The SM-1A Project Team continues work on the SM-1A Decommissioning and Dismantlement project with APTIM Amentum Alaska Decommissioning LLC (A3D) Joint Venture (JV) of Alexandria, VA.
As we move into May and June, you will notice an increased presence at the SM-1A site. Over the past few months, our team has been diligently working to finalize the documents necessary to implement mobilization to the site. A portion of the team will be arriving at the site next week to begin our initial preparation work including office set up, baseline radiation and environmental sampling at the SM-1A site and Waste Storage Area, and miscellaneous tasks. The team is continuing to finalize the documents that will allow us to begin the construction of our weather enclosures for both sites.
For the remainder of the calendar year, the team will be focused on constructing the weather enclosures for both sites. Once the weather enclosures are constructed, the team will be posed to start the formal decommissioning efforts in January 2025. The first phase of the decommissioning will involve the abatement of environmental hazards, such as, asbestos, lead based paint, PCBs, etc.
The Alaskan Interior Delegation will be visiting our site 18 June 2024 for a site tour and information session. As construction ramps up over the coming months, the opportunity for site visits will be limited. As transparency and project visibility are extremely important to our team, please periodically visit our project website, www.nab.usace.army.mil/SM-1A/, as we will be updating it frequently with photos and videos that track our work progress. Site videos are available for viewing on our dedicated Deactivated Nuclear Power Plant Program YouTube channel Deactivated Nuclear Power Plant Program (DNPPP) - YouTube . A virtual tour is currently available to allow you to see the site firsthand. Additionally, the video documenting our Vapor Container entry efforts from January/February 2024 is posted. Finally, the public meeting recordings are posted.
The decommissioning contract includes all aspects of the project, including the removal of all reactor components; transportation and disposal of material; site cleanup; and restoration. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team continues to partner with our decommissioning contractor to ensure all aspects of the project are done with safety as the top priority. The USACE team overseeing the SM-1A decommissioning has a proven track record of safely carrying out a broad array of radiological projects around the world. This includes the complete decommissioning of one of SM-1A’s sister reactors - the Army’s deactivated MH-1A nuclear reactor onboard the STURGIS vessel, which was the world’s first floating nuclear power plant and the same team is implementing the decommissioning of the SM-1, the sister plant in Virginia.
We would like to again thank you for being a part of this process.
If you have any questions and/or concerns regarding the SM-1A project, please feel free to reach out to me and/or email us at CENAB-SM1A@usace.army.mil.