Successful integration of pollution prevention strategies during deactivation and decommissioning of chemistry R{ampersand}D facilities

The Chemistry & Materials Sciences (C&MS) Directorate is in the third year of a four-year space consolidation plan. In 1994, approximately half of the total directorate square footage was comprised of 40-year old wet chemistry research buildings that had exceeded their useful life and were viewed a legacy facilities to the program. This mix of old vs. new laboratory space was not properly aligned nor suited for future needs of C&MS, from both the cultural or economic position, thus change was needed. C&MS instituted an aggressive, strategic, business-driven space consolidation initiative, called SAT (Space Action Team), to optimize space utilization, reduce annual costs, meet strategic program needs, and consolidate activities by functional area. The plan called for a 4-year process beginning in FY95 to realign the directorate`s facility portfolio through relocations, consolidations, transfer of facility ownership, demolition of trailers and new construction with a 20% sq/ft reduction as an end goal. As with all business driven initiatives, existing operating costs, implementation costs, cost avoidance and future operating costs were key metrics to measure against the strategic goal. Where P2 was not an essential element in the strategic planning process, it played a key role in the continuing success of the process. SAT is in year three of the four year plan (approximate $5 million investment), which has made a major contribution to the success of C&MS by achieving the directorate`s goals of improving the utilization of space by 30%, increasing quality of the facilities, and reducing annual operating costs. To date, SAT has achieved an on-going organizational facility charge saving of $2 million /year, minimized Program downtime, transferred 120,000 sq ft to new owners, relocated 86 labs, vacated 9 buildings, deactivate, decommissioned and decontaminated four 40 plus year old R&D facilities, and demolished 9 trailers with no incidents or injuries. Our process cost continues to decline through lessons learned and P2 opportunities. Our paper will focus on three different aspects of the SAT process; team structure and process, laboratory relocations, and building D&D (deactivation and decommissioning)