Oak Ridge Today

Did you know? ORNL produces nickel-63 isotope used in airport detectors

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

In 1951, Oak Ridge National Laboratory began producing the nickel-63 isotope that is now used in airport detectors to prevent terrorism. Today, ORNL is the only known producer of this isotope. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

In 1951, Oak Ridge National Laboratory began producing the nickel-63 isotope that is now used in airport detectors to prevent terrorism. Today, ORNL is the only known producer of this isotope. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

Did you know? In 1951, Oak Ridge National Laboratory began producing the nickel-63 isotope that is now used in airport detectors to prevent terrorism.

Today, ORNL says it is the only known producer of this isotope.

“Did you know?” is an occasional feature on Oak Ridge Today that highlights interesting facts about Oak Ridge that might not be widely known. This includes information that makes the city and its federal facilities unique or unusual.

Atomic Heritage Foundation launches new audio, visual program on Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Bill Wilcox 90th Birthday Party

Oak Ridge City Historian Bill Wilcox, who died in 2013, was a longtime advocate for preserving the city’s history, including parts of its federal facilities. Wilcox is pictured above at his 90th birthday party in the spring of 2013.

 

Submitted

“There was construction going on everywhere you looked,” Bill Wilcox remembered, describing his first impressions of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. “Trucks and people just crawling all over the place, hammers and banging. Wooden structures going up everywhere. Nothing was paved, and there weren’t any sidewalks.”

Wilcox was one of the thousands of people who moved to the new “Secret City” of Oak Ridge to work on the Manhattan Project, the top-secret World War II effort to develop an atomic bomb.

The Atomic Heritage Foundation has launched a new online interpretive program on Oak Ridge with 16 audio/visual vignettes. This beta program is part of AHF’s “Ranger in Your Pocket” series on the Manhattan Project, which focuses on former Manhattan Project sites and features vignettes with eyewitness accounts and expert commentary. AHF welcomes feedback and will improve and expand upon the program over the next year, a press release said.

In September 1942, Manhattan Project director General Leslie Groves designated “Site X,” approximately 59,000 acres of land on the Clinch River in rural eastern Tennessee, as the site for the project’s uranium production facilities. Approximately 3,000 people living in the area in five small farming communities were forced to leave their homes and land with minimal compensation. Construction of a new city began at breakneck speed. By the end of World War II, some 75,000 people would call Oak Ridge home, making it the fifth-largest city in Tennessee. [Read more…]

With government shut down, Y-12 employees still working

Posted at
By 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)

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)

 

With some apparent exceptions, employees at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge will continue working even after the federal government shut down after federal funding expired Friday.

Y-12 posted an announcement after the federal government shut down early Saturday. The announcement said workers at Y-12 and the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, are expected to report to work on their next scheduled work day unless they have previously approved leave or have been given formal notice by their management to not report to work.

A few other federal organizations and federal contractors didn’t immediately appear to have posted notices as of early Saturday afternoon, about 12 hours after the shutdown began. Those include Oak Ridge National Laboratory. [Read more…]

ORHPA celebrates Ed Westcott’s 96th birthday on Saturday

Posted at
By 3 Comments

Renowned Manhattan Project photographer Ed Wescott, right, is pictured above with city historian D. Ray Smith. (Submitted photo)

Renowned Manhattan Project photographer Ed Wescott, right, is pictured above with city historian D. Ray Smith. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association will celebrate renowned photographer Ed Westcott’s 96th birthday on Saturday. Westcott was the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during World War II, and if even you don’t know him, there is a good chance you have seen his wartime photos.

Oak Ridge was built during the war as part of the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal program to build the world’s atomic weapons, and Westcott’s photos can be seen in businesses around town, in historical presentations, and in news stories.

His birthday celebration on Saturday is one of the city’s 75th anniversary events. The celebration, which includes special activities with Westcott, is scheduled from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, January 20, at the Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road. [Read more…]

Possible government shutdown: DOE says it will be open Monday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Y-12 National Security Complex Aerial Photo

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 1:35 p.m.

A possible government shutdown is looming with federal funding expiring today, but the U.S. Department of Energy, which has facilities in Oak Ridge, said it will be open for business on Monday.

For now, federal employees are expected to continue to report for work as scheduled, DOE said in a shutdown plan posted on its website Friday. That approach appeared similar to DOE’s guidance during the last shutdown more than four years ago.

But “a prolonged lapse in appropriations may require subsequent employee furloughs,” DOE said of this year’s possible shutdown on Friday. “If there is an imminent threat to human life or protection of property, a limited number of employees may be recalled from furlough status.”

Federal sites in Oak Ridge include Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex, the Oak Ridge Office, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Office of Scientific and Technical Information, and East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, among others. Those are DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration sites, and they include a mix of federal and contractor employees. There is also a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facility on South Illinois Avenue. [Read more…]

Y-12 to build replacement parts for nuclear warheads on submarine missiles

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

A Trident II D5 missile test launch (Photo courtesy National Nuclear Security Administration)

A Trident II D5 missile test launch (Photo courtesy National Nuclear Security Administration)

 

The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge has been approved to build parts for a system being replaced in the W88 nuclear warhead, which is deployed on submarine-launched missiles, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The W88 has been a key part of the nation’s nuclear deterrent since it became part of the weapons stockpile in 1988, the NNSA said on its website Tuesday. But it needs maintenance.

The W88 Alteration (Alt) 370 program will replace the warhead’s Arming, Fuzing, and Firing, or AF&F, subsystem and address other aging issues to maintain its current state of readiness, the NNSA said.

Y-12 has been approved to build component parts for the W88 Alt 370 nearly two years ahead of schedule. [Read more…]

NNSA has information session on Y-12, UPF, electrical substation on Wednesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

H-frame or H tower transmission towers are pictured at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex off Scarboro Road on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

H-frame or H tower transmission towers are pictured at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex off Scarboro Road on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The National Nuclear Security Administration will have an information session on Wednesday about the Y-12 National Security Complex, the Uranium Processing Facility construction project, and the work to replace the electrical substation at Y-12.

The information session was scheduled after Oak Ridge officials raised concerns in November and December about the power lines proposed on top of Pine Ridge as part of the electrical substation project. Pine Ridge separates Y-12 from the center of the city, and Oak Ridge officials have said they had not received adequate notice of the power line project and didn’t know what other options had been considered. They also expressed concerns about the lack of public input and the visual impact of building power lines and installing transmission towers on top of the ridge. As of December, Oak Ridge City Council members said they hadn’t seen a visual representation of what the power lines could look like. [Read more…]

Road conditions still bad, police say; Y-12 closed

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

An Oak Ridge Public Works Department snow truck is pictured on South Illinois Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 16, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

An Oak Ridge Public Works Department snow truck is pictured on South Illinois Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 16, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:15 p.m.

Update: Driving conditions on main roads and side streets in Oak Ridge seemed to have improved by about 5 p.m. Wednesday, although there were still patches of ice and snow, including in shopping center parking lots.

Wednesday evening, the Oak Ridge Police Department said conditions had improved on main roads, but side streets were still extremely slick. Drivers should use extra caution if they have to get out tonight. There could be some refreezing on the roads overnight with the low temperatures. Oak Ridge Schools will be closed again on Thursday, January 18, due to the conditions.

A few inches of snow fell Tuesday, and road conditions are still bad Wednesday morning, especially in the city’s neighborhoods, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. The Y-12 National Security Complex and the Uranium Processing Facility offices are closed.

Oak Ridge Public Works Department crews are out clearing and treating the roads.

“If you must go out, please use extreme caution,” the ORPD said.

Y-12 said normal operations will resume Thursday, January 18. [Read more…]

Smith, ORNL deputy director, sworn in as TVA board member

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jeff Smith of Knoxville, deputy director of operations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, takes the oath and is sworn in by U.S. District Judge Reeves as the newest member of the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Smith was nominated by President Donald Trump on Sept. 21, 2017, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 21. (Photo courtesy TVA)

Jeff Smith of Knoxville, deputy director for operations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, takes the oath and is sworn in by U.S. District Judge Pamela Reeves as the newest member of the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Smith was nominated by President Donald Trump on Sept. 21, 2017, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 21. (Photo courtesy TVA)

 

Jeff W. Smith of Knoxville, deputy director for operations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, assumed his role as a member of the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors after taking the oath of office in a ceremony in Knoxville on Thursday. His term will expire on May 18, 2022.

Smith was nominated by President Donald Trump on September 21, 2017, and he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 21. He was sworn in by U.S. District Judge Pamela L. Reeves of the Eastern District of Tennessee.

“During my time at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, I’ve seen first-hand the increasing pace of change in energy technology, and how it directly affects people’s lives,” Smith said in a TVA press release. “As a board member, I look forward to helping TVA adapt to these changes and continue its mission of service to the people of the Tennessee Valley.” [Read more…]

AMSE could move into new location in June

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

An artist's rendering of the entrance at the new American Museum of Science and Energy at Main Street Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge/U.S. Department of Energy)

An artist’s rendering of the entrance to the new American Museum of Science and Energy at Main Street Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge/U.S. Department of Energy)

 

The American Museum of Science and Energy could move into its new location at Main Street Oak Ridge in June, officials said Tuesday.

Crews began work on Friday and “increased activity can be expected in the area over the coming weeks as construction progresses,” a press release said.

RealtyLink, the South Carolina company developing Main Street Oak Ridge, selected Oak Ridge-based Summit Construction as the contractor for the project, the press release said.

The start of construction was announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office and the City of Oak Ridge.

The new space for AMSE is located between the current JCPenney store and a future Marriott hotel, which is also under construction. The museum entrance will be on Main Street East. AMSE will be all on one floor, occupying approximately 18,000 square feet. [Read more…]

Construction starts at new AMSE location

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Construction work has started at the new American Museum of Science and Energy at Main Street Oak Ridge. Interior demolition work is under way, and exterior demolition work could start Wednesday. A crew was working at the new AMSE location on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Construction work has started at the new American Museum of Science and Energy at Main Street Oak Ridge. Interior demolition work is under way, and exterior demolition work could start Wednesday. A crew was working at the new AMSE location on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Construction work has started at the new American Museum of Science and Energy at Main Street Oak Ridge. Interior demolition work is under way, and exterior demolition work could start Wednesday.

The value of the improvements is estimated at roughly $1.5 million. A building permit was issued December 29.

AMSE will be relocated from its current home on South Tulane Avenue, where it’s been since the mid-1970s, to about 18,000 square feet of renovated space at Main Street Oak Ridge. That’s the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall. The move is part of an agreement that was signed by the City of Oak Ridge and U.S. Department of Energy in December 2016.

AMSE will have about 15,000 square feet of space in the former Sears Roebuck store near JCPenney and roughly 2,700 square feet in the former Cole’s Drug Store. Inside, there will be about 7,200 square feet of exhibit space, two 800-square-foot classrooms, and a large theater with a stage, consultant Ray Evans told Oak Ridge City Council members during a December 19 work session.

Evans said construction could take 4.5 to five months. An opening date had not been set as of the December work session. [Read more…]

Wildlife nature walk at Freels Bend on Saturday, Jan. 20

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

A wildlife management nature walk is scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, January 20, in the Freels Bend area in south Oak Ridge.

“Have you ever seen a deer foraging in a field or heard a field sparrow calling in the distance and wondered what could be done to help these species of wildlife?” a press release said. “Join wildlife experts from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.”

The wildlife management nature walk in the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area is scheduled from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, January 20. Discussions during the tour, which is rescheduled from a rained-out date in October, will include game species, species of concern, and how to manage for them in fields and forests, the press release said. [Read more…]