Cleanup crews remove 81 million pounds of debris from Manhattan Project-era building in Oak Ridge
MManhattan

Cleanup crews remove 81 million pounds of debris from Manhattan Project-era building in Oak Ridge

  • May 28, 2026

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Cleanup crews have reached a major milestone in clearing a Manhattan Project-era building site in Oak Ridge.

Crews have hauled away 81 million pounds of debris from the former Alpha-2 facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. It was the largest teardown in Oak Ridge history.

Previous Coverage: Largest teardown in Oak Ridge history complete as DOE clears land for modern weapons facilities

wvlt

The next step will be processing around 800,000 pounds of lead removed from the building. Specialized shipments are set to start in June.

In total, officials told WVLT News in March approximately 70 facilities in the area are slated for demolition.

Copyright 2026 WVLT. All rights reserved.