Handbook

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Program Guide

West Valley - Non-Defense Envirnomental Clean-Up

Progress Indicator


Guidance Available	Application Processes Open	Application Processes Closed	Award Processes Completed

Federal Program Information

Federal Program Description

Environmental Management (EM) non-defense-funded Recovery Act work will accelerate completion of existing environmental protection and site cleanup goals, including decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of excess nuclear facilities and disposal of radioactive waste from the EM sites, in many cases much earlier than originally planned. In addition, this work will reduce environmental threats to areas surrounding the sites.
New York State, one of 12 states receiving special environmental management funding from the DOE, will receive about $148,005,000 ($42 million for demolition surplus structures associated with Brookhaven’s nuclear research reactor, $32 million for cleanup of contaminated soil at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory property (North Field Land Area) in Niskayuna, New York, $74 million for cleanup work on the West Valley Demonstration Project in West Valley, New York).
The West Valley site is located approximately 30 miles south of Buffalo. It was once home to the nation’s first and only privately-operated, commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. The facility was located at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center, a 3,300-acre parcel currently owned by NYSERDA on behalf of New York State. The reprocessing operation separated reusable uranium and plutonium from spent fuel, which came from both commercial and federal defense-related reactors. The facility shut down in 1972 and never re-opened.
Under the West Valley Demonstration Project Act, passed by Congress in 1980, the U.S. Department of Energy is responsible for certain aspects of the cleanup and disposal of nuclear contamination on approximately 200 acres of the West Valley site. As directed by that law, New York State is responsible for 10 percent of the costs of the cleanup directed by Congress, with the federal government paying 90 percent. New York is the only state that contributes to the cleanup of a high-level radioactive waste site. To date, the federal and state governments have incurred more than $2.4 billion in cleanup costs, with New York paying more than $270 million.
The $74 million in ARRA funds are being used at West Valley to: accelerate the decontamination and dismantlement of the Main Plant Process Building and 01-14 Building; install a drying system to reduce corrosion of the HLW Tanks; install a system to solidify the liquids removed from the HLW tanks and Main Plant Process Building; design and install an in-ground treatment system for the North Plateau Groundwater Plume; and process wastes for off-site disposal.
The work activities being conducted at West Valley under the Recovery Act will support the completion of DOE’s responsibilities under the West Valley Demonstration Project Act, improve the safety of the site, and create jobs. As of November 1, 2009, 54 new employees have been hired at the West Valley Site to conduct ARRA work.

CFDA Number

n/a

Assistance Type

Direct Payments for Specified Use

ARRA Citation

Page 25: DIVISION A - Appropriations Provisions: TITLE IV - Energy and Water Development: Department of Energy: Energy Programs: Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup

ARRA Reporting

Federal Agency

Department of Energy

NYS Information

NYS Program Title

West Valley