Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, X-344A Uranium Hexafluoride Gas Sampling Facility, 3930 U.S. Route 23 South, Piketon

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-142-G. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS), U.S. Route 23 South, Piketon vicinity, Scioto Township, Pike County, Ohio The X-344A Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6) Sampling Facility is located at Ohio State Plane South coordinates at easting ft, northing ft and at Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 17N easting m, northing m. The coordinate represents the approximate center of the Electrical Switchyard Complex. This coordinate was obtained on June 19, by plotting its location in EnviroInsite The accuracy of the coordinates is +/- 12 meters. The coordinate datum is North American Datum Date of Construction: Designer/Builder: Peter Kiewit Sons Construction Company Previous Owner: N/A

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-142-G. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) oversaw construction and operation of PORTS until when the Energy Research and Development Administration was established with responsibility for research and development duties from In the U.S. Department of Energy was established, overseeing operations at PORTS.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-142-G. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Originally, the X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility housed 40 fluorine generators and a flame tower, which were used to convert uranium tetrafluoride to UF6, critical to PORTS uranium enrichment mission. The Project was a general expansion of the existing fluorine-generating and feed-vaporization plant of which the X-344A comprised the major added structure and the new fluorine facility and components. Abandoned in the X-344A Facility was converted to serve as the shipping and receiving point for low assay uranium. This building is part of PORTS, which was a part of the U.S. Cold War nuclear weapons complex. PORTS primary Cold War era mission was the production of highly enriched uranium by the gaseous diffusion process for defense/military purposes.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-142-G. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC photographed the site in August and in November Gray & Pape, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, served as the primary author of the historical narrative and resource descriptions drawing from numerous historical records and reports, drawings, photographs and plans. For PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 2) additional contextual information, see Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, HAER no. OH-142. This X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility HAER was completed in PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 3) Part I.

Historical Information In support of this report, there are three appendices that are provided: Appendix A through C, which consist of survey photographs, historical photographs, and historical drawings, respectively. Construction History of the X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility: In March the AEC awarded the contract for the X-344A Facility to the Blount Brothers Construction Company of Montgomery, Alabama. The facility was built during final major phase of PORTS construction, which occurred from to Prior to contracting with Blount Brothers, Peter Kiewit Sons Company performed the initial grading, backfilling, and site work (Appendix B, Figures 6 through 9). Blount Brothers subcontracted the X-344A Facility s electrical work to Walter Truland Corporation of Washington, The James F.

O Neil Company, of New Orleans, Louisiana, received a subcontract to perform all mechanical work for the X-344A Facility. The O Neil Company in turn awarded a subcontract for heating and ventilation work to James F. Dye, location unknown. The Breeding Insulation Company, of Knoxville, Tennessee, won a subcontract to install insulation around mechanical piping and equipment. The Minneapolis-Honeywell Company, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, received a subcontract for control work, and the Taylor Instrument Company, of Rochester, New York, won a subcontract to install instrumentation for the X-344A Facility.

Blount Brother s forces began pouring concrete for the X-344A Facility on March 30, Most of the concrete work for the X-344A Facility was complete by January As work on the concrete slabs and footers continued, the International Steel Company, of Evansville, Indiana, delivered steel to the building site for the X-344A Facility s steel framework. Blount Brothers set the first base plates in place on June 18, Workers completed all steelwork by November (Figures 10 through W. Biddle Walker, location unknown, began installing the metal roof panels in September Roof work transpired simultaneously with the bolting of the buildings metal frames. Walker began installation of siding in October Mechanical and electrical work commenced in April J. F.

O Neil Company completed installation of interior underground piping by early September Electricians completed most of the electrical work by January and the X-344A Facility was largely complete by this time. Historical drawings of building plans are provided in Appendix C (Figures 13 through Part II. Site Information Description of the X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility: The X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility is located in the north-central portion of PORTS. The X-344A Facility is connected on the west and south sides to the X-342A Feed, Vaporization, and Fluorine Generation Facility. The X-344A Facility was originally used to produce UF6 feed material from uranium tetrafluoride, also known as green salt.

The higher assay UF6 feed material, manufactured in the X-344A Facility, was mixed with depleted UF6. These two facilities combined provided the feed material for the cascades in the PORTS process buildings. PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 4) The X-344A Facility is a one-and-two-story, utilitarian building set atop a concrete pier and slab foundation (Appendix A, Figures 1 through 5). The plan of the building results in a ground floor area of approximately square feet. The walls consist of steel framing covered with cement-asbestos panels. The X-344A Facility has few window openings. The building, however, has several louvered metal vents. The roof is relatively flat, with a metal-deck and waterproof membrane.

Entries to the building consist of multiple, metal doors for pedestrians and multiple rolling metal overhead doors for vehicular and rail access. The interior of the X-344A Facility contains a variety of equipment used in the manufacturing of UF6. It also includes a fluorination facility for producing UF6 from green salt. This facility includes 40 fluorine generators, a flame tower, and the high assay sampling area. In addition, the building includes office space, hot and cold locker and shower rooms, and lunch rooms in both the northwest corner and the northeast corner of the building. The facility now provides for sample and transfer of UF6 from production cylinders to shipping cylinders. PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No.

OH-142-G (Page 5) Part III. Sources of Information Department of Energy. The Role of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Cold War History. Piketon, OH: U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Energy. Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Report for the Process Buildings and Complex Facilities Decontamination and Decommissioning Evaluation Project at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Piketon, Ohio, DOE/PPPO/03-0245&D3. Piketon, OH: U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Energy. National Historic Preservation Act Section 110 Survey of Architectural Properties at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Scioto and Seal Townships, Piketon, Ohio, DOE/PPPO/03-0147&D1. Piketon, OH: U.S. Department of Energy, January Department of Energy.

Highly Enriched Uranium: Striking a Balance, A Historical Report on the United States Highly Enriched Uranium Production, Acquisition, and Utilization Activities from to September 30, Revision 1. Washington, National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Giffels & Vallet, Inc. Gaseous Diffusion Plant at Portsmouth, Ohio, Project History and Completion Report (Redacted). Washington, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant Virtual Museum accessed at operated and managed by Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth for DOE. PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No.

OH-142-G (Page 6) Appendix A: Survey Photographs Figure 1: Location and Orientation of Exterior Photographs (2 and 5) PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 7) Figure 2: South Side of the X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility, August Facing Northwest, Cylinders in the Foreground Figure 3: North Side of the X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility, November Facing Southwest, Cylinders in the Foreground PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No.

OH-142-G (Page 8) Figure 4: South Side of the X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility and X-342A Feed Vaporization and Fluorine Generation Facility, August Facing Northwest, Cylinders in the Foreground Figure 5: South Side of the X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility, August Facing Northeast, Cylinders in the Foreground PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 9) Appendix B: Historical Photographs Figure 6: Looking Northeast at Site of the X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility Site, October, Figure 7: Looking Northeast Showing Construction in West Part of the X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility Site, June PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No.

OH-142-G (Page 10) Figure 8: Looking West Across Reactor Pit for the X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility, June Figure 9: General View of X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility Construction, Looking East, June PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 11) Figure 10: The X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility, November Figure 11: The X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility, November PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 12) Figure 12: The X-344A UF6 Sampling Facility, November PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No.

OH-142-G (Page 13) Appendix C: Historical Drawings Figure 13: Floor Plans PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 14) Figure 14: Structural Steel Modification PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 15) Figure 15: Second Floor Key Plan PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 16) Figure 16: Basement Floor Plan PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No. OH-142-G (Page 17) Figure 17: Elevations PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-344A URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE GAS SAMPLING FACILITY HAER No.

OH-142-G (Page 18) Figure 18: Ground Floor Key Plan