Oak Ridge Today

Larry Kelly, manager of DOE Oak Ridge Office, dies

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Larry Kelly

Larry Kelly

Larry Kelly, manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office since July 2012, has died.

“Words cannot describe the sadness we feel with the passing of Larry,” said ORO Deputy Manager Kevin Hall. “The loss of our leader is heavy on our hearts, but it is the loss of a friend that leaves an emptiness that will be difficult to endure. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Rubenia, and daughter, Kristyn. Anyone who spent time with him knew the admiration he had in his wife, and the pride he took in his daughter.

“During his tenure, I was always impressed with Larry’s emphasis on our people and our mission. It was the driving force behind all of his decisions, and it led to a workforce that cared for him very deeply. He made a lasting impact on the Oak Ridge Office and each one of us personally.” [Read more…]

Anderson government closed; Y-12, Oak Ridge, UCOR, DOE, ORAU start late

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Snow in Oak Ridge on Feb. 26, 2015

Several inches of snow fell in Oak Ridge and across East Tennessee overnight. (Photo by Bruce Phillips)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:23 a.m.

Several inches of snow fell in East Tennessee overnight, and there are more closings and delays because of weather and road conditions.

The Y-12 National Security Complex is still clearing some areas at the site. Non-essential employees should delay arrival at the site until 11 a.m. UPF Offsite Offices also should delay until 11 a.m. Personnel are urged to use caution when driving and walking throughout the site and to use designated snow routes.

Anderson County government offices will be closed Thursday. The Roane County Courthouse is also closed. [Read more…]

Updated: More closures, delays Wednesday as snow falls, temperatures drop

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Winter Weather Advisory

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:56 p.m.

Many offices and schools will remain closed on Wednesday because of the weather and road conditions, and some will open late. The National Weather Service in Morristown has issued a winter weather advisory for snow on Wednesday and a wind chill watch for Wednesday night.

Schools in Oak Ridge and Clinton and Anderson and Roane counties will be closed again Wednesday. So will Roane State Community College campuses. Pellissippi State Community College will also be closed.

Anderson County Schools will be closed the rest of the week, officials said Wednesday, and the Central Office is closed as well.

Anderson County government offices and all courts will be closed Wednesday.

City of Oak Ridge offices will open at 9 a.m. City Hall in Rocky Top will close at noon Wednesday for deteriorating weather conditions. [Read more…]

New DOE landfill could cost $1 billion, including construction, operations

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Oak Ridge Reservation with Bear Creek Valley

But it could also save $1 billion through on-site disposal, officials say

A new landfill that would hold waste from cleanup work at federal sites in Oak Ridge could cost $1 billion, a project manager said Wednesday. That start-to-finish estimate includes construction and 23 years of operations.

But federal officials said the new landfill could save $1 billion in on-site versus off-site costs. That’s because the waste would be disposed on site and wouldn’t have to be shipped out of town, possibly to other states such as Nevada and Utah.

Saving money through on-site disposal could, in turn, accelerate the cleanup work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, said Laura Wilkerson, federal project director for the Y-12 National Security Complex in the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management.

The new landfill, the Environmental Management Disposal Facility, would be built on Bear Creek Road west of the Y-12 National Security Complex near another landfill that is already in use and has been operating since 2002. [Read more…]

Tennessee Titans VP to headline DOE Oak Ridge Women’s Workshop

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Jenneen Kaufman

Jenneen Kaufman

Jenneen Kaufman, vice president and chief financial officer of the Tennessee Titans, will give the keynote speech at the annual Oak Ridge Women’s Workshop in March.

The workshop will be presented by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office Federal Women’s Program, or FWP, and the Oak Ridge Chapter of Federally Employed Women, or FEW. It’s on Thursday, March 12 at the New Hope Center at 602 Scarboro Road in Oak Ridge.

In conjunction with the annual FWP Workshop on March 12, the FEW Southeast Region will offer its annual Regional Training Program from March 11 to 13, a press release said. [Read more…]

Cange named cleanup manager at DOE Oak Ridge

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Gov. Bill Haslam Visits ETTP/K-25

During a March 2014 tour, Sue Cange, center, gives Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, right, an update on the then-almost completed demolition of the K-25 Building, which was once used to enrich uranium in west Oak Ridge. (File photo)

 

The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that Sue Cange will serve as the new manager for DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Congressman Chuck Fleischmann said.

“Sue has a strong background in environmental management and has done a great job as acting manager,” said Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican. “I look forward to continuing to work with her on nuclear cleanup in Oak Ridge.”

Fleischmann is chair of the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, a group of lawmakers who have U.S. Department of Energy cleanup sites in their districts. Fleischmann’s district includes Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Reservation Communities Alliance meets Feb. 4

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The Oak Ridge Reservation Communities Alliance will meet on Wednesday, February 4, at 2 p.m. in the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, DOE-Oversight Office, at 761 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

The Alliance includes Terry Frank, Tim Burchett, Garland Lankford, Don Edwards, George Thacker, Warren Gooch, Amy Fitzgerald, Ron Woody, and Scott Stout.

The meeting is open to the public.

Alexander to chair Energy, Water Subcommittee, which oversees Oak Ridge funding

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander has been elected chair of a Senate subcommittee that oversees funding for federal sites in Oak Ridge, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Nuclear Security Complex.

Alexander, who is a Tennessee Republican, was elected chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development by Senate Republicans on Tuesday, his office said in a press release.

“If we’re going to power our 21st-century economy, we need to pursue policies that don’t pick winners and losers in the marketplace, and that instead enable innovation in our free enterprise system,” Alexander said. “That means unleashing nuclear power and other sources of the cheap, clean, reliable energy we need. It also means using our taxpayer dollars wisely: by supporting government-sponsored research that leads to innovation and jobs, and by controlling the costs of big construction projects in Tennessee and across the country.” [Read more…]

DOE Oak Ridge has MLK program Tuesday featuring Beck Center CEO

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office will hold its annual observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with a program entitled “Change Starts with Me.” The program is free and open to the public.

This year’s event features a keynote address by Reverend Reneé Kesler. She is the president and chief executive officer of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center Inc. and a licensed ordained associate minister at Mount Calvary Baptist Church. Kesler is also a professional instructor with the University of Tennessee’s Department of Professional and Personal Development in Continuing Education. [Read more…]

DOE Oak Ridge environmental management employees retire

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Eddie Holden

Eddie Holden

Two U. S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) employees retired last month after a combined 34 years of federal service.

Eddie Holden, a traffic management specialist for the Facilities Operations Division at OREM, retired on December 31 with 10 years of federal service.

Holden oversaw transportation activities for the agency, leading the effort to maintain compliance and keep hazardous materials off public roads and was responsible for the Haul Road Transportation Program, a press release said. He played a critical role in the development of DOE’s Radio Frequency Identification Transportation System, used for paperless shipments and electronic tracking of vehicles, which cuts costs and improves security. [Read more…]

Burgan named assistant procurement manager at DOE Oak Ridge

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Jeff Burgan

Jeff Burgan (DOE photo/Lynn Freeny)

Jeffrey R. Burgan was recently named assistant manager for procurement and contracts at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office.

In his new position, Burgan leads a staff of 30 federal employees and is responsible for overseeing, administering, and support of procurement and financial assistance awards servicing site management offices for the Department’s Office of Science national laboratories across the United States, a press release said.

His responsibilities also include contractual management of the Nuclear Energy Oak Ridge Site Office and the ORO Small Business Program. [Read more…]

DOE Oak Ridge Office has Veterans Day program on Thursday

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Lindsay M. Long

Lindsay M. Long

The U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office will have a Veterans Day program on Thursday, November 6, and it will feature keynote speaker and Marine Corps veteran Lindsay M. Long.

The program is designed to honor the “courageous men and women who serve and have served in our nation’s armed forces,” a press release said.

The program is scheduled from 10-11 a.m. Thursday at the American Museum of Science and Energy at 300 South Tulane Avenue. It’s open to employees and the public.

Performances include the Oak Ridge Celebration Choir, Lloyd Jones, and a recognition of veterans, and it will conclude with the sounding of “Taps” by USMC Retired Master Sergeant Maurice Parks.