B Reactor - Current Status

Current Status

B Reactor is now in "interim safe storage" status. The D and F reactors were shut down in June 1967 and June 1965, respectively. In a process called cocooning or entombment, the reactor buildings are demolished up to the 4-foot-thick (1.2 m) concrete shield around the reactor core. Any openings are sealed and a new roof is built. The D and F reactors have already been entombed, as have the C and DR reactors. Most auxiliary buildings at the first three reactors have been demolished, as well. The H, K-East and K-West reactors and the N-Reactor are scheduled to be entombed in that order.

The United States Department of Energy has administered the site since 1977 and offers public tours on set dates during the spring, summer, and fall of the year, as well as special tours for visiting officials. The B Reactor was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#92000245) on April 3, 1992, and was named a National Historic Landmark on August 19, 2008. It is in the process of conversion into a museum.