Projects & Facilities

324 Building

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324building_1
Aerial photo of the 324 Building, circa 2015.

Located in the Hanford Site’s 300 Area, the 324 Building operated from 1966 to 1996 and supported research on highly radioactive materials. Workers postponed demolition operations in 2010 after discovering significant contamination under a portion of the building, which likely came from a previous spill of highly radioactive waste within the building. Due to the building’s proximity to the Columbia River and the city of Richland, removing that contamination and demolishing the building is a top priority for the Department of Energy.

For more information, please see the 324 Building Disposition Project Fact Sheet.

Worker safety remains a top priority for this project.

Workers are cleaning out contaminated rooms called “hot cells” to install remotely operated equipment.

Contamination is estimated to extend 6 to 8 feet below the B Cell floor. Radiation levels are so high that remotely operated tools must be used.

Workers constructed a mock-up to replicate features inside the 324 Building.

Workers safely remove waste from the airlock, an area adjacent to B Cell.

Workers installed and tested a saw at the mock-up, which will soon be installed in B Cell to cut through the concrete floor.

Crews test and train on remotely operated equipment at the 324 Building mock-up.

This conceptual illustration shows the remotely operated excavator and loadout mechanism that will be used to remove contaminated soil from under the 324 Building.

Last Updated 09/19/2023 5:31 PM

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324 Building

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