as the old saying goes, back in those days it was production first, everything else was way down on the list. When someone talks about “the good old days” I think of that.

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