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(For members) HHS designates class of Y-12 workers to be added to compensation program

Posted at 9:05 pm March 25, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has designated a class of Y-12 employees to be added to a federal worker compensation program that involves certain illnesses and work at sites like Y-12 that are affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy.

The employees who could be added, unless Congress says otherwise, would have worked at Y-12 between January 1, 1958, and December 31, 1976, when the plant was manufacturing nuclear weapons components during the Cold War. They would have had an aggregate total of at least 250 work days. They could have been employees of DOE, its predecessor agencies, or their contractors and subcontractors.

Oak Ridge Today has previously reported that the workers could be added to the compensation program based on exposure to radiation from thorium metal parts and plutonium-241 isotopes.

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ORAU promotes Lokitz to VP, general counsel

Posted at 11:56 am March 22, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Rachel Lokitz

Rachel Lokitz, interim general counsel and corporate secretary for ORAU, has been promoted to vice president and general counsel.

In her new role, Lokitz provides ORAU’s programs and internal business clients with counsel concerning legal rights, contractual obligations, compliance, and risk.

“We are excited for Rachel to take on this new role at ORAU. Her accomplished legal expertise combined with her extensive business management and teamwork skills has made Rachel a critical asset for our organization. We all congratulate her and will look forward to continue working with her in this new position,” said Andy Page, president and chief executive officer. [Read more…]

Unique partnership helps Y-12 employee Chris Borum pursue a new path

Posted at 2:00 pm March 21, 2019
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

Chris Borum

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Chris Borum, for more than 16 years a security guard at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, said it was time for a change.

As the years passed, he worried he might not be able to meet rigorous annual physical qualifications for his job at the nuclear weapons facility.

Borum, a Kingston resident, said he wanted to stay at Y-12 and eventually retire from there, “but I wanted to leave on my own terms.”

So when a job posting for a material handler was posted on the Y-12’s Intranet, he went for it. [Read more…]

Y-12 hosts eighth annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering

Posted at 6:29 pm March 12, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Photo by Y-12 National Security Complex

The Y-12 National Security Complex says it is helping to open doors and close the gender gap in engineering fields.

In February, Y-12 hosted its eighth annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering at the site’s New Hope Center. The one-day event, held in conjunction with Engineers Week, gave young female students an opportunity to discover and explore science, technology, engineering, and math (or STEM) careers alongside Y-12 and Uranium Processing Facility Project scientists and engineers, a press release said.

More than 300 middle- and high-school students from seven area counties attended this year’s event. About 100 engineers, scientists, and other volunteers—most from Y-12, the Uranium Processing Facility Project, and the Oak Ridge chapter of Women in Nuclear—supported the event, which encouraged students to connect their math and science skills to careers in STEM fields, the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge High School wins Department of Energy Tennessee Science Bowl

Posted at 8:44 pm March 8, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Winning first place in the 2019 Tennessee Science Bowl is Oak Ridge High School, pictured left to right with their trophy, David Joy, Henry Shen, George Wang, Steven Qu, and Melody Guo. Their coach is Sharon Thomas. (Submitted photo)

Team heads to National Science Bowl after third straight state win

After months of training, studying, and improving their competition skills, 55 high school teams from across the state of Tennessee gathered recently to test their knowledge in broad science disciplines including chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and energy.

Oak Ridge High School placed first in the annual competition and received an all-expenses-paid trip to the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., held April 25-29, as well as a $1,000 cash prize and a first-place trophy.

The Tennessee Science Bowl is the nation’s third-largest regional competition, a press release said. Held at Pellissippi State Community College’s Blount County Campus, the regional bowl prepares students to compete nationally with other exceptional students from schools across the country. [Read more…]

DOE needs more time for K-25 history projects

Posted at 12:08 am February 21, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

An outside view showing the K-25 History Center, Equipment Building, and Viewing Tower at East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy U.S. Department of Energy)

An image published in October 2017 shows the K-25 History Center, Equipment Building, and Viewing Tower at East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy U.S. Department of Energy)

The U.S. Department of Energy is requesting more time to complete projects to commemorate the historic contributions of the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge.

Built during World War II, the K-25 site helped enrich uranium for the first atomic bomb used in wartime as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. The plant continued to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons and commercial nuclear power plants after the war, and those who have worked at the site have said it helped win the Cold War.

The history of the site will be honored by preserving the concrete slab of the former K-25 Building, building a Viewing Tower and replica Equipment Building on the south side of the building site, and opening a K-25 History Center on the second floor of the adjacent Oak Ridge Fire Station Number 4.

A historical interpretation agreement was signed in August 2012. But it expires this August. And the roughly $20 million worth of projects won’t be complete by then.

DOE is making “good progress,” but “the reality is we need a little more time,” said Dave Adler, acting deputy manager for DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. Adler and Steve Cooke, K-25 preservation coordinator for DOE, briefly discussed the proposed amendment to the agreement during a Tuesday evening work session with the Oak Ridge City Council. [Read more…]

Council, DOE to discuss proposed amendment to historical interpretation agreement

Posted at 2:33 pm February 17, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Council and U.S. Department of Energy will discuss a proposed amendment to a historical interpretation agreement on Tuesday evening.

The agenda for the non-voting Council work session does not give the purpose of the proposed amendment or say what it might do.

But it appears that the proposed amendment could be related to historical interpretation at the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge because one of the DOE representatives scheduled to talk to Council is Steve Cooke, K-25 preservation coordinator for the U.S. Department of Energy. Also scheduled to talk to Council is Dave Adler, acting deputy manager for DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. [Read more…]

Hearne joins ORNL as director of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences

Posted at 2:51 pm February 15, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Sean Hearne (Photo by Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has named Sean Hearne director of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences.

The center is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility that brings world-leading resources and capabilities to the nanoscience research community, a press release said. National and international researchers benefit from CNMS expertise in nanomaterials synthesis and nanofabrication to develop new materials, as well as from state-of-the-art imaging, characterization, and microscopy equipment used to explore material properties at the nanoscale, the press release said.

“I am very pleased and excited to add Sean to our team and look forward to continuing excellence in nanomaterial research and development under his leadership at CNMS,” said David Dean, associate laboratory director for Physical Sciences.

Hearne comes to Oak Ridge from Sandia National Laboratories, where he served as senior manager of the Ion Beam Facility and co-director of the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a DOE Office of Science User Facility jointly operated by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratory. [Read more…]

Virtual career fair for ORNL on Feb. 20

Posted at 2:34 pm February 15, 2019
By Amy Schwinge Leave a Comment

Submitted

Discover the variety of internships and research participation programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory by participating in the Laboratory Internship Virtual Event, or LIVE, career fair on Wednesday, February 20, from noon to 3 p.m.

During the LIVE virtual career fair, participants will connect with ORNL recruiters and staff, talk to ORNL’s staff scientists about their research and how they are solving some of the world’s most compelling challenges, and learn more about the different directorates that make up ORNL, the largest U.S. Department of Energy open science laboratory, a press release said.

Register now or learn more about this LIVE virtual career fair: https://orau.6connex.com/event/LIVE/ORNL19Q1/login. [Read more…]

Y-12, Pantex give more than $1 million to United Way

Posted at 1:42 pm February 13, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The sign at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Contributions to the United Way from the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, topped $1 million in 2018. The donations were collected from employees and retirees, according to Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, which manages and operates the two sites.

The sites engaged in year-long campaigns to generate money for the United Way, raising funds through silent auctions and various jewelry, book, and food sales at the sites as well as employee contributions, CNS said in a press release. A $150,000 donation from the parent companies of CNS was also included in the total.

“One of the best ways to help our local communities is through the United Way,” Y-12 Site Manager Bill Tindal said. “Y-12 and East Tennessee are special places because of the commitment of our employees to giving back to our neighbors.” [Read more…]

(For members) NRC finds no significant impact from producing tritium at Watts Bar 2

Posted at 12:12 pm February 13, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced on Monday that there would be no significant impact from producing tritium for nuclear weapons in a second unit at the Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant in Rhea County.

The project involves the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

The tritium could be produced in Unit 2 at Watts Bar, which is near Spring City about 45 miles southwest of Oak Ridge.

Tritium, which boosts the yields of nuclear weapons, is already being produced in Watts Bar Unit 1. The Tennessee Valley Authority has been producing tritium there since 2003.

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(For members) DOE could lease space to store elemental mercury

Posted at 1:52 pm February 11, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Energy is considering whether to lease space to store elemental mercury from sites across the country.

The facility could store about 1,200 metric tons (1,300 tons) of elemental mercury. The waste has been generated at sites in the United States, mostly at gold mining operations, according to the DOE Office of Environmental Management.

The mercury that could be stored at the leased facility is separate from the 1,200 metric tons of mercury stored at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. The Y-12 mercury, about 2.6 million pounds stored in seamless steel flasks, was acquired for lithium-6 isotope separation operations for thermonuclear weapons.

The rest of this story, which you will find only on Oak Ridge Today, is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or recent contributor to Oak Ridge Today.

Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.

Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here:

Basic

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Temporary

Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

(For members) HHS designates class of Y-12 workers to be added to compensation program

ORAU promotes Lokitz to VP, general counsel

Unique partnership helps Y-12 employee Chris Borum pursue a new path

Y-12 hosts eighth annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering

Oak Ridge High School wins Department of Energy Tennessee Science Bowl

DOE needs more time for K-25 history projects

Council, DOE to discuss proposed amendment to historical interpretation agreement

Hearne joins ORNL as director of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences

Virtual career fair for ORNL on Feb. 20

Y-12, Pantex give more than $1 million to United Way

(For members) NRC finds no significant impact from producing tritium at Watts Bar 2

(For members) DOE could lease space to store elemental mercury

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