Oak Ridge Today

NNSA: Y-12 funding would be up 25 percent under president’s budget request

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Y-12 Aerial Photo June 2012

The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge is pictured above in June 2012. (Photo courtesy NNSA)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:20 p.m.

Funding for the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge would be up about 25 percent under the budget request submitted to Congress in May, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The total funding for Y-12 would be $1.64 billion, the NNSA said. That’s an increase of 25.4 percent over fiscal year 2016.

The budget request for fiscal year 2018, which starts October 1, was submitted by President Donald Trump to Congress on Tuesday, May 23. The NNSA request of $13.9 billion would increase funding by 7.8 percent compared to fiscal year 2017, Administrator Frank G. Klotz said during a teleconference with reporters on May 23.

Trump’s budget request has not yet been approved by Congress, where there has been bipartisan opposition, particularly to the proposed cuts. In Oak Ridge, sites and programs that could be cut include Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which would have a funding reduction of $206 million over two years, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, or EERE.

But Y-12, a National Nuclear Security Administration site, could benefit if the president’s budget request were approved by Congress. A House spending bill introduced last week for federal energy and water departments appears to include proposed spending levels for the NNSA, a semi-autonomous agency within DOE, that are similar to what the Trump administration has proposed. [Read more…]

United Way of Anderson County relocates

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United Way of Anderson County

United Way of Anderson County has relocated to 728 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

The offices are now in a section of the former Daniel Arthur building that was recently vacated by the Emory Valley Center. This move will help United Way to not only maintain, but further drastically reduce, its low overhead costs, allowing more of each donation to go directly to individuals and families in need, a press release said.

“United Way of Anderson County thanks their board, volunteers, and the staff of Emory Valley Center for their help and support during the move,” the press release said. If you have any questions about the new location or the services offered by UWAC and its partners, call (865) 483-8431 or send an email to director@uwayac.org. You can also visit www.uwayac.org for updates.

This press release was submitted by Naomi Asher.

New director hired at ORNL Carbon Fiber Technology Facility

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Merlin Theodore, new director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Carbon Fiber Technology Facility. (Photo by ORNL)

Merlin Theodore, new director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility. (Photo by ORNL)

 

A new director has been hired at the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Merlin Theodore most recently worked in Moses Lake, Washington, where she established a laboratory and promoted organizational excellence at a startup facility, SGL Automotive Carbon Fiber, ORNL said in a story published on its website in March. SGL Automotive Carbon Fiber is one of the largest carbon fiber production facilities in the United States, ORNL said.

While at SGL Automotive Carbon Fiber, Theodore boosted workflow efficiency by 97 percent and achieved 94 percent cost savings by developing new testing methods to determine sizing concentration on fiber surface, ORNL said. She also played an instrumental role in resolving technical issues for automaker BMW.

Theodore was the first in her family of 11 siblings to pursue graduate studies and then take up a career as a technology innovator. Her path eventually led her to ORNL, the lab said.

Before the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility and SGL Automotive Carbon Fiber, Theodore worked for Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Georgia Tech, and Universal Technology Corporation, or UTC, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as a research scientist and laboratory manager. [Read more…]

Xavier Harper, 9, of Linden, competes at USA Gymnastics Championships

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Xavier Harper

Xavier Harper

 

Xavier Harper, a rising fourth-grader at Linden Elementary School, competed in the USA Gymnastics Trampoline and Tumbling National Championships from June 27-July 2 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Xavier finished second in the nation on trampoline for level 9 in the 10 and under age group. He is affiliated with Premier Athletics in Knoxville. [Read more…]

Australian ornithologist finds secretive marsh bird on Oak Ridge Reservation

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An Australian ornithologist has found a secretive marsh bird, a Purple Gallinule, on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory said in a post published on Twitter on Sunday, July 2, 2017. (Screenshot from ORNL video)

An Australian ornithologist has found a secretive marsh bird, a Purple Gallinule, on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory said in a post published on Twitter on Sunday, July 2, 2017. (Screenshot from ORNL video)

 

An Australian ornithologist has found a secretive marsh bird, a Purple Gallinule, on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory said in a video post published on Twitter on Sunday.

Australian ornithologist Liz Znidersic recently came to ORNL to study secretive bird species, ORNL said in the video. She found the new bird using video and audio equipment.

The Purple Gallinule is typically only found in coastal or tropical areas.

“The Purple Gallinule has not been found on the Oak Ridge Reservation ever,” Znidersic said in the video. “This is the first one to be found also in Roane County.” [Read more…]

ORNL-led team identifies process that can break down toxic methylmercury

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A team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory has identified a novel microbial process that can break down toxic methylmercury in the environment, a discovery that could potentially reduce mercury toxicity levels and support health and risk assessments. Microscopy images by Jeremy Semrau, University of Michigan. (Screenshot from a video by ORNL)

A team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory has identified a novel microbial process that can break down toxic methylmercury in the environment, a discovery that could potentially reduce mercury toxicity levels and support health and risk assessments. Microscopy images by Jeremy Semrau, University of Michigan. (Screenshot from a video by ORNL)

 

Note: This story was originally published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory on May 31.

A team led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has identified a novel microbial process that can break down toxic methylmercury in the environment, a fundamental scientific discovery that could potentially reduce mercury toxicity levels and support health and risk assessments.

Methylmercury is a neurotoxin that forms in nature when mercury interacts with certain microbes living in soil and waterways. It accumulates at varying levels in all fish—particularly large predatory fish such as tuna and swordfish—and, when consumed in large quantities, can potentially cause neurological damage and developmental disorders, especially in children.

A previous ORNL-led study, published in Science in 2013, unlocked the genetic code that led scientists to accurately identify microbes responsible for methylmercury production in the environment. Following this finding, the ORNL team has now discovered which bacteria perform the reverse process, called demethylation. Details are published in Science Advances.

“Much attention has focused on mercury methylation or how methylmercury forms, but few studies to date have examined microbial demethylation, or the breakdown of methylmercury at environmentally relevant conditions,” said Baohua Gu, co-author and a team lead in ORNL’s Mercury Science Focus Area. [Read more…]

Carr to discuss history of Los Alamos Lab in talk in Oak Ridge next week

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Alan Carr

Alan Carr

 

Senior historian Alan B. Carr will discuss the history of Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico during a talk in Oak Ridge next week, a press release said.

Carr will speak to the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association’s public and membership meeting on Tuesday, July 11. That meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. July 11 at the Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road.

(Note: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, not the second Thursday, the normal date for the ORHPA’s monthly meetings. This is being done to accommodate Carr’s schedule as he is coming to Oak Ridge on business travel and must leave on Thursday, the press release said.)

The press release said Carr currently serves as senior historian for Los Alamos National Laboratory. During his tenure as a laboratory historian, which began in 2003, Carr has produced several publications pertaining to the Manhattan Project, early nuclear weapons design, and nuclear testing history, the release said. [Read more…]

While here in May, Secretary Perry made his first visit to UPF

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Pictured above from left are Uranium Processing Facility Federal Project Director Dale Christenson, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, Secretary Rick Perry, Rep. Chuck Fleischman, and UPF Project Director Brian Reilly. (Photo by NNSA)

Pictured above from left are Uranium Processing Facility Federal Project Director Dale Christenson, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, Secretary Rick Perry, Rep. Chuck Fleischman, and UPF Project Director Brian Reilly. (Photo by NNSA)

 

Note: This story was originally published by the National Nuclear Security Administration on May 24.

While he visited Oak Ridge in May, new Energy Secretary Rick Perry made his first visit to the planned Uranium Processing Facility at Y-12 National Security Complex, a project that has been described as the single largest government investment in Tennessee since World War II.

Perry visited the UPF project with U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander and Representative Chuck Fleischmann, both Tennessee Republicans, and UPF Federal Project Director Dale Christenson and UPF Project Director Brian Reilly.

Christenson and Reilly provided an update on the project’s progress and discussed key upcoming milestones, including achieving 90 percent design by September 2017, the National Nuclear Security Administration said in a post published May 24. Y-12 is an NNSA site. [Read more…]

Applewood Apartments: Case that once called for $400,000 fine has been dismissed

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The rear of the Applewood Apartments building at 186 Hillside Road is picture above on Saturday, July 1, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The rear of the Applewood Apartments building at 186 Hillside Road is picture above on Saturday, July 1, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:25 p.m.

CLINTON—A court has dismissed a case that once called for a $400,000 fine against the owner of three now-vacant Applewood Apartments buildings on Hillside Road in Oak Ridge.

Charges against the original defendant, former Applewood Apartments manager Tammy Sandlin, have been dismissed, and she is the only properly named defendant in the complaint, Anderson County Circuit Court Judge Don R. Elledge said in a dismissal order filed Wednesday, June 21.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals had issued an opinion on October 15, 2015, that vacated, or voided, the $406,520 judgement against Applewood Apartments owner Joseph J. Levitt Jr. because he had not been effectively added as a defendant in the city’s lawsuit, Elledge said.

At that time, the Court of Appeals remanded the case, or sent it back to, Anderson County Circuit Court in Clinton for further proceedings, “including the filing and serving of an amended complaint or city warrant against Mr. Levitt,” Elledge said in his order to dismiss.

The Court of Appeals decision essentially said that Levitt has to be given a chance to defend himself, Elledge said during a motion hearing in Circuit Court on Friday, June 9. A jury trial had been scheduled for March 9, 2018. The City of Oak Ridge is the plaintiff.

But no amended complaint has been filed by the city since the Court of Appeals decision almost two years ago, and Levitt has never been served with an amended complaint, Elledge said during the June 9 motion hearing. [Read more…]

Community Band has July 4 concert before fireworks

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The Oak Ridge Community Band in a previous July 4 concert. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Community Band in a previous July 4 concert. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Community Band will have its annual July 4 Independence Day concert on Tuesday, July 4, at Alvin K. Bissell Park. The concert is free.

Large crowds are expected for both the concert and the city fireworks show that follows, so the public is encouraged to come early, a press release said.

“Bring chairs or blankets for outdoor seating, and enjoy a very entertaining summer evening,” the press release said.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, and there is no admission fee. However, donations are welcomed to help offset band expenses. Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab will also be in the park to provide refreshments, the press release said.

Featured guest vocal soloists will be Deidre Ford singing the lovely strains of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust” and soloist Lettie Andrade De La Torre singing Jerry Lackey’s arrangement of “Caledonia” from “Celtic Women.” Also on Tuesday evening’s program will be quartet singers Ed Calfee, Deidre Ford, Lettie Andrade De La Torre, and Roscoe Shipley who will be singing Jerry Brubaker’s “The Ultimate Patriotic Sing-Along,” Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” and John Stafford Smith’s “The Star-Spangled Banner—A Symphonic Portrait.” [Read more…]

DOE not responding to questions about budget, Perry’s advocacy

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Energy Secretary Rick Perry drives a 3D printed personal utility vehicle at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on Hardin Valley Road on Monday, May 22, 2017. His passenger is Craig Blue, director of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs at ORNL. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Energy Secretary Rick Perry drives a 3D printed personal utility vehicle at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on Hardin Valley Road on Monday, May 22, 2017. His passenger is Craig Blue, director of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs at ORNL. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The U.S. Department of Energy is not responding to questions about Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s advocacy of Oak Ridge or the fiscal year 2018 budget request.

The only question from Oak Ridge Today that DOE has answered is: Will the department have a teleconference to discuss the budget request with reporters? The answer was “no.”

DOE, which could have a funding decrease under President Donald Trump’s budget request, has not responded to any specific questions about the budget itself. Oak Ridge Today has tried about a dozen times in the past month to reach someone in the public affairs office at DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C., using emails, phone calls, and on Wednesday night, a five-part tweet to active Twitter accounts for Perry and the DOE press staff.

Oak Ridge Today has sought information from the department since Trump sent the fiscal year 2018 budget request to Congress on Tuesday, May 23. Among other things, the news website has wanted to make sure that it is correctly interpreting the preliminary budget numbers published online by DOE. (See here, here, and here for more information about the budget request.)

According to the information Oak Ridge Today has received and reviewed, some Oak Ridge programs and sites could see funding increases under the president’s budget request, while others could see decreases. The programs and sites that could benefit include the environmental management program (the cleanup work at federal sites), Oak Ridge Office, and Y-12 National Security Complex. Those that could lose funding are DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information, or OSTI; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, which is managed by ORAU; and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Oak Ridge Today has sent specific questions about funding for most of these programs and sites to the public affairs office at DOE headquarters, but no spokespeople have responded, not even to acknowledge that the messages were received or to reply with a “no comment.”

Oak Ridge Today has also tried to follow up on Perry’s pledge to be a strong advocate for at least some programs in Oak Ridge. Perry made the pledge at ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility in Hardin Valley on Monday, May 22. The pledge came after he toured ORNL, the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, and Y-12. During his visit to Oak Ridge and Hardin Valley, Perry learned about the planned Uranium Processing Facility and nuclear weapons work at Y-12, the environmental management program, and advanced manufacturing, 3D printing, materials science research, and supercomputing at ORNL. [Read more…]

Clinton has fireworks, other activities on July 4

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Clinton Fourth of July Celebration 2017

Activities for Fun on the Fourth in Clinton on Tuesday, July 4, will start at 5 p.m. Fireworks will start at 10 p.m. at Lakefront Park in Clinton.

Here are the activities announced by Clinton:

  • Backyard Bouncers will have a module bounce house,
  • bungee run,
  • all stars basketball game,
  • rock climbing wall,
  • 68-foot Army boot camp obstacle course,
  • 22-foot two-lane tsunami water slide with slip-and-slide,
  • race car combo with water slide,
  • human hamster balls with track,
  • pirate bounce house, and
  • trackless train that are available for the public with no charge. (Important notice: must have wrist band to ride)

[Read more…]