Josh Mengers, EM’s acting field manager at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), right, shakes hands with California Department of Toxic Substances Control Engineering Geologist Bruce Garbaccio.
Josh Mengers, EM’s acting field manager at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), right, shakes hands with California Department of Toxic Substances Control Engineering Geologist Bruce Garbaccio.

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – Trucks carrying the last of demolition waste safely left the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) northwest of Los Angeles on Jan. 26, marking another milestone in EM’s cleanup following the teardown of the final DOE-owned buildings there in October.

The waste from demolition at the former nuclear energy and liquid metals research site was shipped to a licensed facility for disposal out of the state of California.

“EM takes public health and environmental protection very seriously, and we have a commitment to the community, the local tribe and the state to clean the site safely and effectively,” EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White said. “Removing risks by taking down and removing debris from the remaining buildings demonstrates our commitment to completing our job at the ETEC.”

Clearing the last remnants of demolition safely is a significant accomplishment for EM’s cleanup in Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, said Josh Mengers, EM’s acting field manager at ETEC.

“Moving piles of debris truckload by truckload isn’t glamorous, but it doesn’t take away from the importance of finishing the job and finishing it safely,” Mengers said.

The Sodium Pump Test Facility at the Energy Technology Engineering Center prior to its demolition on Oct. 1, 2021.
The Sodium Pump Test Facility at the Energy Technology Engineering Center prior to its demolition on Oct. 1, 2021.

EM continues to focus on groundwater and soil remediation at ETEC.

“The ongoing cooperation with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control that enabled us to make this tangible progress towards site cleanup is a positive sign of future collaborations to keep this momentum going,” Mengers added.

Water is applied for dust suppression following the demolition of the Sodium Pump Test Facility at the Energy Technology Engineering Center.
Water is applied for dust suppression following the demolition of the Sodium Pump Test Facility at the Energy Technology Engineering Center.

The last DOE buildings demolished at ETEC were Buildings 4462 and 4463, which comprised the Sodium Pump Test Facility (SPTF). The nine-story facility built in 1972 was used to test components of large reactor pumps before they were installed in a radiological environment. SPTF had a red-and-white crane on its roof that could be seen from parts of Simi Valley, California.