SAVANNAH RIVER SITE COLD WAR HISTORIC PROPERTY DOCUMENTATION 700/A AREA SITE ADMINISTRATION, SAFETY, SECURITY, AND SUPPORT Aiken County, South Carolina NEW SOUTH ASSOCIATES 6150 East Ponce de Leon Avenue Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083 SAVANNAH RIVER SITE COLD WAR HISTORIC PROPERTY DOCUMENTATION NARRATIVE AND PHOTOGRAPHY 700/A AREA – SITE ADMINISTRATION, SAFETY, SECURITY, AND SUPPORT Aiken County, South Carolina Report submitted to: Washington Savannah River Company • Aiken, SC Report prepared by: New South Associates • 6150 East Ponce de Leon Avenue • Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083 Terri Gillett Mary Beth Reed Mark T. Swanson Steven Gaither May 25, 2007 • Final Report New South Associates Technical Report 1433 ii ABSTRACT ABSTRACT This documentation was prepared in accordance with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by the Department of Energy–Savannah River (DOE-SR) and the South Carolina Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) dated February 17, 2004, as well as the Consolidated MOA of August 2004. The MOA stipulated that a thematic study and photographic documentation be undertaken on A Area historic properties 703-A and 708-A. In addition, a Cultural Resource Management Plan was accepted and signed by DOE-SR and the SHPO on December 9, 2004 calling for documentation of the remainder of the A Area buildings that were deemed eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as contributing resources to a Savannah River Site (SRS) Cold War Historic District. The impetus for the study was the imminent decommissioning and/or dismantling of the majority of NRHP eligible buildings in A Area. The resulting narrative is based on field analysis, oral history, primary documentation and research. New South Associates prepared the narrative and Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) completed the photographic documentation. 700/A AREA iii ADMINISTRATION, SAFETY, SECURITY AND SUPPORT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Heartfelt thanks go out to the Savannah River Plant employees, past and present, who were willing to share their memories and provide oral histories, which were integral in telling this story: Shepherd Archie, Faye Baker, Curtis Boseman, Laura Cameron, Harold Harmon, Dell Harvey, Don Law, Mal McKibben, William Mottel, Nathaniel Stetson, and Raine Weimortz. Because of the multi-functional nature of A-Area, job tasks were extremely diverse and each of these persons provided a unique and interesting perspective. Thanks to Nick Delaplaine, DOE-SR, for shepherding the documentation through the review process. Thanks also to all the folks at Washington Savannah River Company who were so instrumental in coordinating the effort on site, with particular thanks to Linda Perry and Paul Sauerborn, as well as Joe Carter. Additionally, the authors would like to thank everyone with the WSRC Photo Services team for their assistance in providing documentation photography and for scanning a virtually infinite number of negatives: Tom Kotti, Steve Ashe, Byron Williams, Bruce Boulineau, and John Strack. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .........................................................................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................................iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .....................................................................................................................................................iv ACRONYM LIST ................................................................................................................................................................. x I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................. 1 DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION ........................................................................................................................... 7 II. SAVANNAH RIVER SITE COLD WAR CONTEXT ..................................................................................................... 9 COLD WAR DEFENSE MISSION ....................................................................................................................... 9 THE MANHATTAN PROJECT ......... .................................................................................................. 11 ONSET OF THE COLD WAR .............................................................................................................. 13 SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT AS PART OF THE BIG PICTURE ....................................................... 15 SAVANNAH RIVER PROJECT, 1950-1955 ....................................................................................................... 16 DU PONT SIGNS ON .......................................................................................................................... .17 SITE SELECTION................................................................................................................................. 18 ANNOUNCEMENT .............................................................................................................................. 20 SITE DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................ 21 SITE LAYOUT ...................................................................................................................................... 23 SUBCONTRACTORS ........................................................................................................................... 26 UNFOLDING SCOPE OF WORK AND FLEXIBLE DESIGN ........................................................... 28 SRP OPERATIONS, 1955 - 1989 .......................................................................................................... 28 HEAVY WATER PRODUCTION AND REWORK .............................................................................. 29 FUEL AND TARGET FABRICATION ................................................................................................. 30 REACTOR OPERATIONS .................................................................................................................... 31 700/A AREA v ADMINISTRATION, SAFETY, SECURITY AND SUPPORT SEPARATIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 32 WASTE MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................................................... 33 RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND TESTING ................................................................................ 33 DEVELOPMENT OF PEACEFUL USE OF ATOMIC ENERGY, AND ITS IMPACT ON SRP ...................... 37 ENVIRONMENTALISM, EXPANSION, AND CHANGE AT SAVANNAH RIVER ....................................... 39 RISE OF ENVIRONMENTALISM....................................................................................................... 40 REACTOR UPGRADES, L-RESTART, 700 AREA EXPANSION, AND CLOSE OF HEAVY WATER FACILITIES .......................................................................................... 41 DEFENSE WASTE PROCESSING FACILITY (DWPF) AND NAVAL FUELS PROGRAM ............ 44 REACTOR SHUTDOWNS AND DU PONT’S DEPARTURE ............................................................ 45 END OF COLD WAR. ........................................................................................................................... 46 III. 700/A CONSTRUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 49 700/A AREA DESIGN AND LAYOUT ............................................................................................................... 49 CONSTRUCTION PARAMETERS .................................................................................................................... 56 BLASTPROOF CONSTRUCTION ...................................................................................................... 56 STANDARDIZED CONSTRUCTION IN A UNIQUE INDUSTRIAL CONTEXT ............................ 58 FUNCTIONAL DESIGN ....................................................................................................................... 58 700/A AREA NRHP ELIGIBLE BUILDINGS ................................................................................................... 60 614-1A: GENERAL MONITORING BUILDING ............................................................................... 61 701-2A, 3A: GATE HOUSES ............................................................................................................... 63 708-A: CAFETERIA ............................................................................................................................. 74 709-A: SAFETY AND FIRE PROTECTION BUILDING .................................................................. 78 710-A: ELECTRIC LINEMAN’S HEADQUARTERS ...................................................................... 80 713-A: CENTRAL STORES ............................................................................................................... .82 714-A: SPARE MACHINERY STORAGE ......................................................................................... .84 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS 716-A: AUTOMOTIVE