Workers Remove Process Piping in the Pilot Plant as Part of the Demolition Process.

The Pilot Plant was the first plant to go on line at Fernald. The plant served as an operating prototype for all phases of the uranium metal production process and a training area for new operators. Later, the plant's main function became the conversion of uranium hexaflouride (UF6) to uranium tetraflouride (UF4), called green salt, for use in the metal production process. Workers also purified thorium and converted thorium nitrate to thoria gel oxides in the plant. The D&D of the plants consists of surface decontamination, building and equipment dismantlement, size reduction of building material and the loading of demolition debris into rolloff boxes for transfer to the On-Site Disposal Facility.

DOE Photo