EM Chief of Staff Mike Nartker announces the completion of EM cleanup activities at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York during a presentation at the 2022 Waste Management Symposia.
EM Chief of Staff Mike Nartker announces the completion of EM cleanup activities at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York during a presentation at the 2022 Waste Management Symposia.

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) Chief of Staff Mike Nartker revealed an updated map of the EM complex during the 2022 Waste Management Symposia today that shows one less cleanup site: Brookhaven National Laboratory.

EM’s cleanup at the laboratory site on Long Island, New York is complete following the demolition last year of a distinctive red-and-white exhaust stack associated with a former research reactor known as the High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR).

“The HFBR stack demolition and safe cleanup at Brookhaven is a pivotal accomplishment for EM," EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White said. "This milestone is one more example of steady and sustainable success in EM's mission of safe cleanups across the country."

With the Brookhaven cleanup complete, the map of the EM complex now shows the remaining 15 active EM sites where cleanup work is currently ongoing. As the largest environmental cleanup program in the world, EM has been charged with the responsibility of cleaning up 107 sites across the country whose area is equal to the combined area of Rhode Island and Delaware

The Brookhaven National Laboratory’s High Flux Beam Reactor exhaust stack before demolition.
The Brookhaven National Laboratory’s High Flux Beam Reactor exhaust stack before demolition.

Successful demolition of the stack marked completion of EM’s cleanup scope at Brookhaven required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Record of Decision signed by EM and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 in 2009.

EM submitted a final report to regulators on the completion of the HFBR stack demolition last month. Crews had wrapped up work at the site in October 2021 after completing demolition fieldwork in the month prior.

The stack was decommissioned and demolished under the direction of EM, with oversight by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. Sustained demolition of the stack began early last year. EM crews dismantled it down to the base, approximately 36 feet above ground, before fully demolishing it. The project overcame several significant challenges on the way to completion, including delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and inclement weather.

“Our crews worked through pandemic hurdles and intense weather delays to complete the HFBR stack demolition with zero safety incidents and zero vibration disturbances to ongoing laboratory operations. Using innovative systems like the MANTIS to safely control debris and minimize personnel on the demolition platform, EM’s cleanup work at Brookhaven was a best-in-class example of resilience and ingenuity to get the job done safely,” said Paul Lucas, the project manager.

EM crews use the MANTIS system to safely demolish the High Flux Beam Reactor exhaust stack, a prominent part of the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The MANTIS is a remotely operated demolition system for concrete chimneys.
EM crews use the MANTIS system to safely demolish the High Flux Beam Reactor exhaust stack, a prominent part of the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The MANTIS is a remotely operated demolition system for concrete chimneys.

Following the teardown of the 320-foot-tall stack, EM focused on cleanup of soil and the below-ground stack infrastructure, and verification that cleanup goals had been met. The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education conducted independent verification of the stack cleanup. Waste generated from the project was shipped out of state to a disposal facility.

DOE shut down the HFBR more than 20 years ago. It provided a source of neutrons for multidisciplinary scientific research in materials science, chemistry, biology and physics.

The site of the HFBR stack will return to the laboratory, whose mission is to deliver discovery science and transformative technology to power and secure the nation’s future.