Crews to Remove Building Slab After Demolishing Historic National Lab Facility

Before and after views of the Building 251 demolition at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in late 2024. Image: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

The US Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) is preparing to remove a building slab at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) after crews successfully removed hazards from a historic facility and demolished it late last year.

“This successful D&D means that the significant risks at three of the four highest-risk excess facilities have now been removed: Building 175, Building 280 reactor and Building 251,” says Kevin Bazzell, EM’s federal project director for LLNL and nearby Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

LLNL was established in 1952 to meet urgent national security needs by advancing nuclear weapons science and technology. EM deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) activities support the laboratory and were initiated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which directed DOE to D&D the Building 280 Pool Type Reactor and other excess facilities at LLNL to pave the way for new facilities on the laboratory’s 1-square-mile footprint. The cleanup program continues its site excess facility D&D mission at five other areas at LLNL, including Building 280.

EM and National Nuclear Security Administration site contractor Lawrence Livermore National Security are preparing to clear the concrete slab from the site of Building 251. Following that, the site will be available for new laboratory mission execution.

“Safely removing one of the most contaminated buildings onsite is a huge milestone for the partnered teams of EM and laboratory staff,” Bazzell adds. “We are thrilled to be a part of the building’s evolution, creating space for new mission elements and modernized infrastructure.”

Building 251 is one of four high-risk facilities slated for removal by EM at LLNL. Demolishing Building 251 also marks successful completion of the first task order awarded under a nationwide deactivation, decommissioning and removal contract.

In the final weeks of 2024, trucks shipped the last three containers of waste from the Building 251 demolition to an offsite disposal facility in Clive, Utah. In total, more than 220 trucks carried over 250 containers of waste to the disposal facility following five months of Building 251 demolition work. Abatement and hazard removal, vent duct removal and decontamination preceded the teardown. EM finished restoring the site late last year.

Also known as the Heavy Elements Facility, Building 251 was constructed in 1956 and operated until 1989. At its height, the facility housed chambers and technology designed to safely handle radioactive materials and contributed to the discovery of new elements, including seaborgium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson.