Update on K-25 Site in Oak Ridge

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Pewter Sonoma
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Update on K-25 Site in Oak Ridge

Post by Pewter Sonoma »

http://www.wate.com/global/story.asp?s= ... =Printable

OAK RIDGE (AP) -- Building the world's first full-scale uranium enrichment factory in Oak Ridge took 18 months amid the race for the first atomic bomb. Six decades later, federal authorities think they finally have a handle on just how long it will take to clean up and tear down the long-shuttered relic of the Manhattan Project: About 15 years.
Robert Brown, deputy director of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge complex, said structural issues and contamination have delayed the project.

So far about half of the more than 500 buildings on the site have been removed or cleaned. The government has spent about $1.6 billion to this point.



Not the best of news for any hope of a road course. :?
2011 ETR SCCA never made it to an event Champion
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Pewter Sonoma
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Post by Pewter Sonoma »

Update #2:

The focus will be on high-risk work at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former uranium-enrichment plant that is being decommissioned and converted to a private industrial park. The biggest task includes the dismantlement and demolition of the gigantic K-25 building - a mile-long, U-shaped structure that was built during World War II to process uranium.

Perhaps our dreams of a road course are drifting away....

Whole article:
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/sep/2 ... printer=1/
2011 ETR SCCA never made it to an event Champion
2001 Camaro SS Convertible - LS1, 6-speed, GMPP HotCam, Full Exhaust, Konis, Springs, Sways, Roll Cage, Wilwood Brakes.
Eric Wilson
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Post by Eric Wilson »

The 15 year projection is for the entire site. The K-25 building is scheduled to be complete by 2011. The economic stimulus package brought in much needed funds, after some of the original clean-up funds were diverted to ORNL. The track initiative has been in limbo, but is starting to pick up steam again now that we can see light at the end of the tunnel. Work has continued in the area of developing relations between ORNL and the motorsports industry. The Deputy Director of Transportation Technologies recently made a presentation at the SAE Motorsports Conference in Charlotte. The Director of ORNL recently responded to my question of developing motorsports relations (scroll towards the bottom).
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/mar/1 ... questions/

Here are some pictures of the demolition of the K-25 building. This is in the area at the South end of the 4,400' back straight of the track conceptual.

Image
Image
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Post by Pewter Sonoma »

More info in the news today as well:

http://www.oakridger.com/business/x7117 ... view=print

Large K-25 building sold to N.C. firm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Reports
Posted Apr 15, 2009 @ 09:00 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — One of the largest buildings at the East Tennessee Technology Park has been sold to a company based in Cornelius, N.C., for $2 million.

Early this year, Manhattan Project LLC, an affiliate of Fulcra Enterprises Inc., bought Building K-1007, which is 132,000 square feet, a press release said.

The buildings are currently leased to Bechtel Jacobs Co., the U.S. Department of Energy's contractor for the cleanup of Heritage Center. Building K-1007 has been used for office space since its construction in 1960, the press release said.

Fulcra has also purchased four other buildings located in the park, which is also known as the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge. That site is being slowly converted from a facility once used to enrich uranium into a large industrial park.
2011 ETR SCCA never made it to an event Champion
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thrdeye
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Post by thrdeye »

Derek, you have any links to older pictures that are inside K25? I have only seen a few and am very fascinated.
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Post by SilverMaxima »

Heh, I've got that same photo on my work PC... I did some of the electrical equipment surface area calculations for the crap that's going to be removed. 8)
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Pewter Sonoma
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Post by Pewter Sonoma »

thrdeye wrote:Derek, you have any links to older pictures that are inside K25? I have only seen a few and am very fascinated.
Not here, but let me see what I have at work. I got some videos in my office. I'll see what I can take out and let you borrow.

You still working on the cleanup?

I see a bunch of older pics at work, framed on the wall, but it's Y-12 or Oak Ridge in general - hardly anything of K-25.


Quick search found me these:
old arial shot: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/296 ... 9a.jpg?v=0

My group has a small machining shop located on one of the old calutrons floors.....it's the 'race track' looking black and white photo found here: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Calutron

I also suggest going to the American Museum of Science and Energy sometime - lots of cool stuff to see.
2011 ETR SCCA never made it to an event Champion
2001 Camaro SS Convertible - LS1, 6-speed, GMPP HotCam, Full Exhaust, Konis, Springs, Sways, Roll Cage, Wilwood Brakes.
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Post by SilverMaxima »

I actually finished my calculations on the electric equipment last week... Unless it's a slight revision or something along those lines, I'm likely done with K25. The MEs, on the other hand...
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Post by dfoulk »

The K1007 building that has been sold is outside the original fence line and was the office building where paychecks were processed back when computers used IBM cards. It is one of the least contaminated buildings on the site.

The sheer volume of material processed at the K-25 plant makes me think 15 years to clean it up may not be unreasonable. Sometimes clean up projects like this one remind me of "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back"

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Post by Eric Wilson »

This was before stimulus money entered the picture.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/Sep/24/092408WebBJC/

"John Shewairy of DOE said the contract agreement was signed Friday. The new contract is retroactive to Oct. 1, 2007 and runs through Dec. 31, 2011, Shewairy said.

The focus of the contract will be high-risk work at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former uranium-enrichment plant that is being decommissioned and converted to a private industrial park. The biggest task includes the dismantlement and demolition of the gigantic K-25 building — a mile-long, U-shaped structure that was built during World War II to process uranium."
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Post by Pewter Sonoma »

thrdeye wrote:Derek, you have any links to older pictures that are inside K25? I have only seen a few and am very fascinated.
Chris, I picked you up 4 DVDs and 2 brochures while I was in the visitor center building today. One, in particular, looks like it is nothing but old photos, so you should find that of interest. I'll give them to Ryan this weekend (Saturday?) and perhaps he can give them to you on Sunday at the event. I can't make it due to a wedding. :(

-Derek
2011 ETR SCCA never made it to an event Champion
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Post by thrdeye »

Sounds good man! Thanks!
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