Y-12 downgrades nuclear facility status of Building 9206, moving it closer to eventual demolition

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Y-12 National Security Complex downgraded Building 9206 from a nuclear facility to radiologically contaminated, a milestone that reflects significantly reduced risk and moves the building closer to eventual demolition.

Building 9206 was constructed in 1944 and served as a sister facility to another production building with historical missions including chemical recycling and processing for the beta stage of the electromagnetic separation plant.

The facility was shut down in 1994, leaving a large amount of contaminated equipment and materials behind. Since the building contained nuclear materials, it had to be monitored and managed. Efforts to remove the contaminants began shortly after the facility was closed.

In 2015, the Transition Strategy program receiv