A device the size of a small desktop fan is providing big benefits during Blue Grass plant closure activities.

“Using the borescope, we were able to safely and efficiently video the inside of the pipes without having to do extensive cutting and testing, do analysis and determine the next steps in meeting our environmental permit requirements,” said Dr. George Lucier, closure chief scientist, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass. “It was perfect for inspecting inside more than 1,000 feet of piping to see if any solids might have accumulated.”

A borescope is an electronic inspection tool used to insert a camera and light inside inaccessible areas like pipes and engines, according to Lucier.

In May, Blue Grass maintenance technicians used the hand-held device to survey pipes that carried liquids from the main plant to storage tanks during operations. The pipes previously were drained and flushed repeatedly with water as part of decommissioning activities.

One worker drilled a small hole and inserted the borescope camera to examine low points and elbows at 14 different inspection points in the piping. The camera was extended 10 feet in each direction while a second worker monitored and recorded the video, Lucier said.

Experts reviewed the videos and found no substantial solid deposits, satisfying one set of environmental permit criteria, Lucier said. However, the videos did show water pooled in spots at some of the inspection points. This water must be removed and the inspections repeated to verify the pipes are dry as part of the closure permit requirements, he said.

While chemical agent was not a concern, as a precaution, the technicians wore protective gear and air tanks in case they encountered any material that emitted noxious vapors, but no such vapors were detected, Lucier said. The holes drilled in the piping were sealed after inspection.

Closure has been ongoing at the Blue Grass plant since the last chemical weapon was destroyed in July 2023 and is expected to end in 2027. Decontamination of the main plant has been completed, and work is underway on preparing related buildings for demolition.