▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁cool ing ▁tower ▁for ▁K ▁Re actor ▁began . ▁Salt stone ▁started ▁operation . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁mixed ▁waste ▁management ▁facility ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁site ▁facility ▁to ▁be ▁closed ▁and ▁cert ified ▁under ▁the ▁prov isions ▁of ▁RC RA . ▁L ▁Re actor ▁and ▁M ▁Area ▁sett ling ▁bas in ▁were ▁shut ▁down . ▁With ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Cold ▁War , ▁production ▁of ▁nuclear ▁materials ▁for ▁weapons ▁use ▁ceased . ▁ ▁Post - C old ▁War ▁Roger ▁D . ▁W ens il , ▁a ▁pipe - f itter , ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁B . F . ▁Shaw ▁Co ., ▁a ▁sub cont ractor ▁at ▁Sav ann ah ▁River . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁W ens il ▁was ▁dismiss ed ▁as ▁a ▁wh ist leb lower , ▁after ▁he ▁compla ined ▁of ▁safety ▁viol ations ▁and ▁illegal ▁drug ▁use ▁among ▁construction ▁workers ▁building ▁a ▁sensitive ▁nuclear ▁waste - hand ling ▁facility ▁at ▁the ▁plant . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Congress ▁en act ed ▁" n uc lear ▁weapons ▁wh ist leb lower ▁protection ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁the ▁cool ing ▁tower ▁was ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁K ▁Re actor , ▁and ▁the ▁re actor ▁operated ▁briefly ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁time . ▁The ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Energy ▁announced ▁the ▁phase - out ▁of ▁all ▁u ran ium ▁processing . ▁Non - radio active ▁operations