Ray Duff, assistant program manager for CVN Inactivation/Disposal within NAVSEA, emphasized the project’s major achievements, highlighting the completion of site work in June 2023 and the official turnover of the dismantlement area back to the Alabama Shipyard on September 30, 2023.
Despite no spent fuel being present since 2016, the careful remediation was crucial to address the remaining 1 percent of the platform’s low residual radioactivity contained in the spent water pool and associated components.
“Our focus throughout the project was to remove and secure the hazardous material while keeping every worker safe and protecting the public and the environment,” explained Duff in a statement, “and we succeeded.”
Emphasis on Safety and Environmental Protection
The decommissioning effort, which logged an impressive 237,389 work hours without any OSHA lost time or recordable incidents, showcased a meticulous approach to safety and environmental protection.
Decommissioning Work on Historic SSSB Nuclear Support Facility https://t.co/VXOYsysR9P pic.twitter.com/cULyC0IvTz
— SeaWaves Magazine (@seawaves_mag) November 14, 2023
APTIM’s hazardous remediation team operated within a specially designed structure under stringent environmental monitoring, ensuring the secure packaging and transportation of approximately 8,080 tons of waste material to a regulated facility in Andrews, Texas.
Moreover, 426 tons of ferrous and non-ferrous metals were responsibly recycled.
SSSB: Legacy and Contributions
The legacy of the SSSB, which began as a section of a World War II tanker and evolved into a nuclear support facility, spans a significant era in naval history.
Its role in supporting refueling operations for iconic vessels like USS Nimitz (CVN 68), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) underscores its indispensable contributions to maintaining the nation’s nuclear-powered fleet, including its mid-life refueling and complex overhauls.
Captain Mark Johnson, manager of the PEO CVN In-Service Aircraft Carrier Program Office, highlighted the decommissioning’s significance, emphasizing the Navy’s enhanced capabilities in managing and packaging spent fuel modules in real-time.
“The Navy now has the capacity to manage and package spent fuel modules into robust shipping containers as required in real time, without the need to first house the materials in an intermediate facility, such as the SSSB spent fuel water pool,” Johnson said in a statement.
This technological advancement also streamlines refueling activities, aligning with the Navy’s mission of expediting readiness across its maintenance enterprise and promptly delivering warships back to fleet operators.
“The Navy-industry team leading the dismantlement has honored that legacy, displaying the same innovative spirit that has been driving the safe modernization and revolutionary construction of the nation’s aircraft carriers over the last 60 years,” Moton noted.
The SSSB’s decommissioning marks the end of a chapter in naval history, signifying the Navy’s commitment to safety, innovation, and adaptability.
It is a testament to the evolution of nuclear-powered ship maintenance processes and the Navy’s readiness to embrace technological advancements in its operations, paving the way for a more efficient and modern fleet.
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