Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, X-111A and X-111B Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portals, 3930 U.S. Route 23 South, Piketon

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-142-L. 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-111A and Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portals are located at Ohio State Plane South coordinates at easting ft, northing ft and easting ft, northing ft, respectively, and at Universal Transverse Mercator Zone easting m, northing m and easting m, northing m, respectively. The coordinates represent the approximate center of both the X-111A and Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portal. These coordinates were obtained on June 20, 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: United States Enrichment Corporation Previous Owner: N/A

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

The X-111A and Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portals served as secure entrances for employees and equipment entering and exiting the Process Building. These facilities had a critical role in PORTS Cold War mission. These portals are 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-L. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC photographed the site in August Gray & Pape, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, served as primary author of the historical narrative and resource descriptions drawing from numerous historical records and reports, drawings, photographs and plans. For additional contextual information, see Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-111A AND SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS MONITORING PORTALS HAER No. OH-142-L (Page 2) HAER no. OH-142. This X-111A and Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portals HAER was completed in PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-111A AND SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS MONITORING PORTALS HAER No. OH-142-L (Page 3) Part I.

Historical Information In support of this effort, there are two appendices: Appendix A and Appendix B, consisting of survey photographs and historical drawings, respectively. Construction History of the X-111A and Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portals: The X-111A and Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portals were built in as security portals for employees and equipment entering and leaving the Process Building. They are built of common construction materials and are utilitarian in form and style. A historical drawing of the building plans is provided in Appendix B (Figure 6). Part II.

Site Information Description of the X-111A and Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portals: The X-111A and Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portals are one-story, utilitarian structures adjacent to the Process Building in the center of PORTS. Special nuclear materials can include plutonium, uranium-233, or uranium enriched with uranium-233 or uranium-235 isotopes. The special nuclear material produced by the gaseous diffusion process at PORTS was enriched uranium-235. The X-111A Portal is located south of the midpoint of the east side of the Process Building. The Portal is located at the western end of the north side of the Process Building. The portals served as secure entrances for employees and equipment entering and exiting the Process Building.

PORTS security forces monitored and provided direct operational control of materials and personnel that entered and exited the Process Building. The X-111A Portal consists of three rectangular buildings, conjoined into a Z-shaped plan, encompassing approximately 900 square feet (Figures 2 and 3). The central building has a poured concrete slab foundation, concrete block bearing walls, a central window opening with plate glass, and a flat steel roof. The eastern building provided pedestrian access to the central building and consists of a concrete pier foundation, metal walls, window openings with aluminum sliding sash, and a flat metal roof. This building provided an entry vestibule to the central block. The southern building provided vehicular access to the Process Building.

It has a poured concrete slab foundation, walls clad in corrugated metal, and a large rolling metal garage-type door on the east fa ade. Access to the central portal building was gained through a typical metal door on the interior of the vehicular access portal. A chain link fence topped with barbed wire surrounds the X-111A Portal. Barbed wire also runs along the roofline of the portal buildings. A small access drive to the rear of the portal leads to an opening on the Process Building. The Portal is located on the north fa ade of the Process Building and is nearly identical to the X-111A Portal, with the exception of the vehicular access portal (Figures 4 and 5). The portal consists of two rectangular buildings in an L-shaped plan, comprising approximately 300 square feet.

The main building is similar to the central building of the X-111A Portal with a poured concrete slab foundation, concrete block bearing walls, a window opening with plate glass, and a flat steel roof. The northern building provided a pedestrian access and vestibule for the Portal, and features concrete pier foundations, metal walls, window openings with sliding sash, and a flat metal roof. There was no vehicular access portal for the Portal; the portal is physically attached to the Process Building. PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-111A AND SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS MONITORING PORTALS HAER No. OH-142-L (Page 4) The interior of the portals are nearly identical, with the vestibules containing a simple keypad and intercom for access to the central building.

The portals' central buildings contained a variety of equipment used for security and safety screening on any persons or equipment entering or leaving the Process Building. PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-111A AND SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS MONITORING PORTALS HAER No. OH-142-L (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 PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-111A AND SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS MONITORING PORTALS HAER No. OH-142-L (Page 6) Appendix A: Survey Photographs Figure 1: Location and Orientation of Exterior Photographs (A-2 through A-5) PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-111A AND SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS MONITORING PORTALS HAER No.

OH-142-L (Page 7) Figure 2: North Side of the X-111A Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portal, August Facing Southwest Figure 3: South Side of the X-111A Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portal, August Facing Northeast PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-111A AND SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS MONITORING PORTALS HAER No. OH-142-L (Page 8) Figure 4: North Side of the Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portal, August Facing Southwest Figure 5: North Side of the Special Nuclear Materials Monitoring Portal, August Facing Southeast PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, X-111A AND SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS MONITORING PORTALS HAER No. OH-142-L (Page 9) Appendix B: Historical Drawings Figure 6: Radiation Alarm System