Oak Ridge Today

Three killed in two crashes last weekend

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Three people were killed in two crashes in the area this weekend. One of the crashes involved a bicyclist and pickup truck in Roane County north of Oak Ridge, and the other involved a car that hit a tree and caught on fire in Solway.

The first crash was reported at about 6:48 p.m. Friday at the intersection of State Route 61 (Harriman Highway) and Highway 327 (Blair Road).

The Tennessee Highway Patrol said a bicyclist, Brent E. Carroll, 37, of Harriman, was traveling east on State Route 61 when he was hit from behind by a 2003 Dodge pickup truck driven by Austin M. Hicks, 24, of Harriman.

Carroll was killed in the crash, the THP said in a fatality report. He was not wearing any reflective clothing or safety equipment, the report said.

Carroll is suspected of drinking and using drugs, according to the THP report, and tests have been requested, which is routine in fatal crashes. [Read more…]

Treatment facility will reduce mercury in creek water, allow cleanup work at Y-12

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The new Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex will help reduce the amount of mercury that gets into East Fork Poplar Creek and allow the demolition of four large buildings where mercury was used to help make nuclear weapons during the Cold War, officials said during a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Part of the back of the Beta 1 building is pictured at back left. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The new Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex will help reduce the amount of mercury that gets into East Fork Poplar Creek and allow the demolition of four large buildings where mercury was used to help make nuclear weapons during the Cold War, officials said during a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:45 p.m.

The new Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex will help reduce the amount of mercury that gets into East Fork Poplar Creek and allow the demolition of four large buildings where mercury was used to help make nuclear weapons during the Cold War, officials said Monday.

Mercury contamination is one of the biggest problems remaining from the Cold War, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander said during a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday morning. Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, first announced the new treatment facility at Y-12 more than four years ago.

“In May 2013, I came to Oak Ridge to announce that a new water treatment facility would be built at Y-12 at the head of the East Fork Poplar Creek to prevent mercury that was once used to make nuclear weapons from getting into our waterways,” Alexander said. “That day, I made a personal commitment to address one of the biggest problems we have from the Cold War era—mercury contamination—and help fund a solution. Today, I am proud to see that we are breaking ground on the new water treatment facility.”

Site preparation for the new Mercury Treatment Facility is expected to start this year, with the rest of construction beginning in late 2018. The facility is expected to start operating in late 2022.

The treatment plant will allow workers to demolish four large buildings where mercury, a toxic metal, was once used: Alpha 2, Alpha 4, Alpha 5, and Beta 4. Work on those buildings, mostly on the west side of Y-12, could start by 2024. [Read more…]

Moody of Anderson County finishes third in state in cross country

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Maddy Moody, a junior at Anderson County High School, finished third in the state in the Division I Large Schools girls cross country 5k championship race at Percy Warner Park in Nashville on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

Maddy Moody, a junior at Anderson County High School, finished third in the state in the Division I Large Schools girls’ cross country 5k championship race at Percy Warner Park in Nashville on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

 

Maddy Moody, a junior at Anderson County High School, finished third in the state in cross country in the championship race in Nashville this month.

Moody improved 13 spots from last year, when she finished 16th as a sophomore in the girls’ Class AAA state cross country championship meet at Percy Warner Park in Nashville.

Moody finished the 5,000-meter, or 5k, race in 18:51.53 this year in the Division I Large Schools category. That compared to 19:30.59 last year in what was previously the Division I Class AAA category.

“It’s a huge improvement,” said Derek Wallace, who coaches cross country and boys’ basketball at Anderson County. “You don’t often see those types of improvements down there.”

Moody normally races with a pacing watch, but she handed it to her mother this year, Wallace said. [Read more…]

Council asks UPF project director to postpone removal of trees on top of Pine Ridge

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A letter unanimously approved by Oak Ridge City Council on Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, asks federal officials to postpone a project to remove trees and other vegetation from the top of Pine Ridge, pictured above from South Illinois Avenue in south Oak Ridge, for 161-kilovolt power lines that will provide electricity to a new substation at the Y-12 National Security Complex. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A letter unanimously approved by Oak Ridge City Council on Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, asks federal officials to postpone a project to remove trees and other vegetation from the top of Pine Ridge, pictured above from South Illinois Avenue in south Oak Ridge, for 161-kilovolt power lines that will provide electricity to a new substation at the Y-12 National Security Complex. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A letter unanimously approved by Oak Ridge City Council on Monday asks federal officials to postpone a project to remove trees and other vegetation from the top of Pine Ridge for 161-kilovolt power lines that will provide electricity to a new substation at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

Among the City Council concerns: They only recently learned of the project, they don’t know what other options were considered, and they are worried about the visual impact of 79-foot transmission towers being located on top of Pine Ridge. Also, Council members said, there has been no public discussion about the project until two weeks before the logging operation was scheduled to start on Thursday, November 16.

The clearing work is part of a project to build a new substation at Y-12. It will replace an existing substation that is “nearing the end of its service life,” according to information presented to City Council and some community members. The tree removal will allow the 161-kilovolt power lines to be installed in the cleared area. The area to be cleared is on top of the ridge, about 2.1 miles long, and it will support a right-of-way that is about 100 feet wide. The electrical line would run from east to west on Pine Ridge, according to a report to City Council from Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson. All of the work would be on U.S. Department of Energy property, officials said.

The new substation will service all of Y-12, but it is being built as a subproject of the Uranium Processing Facility. It would be near UPF on the west side of Y-12. [Read more…]

Construction documents submitted for new museum at Main Street Oak Ridge

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An agreement signed Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, by the U.S. Department of Energy and City of Oak Ridge calls for the American Museum of Science and Energy missions to be relocated within about one year to 18,000 square feet of space in a two-story building that once housed a Sears Roebuck store next to JCPenney at Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Construction documents have been submitted to the City of Oak Ridge for the new museum at Main Street Oak Ridge, and the American Museum of Science and Energy will continue to be at its current location past the end of the year, municipal and federal officials said this week.

It’s not clear when AMSE might open at its new home at Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

On Monday, John Shewairy, assistant manager for administration in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office, said the construction documents were also expected to be submitted to a contractor for pricing this week.

“We don’t yet have an estimated opening date for the museum in its new location because the construction schedule is still being finalized,” Shewairy said.

On Friday, Wayne Blasius, director of Oak Ridge Community Development, confirmed that the city has received the construction documents for the new museum at Main Street Oak Ridge. The construction documents for the new museum are now under staff review, Blasius said. It’s not clear how long that review might take. The submission of the documents is for a building permit, which does not require the approval of either the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission or Oak Ridge City Council. [Read more…]

No injuries reported, police investigating after shots hit home, vehicle

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No injuries were reported and police are investigating after shots were fired in the direction of a home in west Oak Ridge early Wednesday, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department responded to the shots-fired call at about 2:58 a.m. Wednesday in the 100 block of West Bryn Mawr Circle, a statement said.

“The front of the home and a vehicle parked outside were struck by rounds,” the statement said. “Six people, two adults and four juveniles, were inside the home.”

No injuries were reported, and no arrests have been made, the statement said. [Read more…]

Public hearing for renewal of hazardous waste permit at ORNL on Nov. 30

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A roadside sign posted near the intersection of Scarboro Road and Bethel Valley Road announces a meeting on Nov. 30, 2017, for the renewal of a hazardous waste permit for the U.S. Department of Energy/UT-Battelle at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

A roadside sign posted near the intersection of Scarboro Road and Bethel Valley Road announces a hearing on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, for the renewal of a hazardous waste permit for the U.S. Department of Energy/UT-Battelle at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

 

There is a public hearing on Thursday, November 30, for the renewal of a hazardous waste permit at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

It’s a routine renewal of a U.S. Department of Energy/UT-Battelle permit, ORNL said Monday. It’s for the renewal of DOE/UT-Battelle’s RCRA Part B Hazardous Waste Permit TNHW-134.

RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) is the public law that creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste.

The permit was issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in September 2008. [Read more…]

Council approves rezoning for former AMSE property

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A rezoning map for an Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, shows that a grocery or large retail store could be built on the 7.4 acres south of American Museum of Science and Energy. The map also shows three smaller retailers or restaurants are possible. AMSE is to the north of the proposed grocery or large retail building.

A rezoning map for an Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, shows that a grocery or large retail store could be built on the 7.4 acres south of American Museum of Science and Energy. The map also shows three smaller retailers or restaurants are possible. AMSE is to the north of the proposed grocery or large retail building.

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday unanimously approved a rezoning for property that could be developed with a grocery store, retail shops, and restaurants on vacant land south of the American Museum of Science and Energy.

The rezoning of the 7.4 acres had been requested by TN Oak Ridge Illinois LLC, a company affiliated with RealtyLink, which is developing Main Street Oak Ridge at the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The rezoning was approved, with a few contingencies, by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on October 19. City Council approved it with some comments in the first of two monthly meetings on Monday.

In addition to approving the rezoning request, Council approved an associated planned unit development (PUD) preliminary master plan for the project. [Read more…]

Groundbreaking scheduled for Mercury Treatment Facility at Y-12

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The planned Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy UCOR/U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

The planned Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy UCOR/U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

 

A groundbreaking has been scheduled for Monday morning for the Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

Y-12 operations have historically used large amounts of mercury, and many of the buildings, now in varying states of deterioration, have mercury contamination, a media advisory said.

“The treatment facility will lower existing mercury levels from past releases and will serve as a guard against a potential increase in releases as mercury-contaminated buildings are demolished,” the media advisory said.

Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette will attend the groundbreaking, which is at Y-12 and not open to the public. U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander and U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann, both Tennessee Republicans, will also attend the groundbreaking, the media advisory said.

The groundbreaking is being presented by the U.S. Department of Energy and URS|CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, or UCOR, DOE’s cleanup contractor at federal sites in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Martin of Anderson County a Mr. Football finalist

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An image summarizing Stanton Martin’s statistics for the first 11 games posted by Anderson County High School Athletic Director Gary Terry on Twitter.

An image summarizing Stanton Martin’s statistics for the first 11 games posted by Anderson County High School Athletic Director Gary Terry on Twitter.

 

Stanton Martin, junior quarterback for the Anderson County Mavericks, is a finalist for the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Award.

Martin had been named one of five semifinalists in Division I, Class 4A, earlier this month, on November 3.

The three finalists in each division and class were announced Monday by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association in Nashville. The finalists will be invited to attend an awards luncheon at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Monday, November 27.

The three finalists remaining in Division I, Class 4A, are Martin, Cade Ballard of Greeneville High School, and Dontae Smith of Spring Hill High School.

Martin led Anderson County to its first undefeated regular season (10-0). Since then, the Mavericks have won their first two playoff games. [Read more…]

Three women taken to hospital after rollover crash on Melton Lake Drive

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Three women were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries after a single-vehicle rollover crash on Melton Lake Drive at Rolling Links Boulevard on Sunday evening, Nov. 12, 2017. Above, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Kenny Prickett investigates the crash. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Three women were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries after a single-vehicle rollover crash on Melton Lake Drive at Rolling Links Boulevard on Sunday evening, Nov. 12, 2017. Above, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Kenny Prickett investigates the crash. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Three women were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries after a single-vehicle rollover crash on Melton Lake Drive on Sunday evening, authorities said.

The crash of the minivan was reported at about 6:35 p.m. Sunday at Rolling Links Boulevard in east Oak Ridge.

The vehicle was going south on Melton Lake Drive when it left the right side of the road, hit a boulder, continued traveling south, and landed on its left side, said Oak Ridge Police Department Lieutenant Matt Tedford.

After the crash, the three women were trapped inside the van, and they had to be helped out, Tedford said. Emergency crews cut off the top of the van. [Read more…]

China passes U.S. in number of top supercomputers; ORNL’s Titan drops to 5th

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The Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is pictured above. (Photo by ORNL/U.S. Department of Energy)

The Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is pictured above. (Photo by ORNL/U.S. Department of Energy)

 

China has passed the United States in the total number of top ranked supercomputers, and Titan at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has dropped from fourth to fifth on the TOP500 list of the world’s fastest supercomputers.

The TOP500 list is released twice a year, once in June and once in November. It is based on a benchmark test known as Linpack.

Titan at ORNL dropped from third to fourth in June, bumped from the number three spot by the upgraded Piz Daint, a Cray XC50 system installed at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre. Titan is capable of 17.59 petaflops. A petaflop is one quadrillion calculations per second. That’s 1,000 trillion calculations per second. Piz Daint is capable of 19.59 petaflops.

That power is useful in scientific research. At ORNL, Titan is used for research in areas such as materials science, nuclear energy, combustion, and climate science. ORNL is a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory.

Titan slipped one more spot in this month’s list, from fourth to fifth. It was displaced by the upgraded Gyoukou supercomputer. That is a ZettaScaler-2.2 system capable of 19.14 petaflops and deployed at Japan’s Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, the home of the Earth Simulator. [Read more…]