In May 2006, PGE imploded the cooling tower at its Trojan Plant near Ranier, Ore. The steel inside the tower has been recycled, and the concrete crushed and left on the tower site.
PGE also is demolishing other major structures at the plant as part of its 1996 Decommissioning Plan approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission:
Power block — demolition completed in 2007
Demolition of the power block, which included the turbine, control, auxiliary and fuel buildings, was completed in 2007. These buildings were primarily made of concrete and steel. The main structures were brought down using conventional demolition techniques. This stage of the Trojan demolition also was completed on schedule and on budget.
Containment building — demolition by end of 2008
The containment building is currently being demolished. The lower 120 feet of the structure have been removed. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2008. Visit the photo gallery to see pictures of the progress. The nuclear reactor has been buried at a low-level disposal facility near Richland, Wash.
To date, the decommissioning has been completed on time and on budget.
Decommissioning background
Radiological decommissioning of the plant was completed in May 2005, signifying the site may be safely used for other purposes. The Trojan Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation houses the plant's spent fuel rods, which are safely encased on site in 34 concrete casks awaiting eventual shipment to a federal nuclear repository site.
The demolition projects are designed to minimize environmental and community impact. Demolition will not impact the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation. Learn more about the Trojan decommissioning (PDF*).
The Trojan Plant layout
Trojan is divided into two sites:
- Industrial — located east of the railroad tracks where the power structures stood and where the spent fuel is contained. PGE has no plans to develop this area until the spent fuel is removed.
- Non-industrial — located west of the tracks, including a park and some former office buildings. The day-use park is managed by PGE and will remain open to the public from Memorial Day through Labor Day for the foreseeable future.
*Note: You will need the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader to view and print PDF files. Visit the Adobe Web site for downloading instructions.
See demolition progress