Crews Complete Milestone Year at West Valley Demonstration Project

Major deconstruction project and transition to next cleanup phase marked in 2025

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management marked a milestone year at the West Valley Demonstration Project in 2025. The workforce safely completed the controlled deconstruction of the five-story, 35,000-square-foot Main Plant Process Building - the largest and most complex demolition of a radiologically contaminated facility ever undertaken at the site. The project was completed ahead of schedule and $40 million under budget. The demolition reduced long-standing environmental risks and enabled the next phase of cleanup, Phase 1B, to move forward under a new contract with the West Valley Cleanup Alliance, LLC.

Why it matters

The West Valley Demonstration Project is a critical environmental cleanup and waste management effort that has been underway for decades. The successful completion of the Main Plant Process Building demolition marks a major milestone, reducing risks and paving the way for the next phase of the project. The project's focus on safety, efficiency and community support also highlight its importance to the local region.

The details

The Main Plant Process Building operated as a commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing facility from 1966 to 1972, leaving the structure contaminated with radioactive and hazardous materials. Before demolition could begin, workers carried out extensive deactivation activities to protect human health and the environment, reducing the building's radiological inventory by more than 98%. The demolition strategy incorporated best practices from across the DOE complex, including deliberate sequencing, robust work controls, and extensive modeling and real-time monitoring to ensure radiological exposure remained far below regulatory limits. The demolition was completed safely, ahead of schedule, and $40 million under budget.

  • On May 16, 2025, workers completed the controlled deconstruction of the Main Plant Process Building.
  • In August 2022, workers concluded deactivation activities to prepare the building for demolition.
  • On June 24, 2025, the West Valley Cleanup Alliance, LLC assumed responsibility as DOE's environmental management contractor for the Phase 1B Deactivation & Demolition Contract.

The players

U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management

The federal agency overseeing the West Valley Demonstration Project environmental cleanup effort.

West Valley Demonstration Project

An environmental cleanup and waste management project located about 35 miles south of Buffalo, New York, conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy in cooperation with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Bryan Bower

WVDP-DOE Director.

Stephen Bousquet

DOE WVDP Assistant Director of Project Management.

Jason Casper

President of the West Valley Cleanup Alliance, LLC, the new environmental management contractor for the Phase 1B Deactivation & Demolition Contract.

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What they’re saying

“Not only did our team complete the demolition of this building safely and compliantly, but we also did it ahead of schedule and $40 million under budget. This was no small feat. We proved that difficult, high hazard work can be completed while protecting each other, the public and the environment.”

— Bryan Bower, WVDP-DOE Director

“Protecting the workforce, the surrounding community and the environment continues to be WVDP's highest priority. We took a careful, methodical approach to ensure every step of the deconstruction process reflected that commitment.”

— Stephen Bousquet, DOE WVDP Assistant Director of Project Management

“Our workforce was deliberate in the planning, deactivation, and execution of this work. We will build on this success and West Valley's solid playbook of accomplishments to deliver results and drive efficiency...without sacrificing safety or effectiveness.”

— Jason Casper, CHBWV/WVCA President

What’s next

As part of WVCA's cleanup mission, crews will continue drilling additional subsurface sampling holes to gather data on soil composition and groundwater flow. This information will support soil remediation planning and help engineers design a retention wall around the former MPPB site to stabilize the excavation area and prevent water infiltration.

The takeaway

The successful completion of the Main Plant Process Building demolition at the West Valley Demonstration Project is a significant milestone in the ongoing environmental cleanup efforts at the site. The project's focus on safety, efficiency, and community support underscores its importance to the local region and highlights the DOE's commitment to responsible stewardship of this critical nuclear waste management facility.