The Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) is a Superfund cleanup site located 16 miles northwest of downtown Denver, Colorado. Until December 1989, the Rocky Flats Plant produced components for nuclear weapons using various radioactive and hazardous materials, including plutonium, uranium, and beryllium. Nearly 40 years of nuclear weapons production left behind a legacy of contaminated facilities, soils, and groundwater that must now be safely cleaned up before the site can be closed safely.

Today, Rocky Flats is on a path to accelerated closure. Key mission activities include: special nuclear material stabilization, packaging and consolidation; facility decommisioning; environmental restoration; off-site shipping; and property and records disposition. In completing the closure of Rocky Flats, all special nuclear and radioactive materials are being removed from the site, and more than 3.5 million square feet of buildings are being dismantled - one-third of which represent former plutonium production facilities.

RFETS is owned by the Department of Energy and operated by the Kaiser-Hill Company, LLC. Kaiser-Hill is the managing contractor overseeing literally hundreds of companies, all working to close Rocky Flats. On January 24th, 2000, the Department of Energy and Kaiser-Hill signed a new contract to safely close the site with a target completion date of December 15th, 2006. This unique contract represents the next generation of contract reform by recognizing the multi-year nature of this closure work.

Kaiser-Hill is dedicated to accelerating the closure of DOE’s Rocky Flats facility. Such accelerated closure will reduce any risks that might occur because the systems and facilities are aging and deteriorating. Site closure will make Colorado safer, dramatically reducing long-term risks to the public and the environment.

Major subcontracts (those over $5 million) projected for Fiscal Year 2003 (October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003) are as follows:

Decontaminate and Decommission Building 444 complex
Competitive new award. Estimated Issue March 2003. Estimated award May 2003. Demolition firms have been prequalified for safety records, prior performance, quality, and key resources capability. Subcontractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, specified materials, and services (including supervision, plans, means, and methods, and permits and documentation) necessary to safely and compliantly:
- Remove and dispose of asbestos-containing materials;
- Dismantle the Building 444 complex systems and equipment;
- Decontaminate the Building 444 complex; and
- Perform pre-demolition survey in accordance with the Pre-demolition Survey Plan.
Decontaminate and Decommission Building 371 complex
Competitive new award. Estimated issue November 2002. Estimated award February 2003. Decommission the Building 371 complex, excluding remediation.
Design and Construct Temporary Structure over Bldg 776
Competitive new award. Estimated issue January 2003. Estimated award April 2003. Design and construct a temporary protective structure over Building 776 to contain radiological contamination during demolition of the building.

Place plutonium in 50-year storage containers and ship off-Site — 2,000 containers [1,000^th container packaged Aug 2002]
Demolish buildings and facilities — 800 structures [200 structures demolished by Aug 2002]
Decontaminate and decommission (full-scale) all four major nuclear buildings [D&D subcontract in place and work beginning Oct 2002 in Bldg 771]
Disposition excess property — more than 600,000 pieces
Disposition classified items — 3,079,305 items
Remove 1,200 highly-contaminated glove boxes [600 removed]
Ship Transuranic/Transuranic-mixed waste for disposal — 12,500 m³ [over 3,800 m³ shipped — 30%]
Ship low-level waste for disposal — 175,000 m³ [52,000 m³ shipped]
Ship low-level mixed waste for disposal — 44,000 m³ [19,000 m³ shipped]