Savannah River Site (SRS) recently demolished a former coal handling system whose removal further shrinks the legacy footprint at the 300-square-mile nuclear reservation. SRS workers have achieved an 85% reduction in the SRS operational footprint, a percentage that will grow as workers with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) continue the decommissioning and demolition of facilities in the site’s massive D Area. The term footprint is used to identify, monitor and cleanup portions of the Site used during the Cold War for industrial purposes.

“We’re steadily working towards the goal of having all of D Area’s 210 acres returned to its natural state, prepared for industrial use if needed,” said Grady Friday, a subject matter expert with Area Completion Projects (ACP) at SRNS, the SRS management and operations contractor. D Area facilities once produced heavy water for nuclear reactors and generated steam and electricity to support much of what was previously known as the Savannah River Plant, which was developed in the 1950s. To date, crews have torn down and removed more than 60 D Area structures. In the latest D Area cleanup, workers knocked down a coal handling system that fed four massive boilers. The system consisted of hoppers, coal feeders, conveyors, a coal crusher and three support structures.

“Trains, and later trucks, brought in a huge amount of coal each year to D Area when it was operational,” said Friday. “The only way to quickly and effectively transport tons of coal 100 feet up in the air and into that huge powerhouse was on those conveyor belts.” Following the demolition project, SRS transferred the system’s conveyor belts to the nonprofit Savannah River Community Resource Organization (SRSCRO). Combined, the belts were approximately 2,000 feet long. Belts of that size and type are in high demand around the country and would almost immediately be offered to a company within nearby counties supported by the SRSCRO, according to Friday.

The belts date back to the 1980s when the coal transfer system was last refurbished. “Surprisingly, they are still in good condition given their age and constant exposure to the elements,” said Steve Conner, SRNS ACP Project Manager. “Whenever possible, we do our best to separate recyclable or reusable materials for repurposing from the numerous structures that have been decommissioned and demolished over the years.”