Oak Ridge Today

Video: Learn more about DOE’s first transuranic waste shipment in five years

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For the first time since 2012, processed and treated transuranic waste is leaving Oak Ridge’s Transuranic Waste Processing Center for permanent disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Employees celebrate in the photo above. A waste shipment is pictured above leaving Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

For the first time since 2012, processed and treated transuranic waste is leaving Oak Ridge’s Transuranic Waste Processing Center for permanent disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Employees celebrate in the photo above. A waste shipment is pictured above leaving Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

 

Oak Ridge has resumed shipments of transuranic waste to New Mexico after five years.

The waste is treated and processed in Oak Ridge. It is leaving the Transuranic Waste Processing Center, which is south of Bethel Valley Road on Highway 95 in southwest Oak Ridge. It is being shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico, where it will be kept underground permanently.

The first shipment left Oak Ridge on August 9.

Before then, Oak Ridge hadn’t made a shipment since 2012. The waste has been stored in facilities in Oak Ridge since 2014, when the shipments were suspended, said Jay Mullis, acting manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management.

The U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office has published a video about the resumption of shipments, which is considered an important risk-reduction activity. You can see the video below. [Read more…]

Safety: ORNL developing probe to detect energy in electric vehicles, solar rooftops

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Nance Ericson, left, and Bruce Warmack of Oak Ridge National Laboratory test the DC Hot Stick on a hybrid electric vehicle. (Photo: Carlos Jones, ORNL)

Nance Ericson, left, and Bruce Warmack of Oak Ridge National Laboratory test the DC Hot Stick on a hybrid electric vehicle. (Photo: Carlos Jones, ORNL)

 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is developing a probe to accurately detect direct current, or DC, energy in electric vehicles and rooftops with solar panels. That is expected to help ensure the safety of first responders and electrical workers.

“With more volts than ever before in electric vehicles and on solar-paneled rooftops, first responder and electrical worker safety is a growing concern,” ORNL said in a story published on its website on Monday. “Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are addressing the challenge with the development of a probe to accurately detect direct-current energy.”

The DC “Hot Stick” probe is designed under the sponsorship of the U.S. Fire Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Not only does the DC “Hot Stick” detect DC voltage, but it also ensures that the probe is properly tapped into the electrical lines being tested, said the story, written by Stephanie G. Seay.

“The latter is essential because false negatives may be obtained if a meter is not making proper contact, noted ORNL lead scientist Bruce Warmack of the Electrical and Electronics Systems Research Division. [Read more…]

Anderson County, Clinton schools to close for solar eclipse on Monday

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Anderson County and Clinton schools will be closed over safety concerns during the total solar eclipse that will cross the United States on Monday, August 21.

“After receiving feedback from teachers, staff, and concern over safety from the media, Anderson County Schools will be closed on Monday, (August) 21, Eclipse Day,” a notice posted by the county school system said.

“Due to the abundance of safety concerns being expressed, CCS (Clinton City Schools) will be closed on Monday, August 21, for the eclipse,” the city school system said in an online post. “This has been a difficult decision to make, but we want parents to have input on their child’s level of participation on this special day. We will be sending home eclipse glasses with each child on Friday afternoon. Please use these based on your personal discretion. Special activities will occur this week in classrooms to make this a meaningful learning experience for our students. We appreciate your understanding and support.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge makes first transuranic waste shipment in five years

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For the first time since 2012, processed and treated transuranic waste is leaving Oak Ridge’s Transuranic Waste Processing Center for permanent disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Employees celebrate in the photo above. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

For the first time since 2012, transuranic waste processed and treated in Oak Ridge is leaving the Transuranic Waste Processing Center for permanent disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Employees celebrate in the photo above. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

 

For the first time since 2012, transuranic waste processed and treated in Oak Ridge is leaving the Transuranic Waste Processing Center for permanent disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico.

The first shipment left Oak Ridge on August 9.

Transuranic waste consists of materials and debris that are contaminated with elements that have a higher atomic mass and listed after uranium on the periodic table. The majority of Oak Ridge’s inventory originated from previous research and isotope production missions at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“Resuming shipments has been an important priority for our program due to the large inventory of processed waste that is stored in onsite facilities,” said Jay Mullis, acting manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. “These shipments will remove risk from our site and help fulfill our commitments to the state of Tennessee. This was only possible through a lot of hard work from the federal and contractor employees here and support from staff in Carlsbad.”

Originally, much of the site’s transuranic waste was scheduled for shipment in 2014. However, weeks before shipments started, two events occurred at WIPP in February 2014—a truck fire and an unrelated radiological event—that suspended waste disposal operations, a press release said. These operations resumed in January 2017, and WIPP has begun receiving shipments from select sites across the U.S. Department of Energy complex. [Read more…]

Breakfast Rotary welcomes ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia

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Thomas Zacharia (Photo courtesy D. Ray Smith)

Thomas Zacharia (Photo courtesy D. Ray Smith)

 

Submitted

The Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club welcomed Thomas Zacharia, director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to its August 9 breakfast meeting. Zacharia became director of ORNL on July 1, 2017, after a long and successful career with ORNL beginning in 1987 as a postdoctoral researcher and culminating in his recent appointment as director.

His professional career at ORNL spans many fields with a special focus in materials research and computational sciences. In his comments to the club, he outlined his long-term expectations for ORNL and its critical role in supporting U.S. Department of Energy missions to advance science and technology in such areas as high-performance computing, advanced materials, nuclear power, and national security.

In addition, Thomas stated he expects ORNL will continue to expand its role in transferring ORNL technologies to industry in the local area and across the nation. ORNL scientific discoveries are expected to continue to help make our economy more competitive in world markets. [Read more…]

Today: Outback, other restaurants, support ADFAC through Dine & Donate

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A sampling of menu items from Outback Steakhouse. (Submitted photo)

A sampling of menu items from Outback Steakhouse. (Submitted photo)

 

If you have a craving for that Bloomin’ Onion or a juicy steak, Outback Steakhouse may be the place for you.

Outback, located at 402 South Illinois Avenue, will be helping Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, on Monday, August 14 through the Dine & Donate Program.  On the second Monday of each month, Outback and fourteen other restaurants donate a portion of their sales to support ADFAC.

“Dine and Donate is a very important fundraiser for ADFAC,” said Cande Seay, Dine & Donate chair. “It’s good to see families and friends enjoying a delicious meal at a local restaurant while contributing to our organization.” [Read more…]

Man dies after fire at Manhattan Apartments

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A 61-year-old man died after a fire was reported at the Manhattan Apartments on Saturday morning, authorities said.

An alarm sounded in one of the apartments at about 7:50 a.m. Saturday, according to information from the Oak Ridge Fire Department that was provided by City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Sarah Self.

Oak Ridge Police Department officers found heavy smoke inside the apartment when they arrived Saturday morning, and the Oak Ridge Fire Department was dispatched.

Nearby residents were evacuated while firefighters made entry to the apartment and extinguished the fire. A man was found inside, the city said. [Read more…]

Next City Blueprint meeting scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24

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Image by City of Oak Ridge

Image by City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Community Development Department is continuing the Oak Ridge City Blueprint effort with a discussion focused on the Emory Valley, Briarcliff, and Lakeview residential neighborhoods. An open house will be held between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 24, at Jefferson Middle School.

Families living in these subareas are encouraged to attend and provide ideas and suggestions for possible neighborhood improvements, a press release said. There is no formal presentation planned for this event. Those attending can come and go anytime during the open house to meet, ask questions, and share thoughts with city staff and board representatives.

What: Oak Ridge City Blueprint Open House

Emory Valley, Briarcliff, and Lakeview neighborhoods [Read more…]

Former DOE employee sentenced to serve time in federal prison

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A Knoxville man was sentenced Tuesday for his convictions involving wire fraud, false claims, and making a false statement against his former employer, the U.S. Department of Energy, federal authorities said.

Henry M. Love II, 51, will serve seven months in federal prison followed by six months home detention, according to a press release from the office of United States Attorney Nancy Stallard Harr of the Eastern District of Tennessee in Knoxville. Love was also ordered to pay $40,111.95 in restitution to DOE.

After an August 2016 jury trial, Love was convicted of 11 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of false claims, and one count of making a false statement, the press release said. [Read more…]

Rezoning could allow commercial development on former AMSE property

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The 7.44-acre parcel outlined in red above could be rezoned and allow commercial development south of the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue. (Image courtesy State of Tennessee)

The 7.44-acre parcel outlined in red above could be rezoned and allow commercial development south of the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue. The DoubleTree Hotel is at center-left, and the U.S. Post Office is at upper right. (Image courtesy State of Tennessee)

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:45 a.m. Aug. 12.

A rezoning being considered by Oak Ridge municipal officials could allow commercial development on property that is now mostly a grass field south of the American Museum of Science and Energy. The 7.44-acre site could be used by retailers, restaurants, or groceries, or for office space or multi-family developments, according to a zoning change request filed by the owner.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission will consider the rezoning request on Thursday. The request was filed by TN Oak Ridge Illinois LLC of Greenville, South Carolina. That company was set up by RealtyLink, the developer of Main Street Oak Ridge at the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The property includes a grass field along South Illinois Avenue between South Tulane Avenue and Badger Avenue. The northern portion of the property includes part of the AMSE parking lot.

The parcel, appraised at $908,300, is located within the city’s central commercial core, the Oak Ridge city staff said in a review of the rezoning request. There are commercial properties on the opposite side of South Tulane Avenue, including the Main Street Oak Ridge redevelopment, the staff said. There is also commercial development on the other side of South Illinois Avenue. [Read more…]

Library giving out 500 pairs of eclipse glasses on Monday

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Kathy McNeilly, second from right, director of the Oak Ridge Public Library, and library employees presented a pair of solar eclipse glasses to City Manager Mark Watson, center, on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. Also pictured from left to right are Martha Lux, Teresa Fortney, and Elaine Keener. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

Kathy McNeilly, second from right, director of the Oak Ridge Public Library, and library employees presented a pair of solar eclipse glasses to City Manager Mark Watson, center, on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. Also pictured from left to right are Martha Lux, Teresa Fortney, and Elaine Keener. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Public Library will give out 500 pairs of eclipse glasses to library patrons on Monday, August 14. The glasses will be given out while supplies last, the library staff said. A valid library card or photo identification must be shown, and there is a limit of one pair of glasses per library account, the library staff said.

The solar eclipse is August 21. Oak Ridge is one of the few cities in the path of totality in Tennessee. It is estimated that the total solar eclipse in Oak Ridge will last 27 to 31 seconds at approximately 2:33 p.m. EDT August 21.

It’s the first solar eclipse over the continental United States since 1979. [Read more…]

Tree limb temporarily knocks out power to about 900 customers

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A Friday morning power outage caused by a tree limb temporarily knocked out power to about 900 customers, the City of Oak Ridge said.

Oak Ridge Electric Department Director Jack Suggs said electric service was interrupted at about 7:15 a.m. Friday to an area centered on Highland Avenue, including portions of Robertsville Road, West Outer Drive, and adjacent streets. The outage was caused by a tree limb that blew into the line near Robertsville, Suggs said.

The limb was located and removed. The system was inspected, and power was restored by about 8:25 a.m., Suggs said.