EM’s Paducah Site recently celebrated the startup of a first-of-a-kind scanning facility to ensure equipment removal from massive process buildings are properly prepared for safe and compliant disposal.
After undergoing a thorough review and demonstration, the Large Item Neutron Assay System (LINAS) is now operational. The project team successfully scanned and measured the first process gas equipment removed from the C-333 Process Building in the LINAS chamber last month to prepare the C-333 facility for future demolition.
The LINAS facility allows workers to collect accurate measurements of deposits left over from uranium enrichment operations within process gas equipment. The project team will continue to measure this equipment until its removal is complete and the C-333 Process Building is prepared for demolition.
“The ability to collect precise measurements of process gas equipment is critical as we continue to move forward with work in the C-333 Process Building to maximize the efficiency of the deactivation project,” Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) Manager Joel Bradburne said. “Our team at the Paducah Site continues to advance technologies to help us maintain safety for our workers, the public and the environment, while continuing to advance deactivation of the C-333 Process Building.”
During startup of LINAS, the scanning technology produced test data demonstrating it is the most accurate measuring system in the world for the large equipment removed from the C-333 Process Building. Aside from the accuracy of the scanning technology, measurements of deposits can be completed in a fraction of the time compared to other large component measurement methods, resulting in greater efficiency.
“Throughout the design and commissioning of LINAS, our team has prioritized safety and maintained the goal of creating a world-class system to support deactivation at the site,” said Myrna Redfield, the program manager for Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, EM’s Paducah Site deactivation and remediation contractor. “I am proud of our team’s dedication and commitment as they continue to identify new methods and technologies.”
