The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold two meetings next week to present a progress report on the demolition and decommissioning of an old nuclear power plant on Fort Greely.
Both meetings will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday’s meeting will be at the Delta Junction Community Center. Wednesday’s meeting will be at the Aurora Commuinty Activity Center on Fort Greely.
The presentations also will include a look ahead at the agency’s plans for the coming year at the site of the Cold War-era facility called the SM-1A.
Corps of Engineers officials were unavailable to talk about the meetings this week. That’s because the Department of Defense has issued guidance that limits that kind of so-called “media engagement” during the government shutdown.
A Corps of Engineers spokesperson emailed information in lieu of an interview. He said the shutdown has not affected the SM-1A project schedule.
He said that next year, the Corps and its contractor will launch two major projects involving higher-level radioactive materials.
The first project calls for dismantling the spent-fuel pit and nuclear reactor components. The second project calls for removal of materials that encase radioactive debris to allow access to the reactor components.
The spokesperson said both operations will require workers to use Level B Personal Protective Equipment, which provides the highest level of respiratory protection from radioactivity.
Those projects won’t will extend into 2027, the spokesperson said.
The entire $95.5 million demolition and decommissioning project is scheduled to be completed in late 2029.
More information about the SM-1A is available on the Corps of Engineers' project website.
