The Test Cell A (TCA) Facility is located in Area 25 of the NTS, about 90 minutes northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. TCA supported the Nuclear Rocket Development Station Program from 1955 - 1966, testing nuclear-propulsion reactors operated by fission of highly enriched uranium‑235 (U‑235) and pumping of liquid hydrogen gas through the reactor producing thrust. Testing resulted in the facility being contaminated with fission products, fuel particles, including radioactively activated building materials. The TCA Facility was partially deactivated in 1966 and placed into long‑term mothball status in 1973.

Closure strategy planning and technical documentation preparation began in May 2004, with the Streamlined Approach For Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan being completed in June 2004, two months ahead of schedule. The D&D plan, waste management plan, sampling plan, and health and safety plans followed being completed in December 2004. Initial field work was accelerated as site infrastructure was setup in September 2004. All known utilities and process piping systems were verified or voided of contents in December 2004, to ensure safety of the workers. Hazardous materials (asbestos-containing materials, PCBs, mercury, cadmium, lead (bricks, doors, etc.), and universal wastes), were removed from January – March 2005. Radiologically contaminated areas, including the rail trenches in the ~5,000 ft² reactor concrete pad and the roof, were decontaminated in April and early-May 2005 and areas sealed.

Mechanical demolition of the facility began in mid-May and was completed by the end of June 2005. Demolition included the controlled explosive demolition of the 5 ft. 5 in. thick reinforced concrete, radiologically activated shield wall, performed by Controlled Demolition Incorporated (CDI), was a significant first for the NTS and for the Environmental Restoration Project, was completed in one week.

Working safely was a major objective in the completion of the project evidence by the team’s commitment demonstrating no lost-time accidents or incidents during the entire project. Planning for the project began in May 2004 and the project completed 14 months later in July 2005.

Polestar provided technical and project management support from inception of the project through completion. Tasked with accelerating the project in May 2004, experienced Polestar personnel lead the project team through the detailed planning, engineering, subcontract development, technical oversight and execution of this challenging project. Polestar supported the project by developing the required documentation, closure strategy, work control documentation, waste management planning, day-to-day field support, leadership, and mentoring of the team during the entire project. Polestar supported the project with the goal of accelerating the next D&D project at the NTS – the Test Cell C (TCC) Facility; therefore the documentation and information developed for the TCC D&D project has already been drafted utilizing the TCA documentation and lessons learned.

The NTS D&D program, including highlighting the TCA D&D project was recently showcased articles in the May/June 2005 issue of the RadWaste Solutions Magazine, published by the American Nuclear Society (ANS). Polestar has also played a significant role in accelerating and promoting the NTS D&D program by co-authoring a paper on the NTS D&D Program History, Regulatory Environment, and Lessons Learned which has been accepted for presentation at the national American Nuclear Society (ANS) DD&R Conference in Denver, CO, in early August 2005 and at the 10^th Annual International Conference on Environmental Management (ICEM’05/DECOM’05) in Glasgow, Scotland, in early September 2005. Over the years, Polestar has been a significant contributor to the success of the Test Cell A project and D&D program at the NTS.