WEST VALLEY —  A new video has been released for the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) and its contractor as they highlight the safe completion of the Main Plant Process Building demolition.

The video features subject matter experts from EM and contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) with more than 200 years of combined experience in nuclear decommissioning and environmental cleanup.

“The purpose of this video is to thank every employee here and commend them for their safety and compliance with local, state and federal regulations while performing this work,” said Bryan Bower, WVDP Director. “It all started 20 years ago with the deactivation and decontamination of the Main Plant. Dedicated men and women went room by room and removed contaminated piping and equipment to help us achieve this major milestone. This is truly an incredible workforce.”

The Main Plant Process building was the largest, most complex demolition of a radioactively contaminated facility at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) to date, achieving a 2025 priority for the cleanup program. Some employees have worked their entire careers in the building, supporting operations, deactivation and now the completion of the demolition.

The building’s successful demolition will further reduce environmental risks and position the site for the next phase in cleanup. WVDP officials reported the demolition was completed 30 days ahead of schedule and $30 million under budget.

The video features subject matter experts who provided technical support and oversight to ensure that this project was performed safely and compliantly.

“We have excellent craft and skilled workers at the site,” said Stephen Bousquet, WVDP assistant director of the Office of Project Management. “They work hard every day to ensure that the work done here is protective of the public and environment.”

EM’s planned approach to safely deconstruct the Main Plant incorporated best practices and lessons learned from WVDP and the greater DOE complex. It included the use of deliberately planned and sequenced demolition, implementation of robust work controls and use of specialized tools and techniques.

“The engineering and planning for this project was extremely detailed and comprehensive, so we could execute this work safely at a deliberate speed,” CHBWV President Jason Casper said. “This is a spectacular group of people performing this work. It’s truly been a team effort among EM, CHBWV, union workers and subcontractors.”

The video can be found by visiting CHBWV’s website at CHBWV.com, under “Project Videos” or by visiting the “CHBWV West Valley” YouTube page.