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DOE names IIa as woman-owned small business of year

Posted at 8:04 pm June 30, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Bonnie C. Carroll, IIa founder and CEO, center, receives the DOE Woman-owned Small Business Award for Fiscal Year 2014 from John Hale III, director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization for DOE. (Photo courtesy IIa)

Bonnie C. Carroll, IIa founder and CEO, center, receives the DOE Woman-owned Small Business Award for Fiscal Year 2014 from John Hale III, director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization for DOE. (Photo courtesy IIa)

 

The U.S. Department of Energy has named Information International Associates, or IIa, its Woman-owned Small Business for Fiscal Year 2014.

Bonnie C. Carroll, IIa founder and chief executive officer, accepted the award at the 14th Annual DOE Small Business Forum and Expo in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 17, 2015, from John Hale III, director of the DOE Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.

Each year, DOE recognizes the exceptional performance of a woman-owned small business directly contributing to the accomplishments of core DOE mission objectives and requirements, a press release said. In presenting the award, Hale cited IIa’s innovation and technical solutions, which exceeded contract requirements in responding to cyber security concerns, as well as its exceptional customer service and efficiency, the release said.

DOE, the largest civilian contracting agency within the federal government, awarded a total of $6.6 billion in contracts in FY 2014 to prime and subcontracts. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: application development, Army Corps Research Labs, Bonnie C. Carroll, customer service, cyber security, Department of Defense Technical Information Center, DOE, DOE Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, DOE Small Business Forum and Expo, efficiency, electronic arts, Environmental Protection Agency, IIa, Information International Associates, Information Science, information technology, innovation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, IT, IT infrastructure, John Hale III, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, Office of Scientific and Technical Information, OSTI, technical solutions, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Web design, woman-owned small business

Electric, Public Works directors at Lunch with League on Tuesday

Posted at 6:35 pm February 2, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Jack Suggs

Jack Suggs

Submitted

As we go about daily life in Oak Ridge, we don’t ordinarily think about where wastewater goes or where the electricity we use comes from. When the monthly utility bill arrives from the City of Oak Ridge, the cost of electricity, water, and sewer may surprise us and make us wonder about the cost and changes in rates.

Gary Cinder, director of Oak Ridge Public Works, and Jack Suggs, Oak Ridge Electric Department director, will be the guest speakers at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, February 3, and they will provide insights into their departments’ activities and responsibilities. The program will be held at noon Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church’s new location at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Front Page News, Government, Meetings and Events, Nonprofits, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: City of Oak Ridge, electric grid, electric rates, electricity, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Green Power Community, Gary Cinder, Jack Suggs, League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, Lunch with the League, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Electric Department, Oak Ridge Public Works, sanitary sewer overflows, sewer, Tennessee Valley Authority Platinum Community, wastewater, water

ORAU wins contract worth up to $89 million from EPA

Posted at 10:07 pm January 19, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100

The Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100 is pictured above.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities recently won a five-year contract worth up to $89 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to manage the EPA Environmental Research and Business Support Program, which provides opportunities for exceptional undergraduate and recent bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral graduates to participate in the EPA-sanctioned research and administrative projects.

Through this work, ORAU will recruit and place employees at 13 EPA Office of Research and Development laboratories and research centers across the U.S.  These participants in both business and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields will receive hands-on training in real-world settings at these laboratories and research centers while contributing to EPA’s mission, a press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Federal, Government, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Andy Page, business, contract, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, EPA Environmental Research and Business Support Program, EPA Office of Research and Development, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, ORAU, science technology engineering and math, STEM

TVA: Kingston Ash Recovery Project follows new EPA guidelines

Posted at 1:03 pm December 23, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

TVA Kingston Fossil Plant Dike C Reinforcement

Photo courtesy TVA

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for coal combustion products released on Friday are consistent with work the Tennessee Valley Authority has already done at the Kingston recovery project, the public utility said in a press release.

“TVA is already making substantial changes in the way we work with coal combustion products, including coal ash and gypsum, said TVA President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Johnson. “This included committing an estimated $2 billion to convert all our coal fleet impoundments from wet to dry storage. While recognizing the significant potential for beneficial reuse of ash and other products, we agree it needs to be handled and stored safely.”

The project area surrounding the Kingston Fossil Plant near Harriman is in the final restoration stage following the coal ash spill in December 2008. It was the largest ash spill in U.S. history. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Roane County, Top Stories Tagged With: air, ash retention landfill, ash spill, Bill Johnson, cleanup, coal ash, coal combustion, Community Advisory Group, electric rates, Emory River, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, insurance claim settlements, Kingston Ash Recovery Project, Kingston Fossil Plant, Kingston Recovery Project, Lakeshore Park, public health, Roane County, Roane County Highway Department, Swan Pond, TDEC, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, water

TVA: Kingston Ash Recovery Project nears completion

Posted at 10:46 pm December 17, 2014
By Tennessee Valley Authority Leave a Comment

TVA Kingston Fossil Plant Dike C Reinforcement

TVA Kingston Fossil Plant Dike C reinforcement (Photos courtesy TVA)

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority is in the final stages of the Kingston recovery project. The public utility says it’s fulfilling a promise to restore the area surrounding the Kingston Fossil Plant near Harriman following the coal ash spill in December 2008, the largest ash spill in U.S. history.

A major milestone was reached in early December, with the completion of the cover for a 240-acre permanent ash retention landfill. The new landfill, which has been fortified with an underground earthquake-resistant wall anchored in bedrock, is covered by a flexible-membrane liner and geo-composite fabric, two feet of clay, topsoil, and grass.

“We all know this incident shouldn’t have happened,” said TVA President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Johnson, who visited the recovery site on December 17. “But we have learned from it and we are fulfilling our commitment to making it right.”

TVA says it’s also keeping its promise by returning the Emory River and surrounding waterways to pre-spill conditions, reforesting and adding vegetation to surrounding land, stabilizing shorelines, and adding wetlands and other wildlife habitats. TVA has opened Lakeshore Park, which features 32 acres of walking trails, fishing piers, a boat ramp, and docks. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Roane County, State, Top Stories Tagged With: air, ash, ash retention landfilll, ash spill, Bill Johnson, cleanup, coal ash spill, dry storage, economic development, electric rates, Emory River, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, gypsum, insurance claim, Kingston Ash Recovery Project, Kingston Fossil Plant, Kingston Recovery Project, Lakeshore Park, public health, Roane County, Roane County Highway Department, Swan Pond, TDEC, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, TVA, walking trails, water

Alexander: Spending bill includes $440 million for ORNL supercomputer, UPF at Y-12

Posted at 11:55 pm December 13, 2014
By John Huotari 1 Comment

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

The $1 trillion spending bill passed by the Senate on Saturday night includes more than $400 million in funding to support two Oak Ridge projects—building the world’s fastest supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander said.

The appropriations legislation avoids a government shutdown and funds most of the government through September. The Senate approved it in a bipartisan 56-40 vote, and it now goes to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it into law.

The spending bill cleared the House on Thursday. Liberals sought to strip out a policy provision that eases a Wall Street regulation, and conservatives tried to slow action on immigration. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, National Nuclear Security Administration, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: appropriations legislation, Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Barack Obama, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, Budget Control Act of 2011, Congress, Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, discretionary spending, Energy and Water Appropriations, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA House of Representatives, Ernest Moniz, government, House, illegal immigrants, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Lamar Alexander, mandatory spending, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Omnibus, Red Team, spending bill, supercomputer, Thom Mason, Titan, U.S. Senate, uranium processing facility, Y-12 National Security Complex

DOE responds to advisory board recommendation
 on groundwater studies

Posted at 10:05 pm August 27, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management has responded to a recommendation made earlier this year by the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board.

In May, the federally appointed citizens’ panel recommended that DOE conduct additional groundwater studies to address any potential offsite migration of chemicals or radioisotopes from DOE’s Oak Ridge Reservation. The recommendation focuses on developing information that fosters a better understanding of potential impacts of groundwater contamination related to risk mitigation, groundwater remediation, and long-term stewardship.

In 2013, DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation held a series of workshops to prioritize groundwater pathways on the ORR. Together the agencies created a groundwater strategy document that described the potential for releases from waste disposal sites and storage areas. The document also prioritized known groundwater plumes, concentration of contaminants, contaminants of concern, and potential health risks. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge Office, Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: chemicals, contaminants, DOE, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, groundwater contamination, groundwater plumes, groundwater remediation, groundwater strategy document, groundwater studies, health risk, long-term stewardship, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board, offsite groundwater migration studies, offsite mirgation, ORR, ORSSAB, radioisotopes, risk mitigation, TDEC, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, U.S. Department of Energy, well network, wells

NNSA dedicates nation’s largest federal wind farm

Posted at 7:28 pm June 18, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Pantex Wind Farm

The National Nuclear Security Administration dedicated the nation’s largest federally owned wind farm on Tuesday at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas. The NNSA also oversees work at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. (Photos courtesy NNSA)

 

Pantex wind farm complete

Retired Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz, the new administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration, dedicated the nation’s largest federally owned wind farm Tuesday at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

Klotz, who is also the U.S. Department of Energy’s under secretary for nuclear security, was joined at the ceremony by Kevin Knobloch, DOE’s chief of staff; NNSA Production Office (NPO) Manager Steven Erhart; Siemens Government Technologies President and Chief Executive Officer Judy Marksl and Texas Tech University Associate Vice Chancellor Russell Thomasson.

The mission of the NPO is to ensure the safe, secure, and cost-effective operation of the Pantex Plant and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

The NNSA said Pantex will now be powered largely by the Pantex Renewable Energy Project, or PREP, an 11.5-megawatt, five-turbine wind farm that has been under construction since August on 1,500 acres of DOE-owned land adjacent to the Pantex Plant. [Read more…]

Filed Under: National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: CO2 emissions, DOE, electricity, energy research center, energy savings, Energy Savings Performance Contract, Environmental Protection Agency, Frank Klotz, Judy Marks, Kevin Knobloch, National Nuclear Security Administration, National Wind Institute, NNSA, NNSA Production Office, NPO, Pantex Plant, Pantex Renewable Energy Project, PREP, Russell Thomasson, Siemens, Siemens Government Technologies, Steven Erhart, Texas Tech University, TTU, U.S. Department of Energy, wind energy, wind farm

Rollow promoted to director of ORAU’s Project Management Office

Posted at 9:36 pm June 2, 2014
By Oak Ridge Associated Universities Leave a Comment

Kathy Rollow

Kathy Rollow

New director brings more than 15 years of project management expertise

Oak Ridge Associated Universities has named Kathy R. Rollow director of its Project Management Office. In this position, Rollow will establish policy and maintain full operational responsibility for the office, facilitating best practices and serving as the catalyst for organizational and cultural implementation of project management principles, a press release said.

Rollow has more than 15 years of experience managing technical and programmatic activities involving multiple concurrent projects at several locations, working with construction support and environmental restoration studies as well as remedial action projects under CERCLA or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.

Previously, Rollow worked with ORAU’s Independent Environmental Assessment and Verification Program, serving as a program lead for health physics and radiological surveys. In 2009, Rollow began directing a large-scale site characterization project for the U.S. Department of Energy, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project focused on detailing the nature and volume of contaminants to ensure appropriate cleanup and demolition of the site. She implemented project plans, schedules, briefings and budgets, recommended change orders, and tracked resources for DOE Oak Ridge facilities—a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency CERCLA Superfund site.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, DOE, Environmental Protection Agency, environmental restoration, Independent Environmental Assessment and Verification Program, Kathy R. Rollow, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, ORAU, Project Management Office, remedial action, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy

TVA retiring eight coal units at three plants

Posted at 9:25 pm November 25, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Colbert Fossil Plant

The Tennessee Valley Authority is retiring all five coal units at the Colbert Fossil Plant on the Pickwick Reservoir on the Tennessee River in Alabama. (Photo courtesy TVA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors recently approved a plan that will retire eight coal units at three plants with more than 3,000 megawatts of combined generating capacity.

The retirements affect all five coal units at the Colbert Fossil Plant in Tuscumbia, Ala.; one of two operating coal units at Widows Creek Fossil Plant in Stevenson, Ala., and two of three coal units at the Paradise Fossil Plant near Central City, Ky. Paradise Unit 3, one of TVA’s largest coal units, will continue to operate.

A number of these units were already idled or scheduled for idling and/or retirement based on an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, TVA said in a press release. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government Tagged With: Bill Johnson, Bill Sansom, board of directors, coal, coal units, Colbert Fossil Plant, debt, energy efficiency, environment, Environmental Protection Agency, gas, gas plant, gas-fired plant, hydro, Integrated Resource Plan, megawatts, Neil McBride, nuclear, Paradise Fossil Plant, public utility, rates, renewables, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, Widows Creek Fossil Plant

Guest column: The City Council should negotiate with EPA

Posted at 9:38 pm March 15, 2013
By Martin McBride 1 Comment

At its next meeting, the Oak Ridge City Council will consider whether to attempt to negotiate a better deal with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the sewer upgrades or not.

About three and a half years ago, the EPA inspected the Oak Ridge sewer system and noted excessive rain water leaking into that system during storms. In April 2010, EPA sent the city a show cause letter which requested a face-to-face meeting to “show cause” why EPA should not intervene. Instead of meeting with EPA, the Council chose to phone in an informal response. Subsequently, EPA imposed a 20-page administrative order filled with expensive add-on requirements and a $170,000 civil penalty.

The total cost of the sewer improvements is in the neighborhood of $50 million. Paying for these improvements has so far required two major utility rate increases and a major increase in city debt. More rate hikes are likely.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Guest Columns Tagged With: administrative order, debt, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Martin McBride, Oak Ridge City Council, rain water, rate hikes, sewer improvements, sewer system, sewer upgrades, show cause, utility rate increases

President Obama nominates MIT scientist for energy secretary

Posted at 4:40 pm March 4, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

President Barack Obama has nominated a physicist and director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to serve as his next energy secretary.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Ernest J. Moniz would replace Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, as secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. Chu announced Feb. 1 that he would not serve a second four-year term in the Obama administration.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Energy Secretary, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA administrator, Ernest J. Moniz, Gina McCarthy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, President Barack Obama, Steven Chu, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, U.S. Department of Energy, White House budget director

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Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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