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Opinion: The national park lever, the opportunity of a lifetime

Posted at 8:01 pm November 23, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

By Leonard Abbatiello

November 20, 2015

We are all jubilant about the recent creation of the Manhattan Project National Park, but unfortunately there will be little done until it is funded. But this newly created national park offers an unprecedented opportunity for the three Energy Cities to unify and solve the single largest problem that birthed them. All of these cities (Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Hanford, Washington; and Los Alamos, New Mexico) are impacted by large tracts of federally owned property and the presence of ongoing U.S. Department of Energy operations. Let’s team to provide DOE with an internal mechanism to better service these DOE impacted communities!

Manhattan Project National Park: Our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

We have been handed a win-win-win opportunity of a lifetime! Congress has recently created an atomic history national park, which is to preserve and honor the atomic history in the three Energy Cities. The cities that created the atomic bomb and made nuclear energy available to the world!

The three energy communities are to each host a national park complex. But there is a fly in the ointment! The national park has been created without any funding to accomplish its objectives! Future federal budgets have zeroed out all funding for this national park complex. Without money, nothing will happen!

DOE is expected to provide all funding of these Manhattan Project National Park needs! This gives Oak Ridge the opportunity to create a unified “Energy Cities Team” team to encourage DOE to create a new “Division of Community Assistance,” which would oversee the dispersal of all community or public service project funding for: 1) the national park system, 2) community PILTs (payments in lieu of taxes), 3) AMSE (American Museum of Science and Energy) and recreational commitments (Carbide Park, etc.), and 4) community grants, etc.

It could all be funded by a small DOE “internal tax” on each and every science and production program that DOE supports in these cities. DOE is a $33 billion-plus annual operation, and it currently has no way of either funding or centrally managing the multitude of community assistance, national park, recreational/museum, self-sufficiency projects, and grants that it funds in all three of the energy communities. A small internal DOE “project tax” of less than one-half of 1 percent could easily fund all of the current and proposed DOE community/public efforts while a central DOE division would be charged with managing all of these community assistance/funding efforts efficiently. This would provide a single point of contact for the communities and allow DOE to efficiently manage all of these community/public assistance efforts.

The potential for Oak Ridge is enormous! But only if DOE begins to pay its fair share of operations! It might be possible to even greatly reduce or nearly eliminate property taxes. Additionally, if other major cost reductions were implemented, property taxes could be completely eliminated and Oak Ridges’ financial future assured! If existing land, coupled with better-than-competitive costs, were used to attract new major industrial businesses, our housing growth would blossom!

My wish is that we pursue this win-win-win opportunity that the unfunded Manhattan National Park creation now presents. We would need to “team” with the other Energy Cities, to engage both them and their congressional delegations. This could result in a joint effort resulting in a lobbying effort asking Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to create this interface point called the “DOE Division of Community Assistance,” which could handle all National Park funding, grants, community PILTS, etc. Then we would have a central point through which we might request review of the basis of our Oak Ridge PILT payments, the AMSE, and the Carbide Park, and other local assistance commitments. It helps everyone if we should be successful in creating a central management/financial organization.

This budget shortfall is an opportunity for us to make this a win-win-win for all!  It helps DOE, the Energy Cities, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Congress by helping DOE to create one central, efficient financial management system that provides a way for DOE to begin to pay its fair share. Everyone wins! Let’s help DOE solve their growing community problem as we help ourselves. This corrects the single greatest shortfall of the AECA of 1955, which gave birth to the City of Oak Ridge and our sister energy cities.

You, our seven City Council members, are the only individuals who can direct any effort to improve the financial future of Oak Ridge and our relationship with DOE. You have the opportunity to define a bright competitive future, or do nothing. Four of you can really make a difference! What is your choice?

Leonard Abbatiello is a former Oak Ridge City Council member.

***

Note: The submitted letters and columns published in the Opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of Oak Ridge Today or its staff.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: American Museum of Science and Energy, AMSE, Carbide Park, Congress, DOE, Energy Cities, Ernest Moniz, Hanford, Leonard Abbatiello, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project National Park, national park, National Park Service, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge City Council, payment in lieu of taxes, PILTs, self-sufficiency, U.S. Department of Energy

Manhattan Project Park: ‘Hanford’s Pioneers’ tour launches

Posted at 8:40 am November 22, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Sally-Jewell-Ernest-Moniz-Manhattan-Project-National-Historical-Park-Nov-10-2015-1

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz shortly after they signed a memorandum of agreement and created the 409th park in the National Park System, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The park was authorized by Congress in December 2014. The park will have three sites in Los Alamos, New Mexico; Hanford, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The ceremony took place at the South Interior Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. (NPS Photo by Anthony DeYoung)

 

By Atomic Heritage Foundation

The Atomic Heritage Foundation has launched an online program called “Hanford’s Pioneers,” where visitors can hear first-hand accounts of the people who lived on the Bruggemann ranch and other pre-war sites. This release is timely as the Manhattan Project National Historical Park was officially established last week, on Tuesday, November 10.

In a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell made the park official. One of the original sponsors of the legislation, Senator Maria Cantwell, spoke of the importance of creating the park, which includes many pre-war sites.

Besides Hanford, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park also includes Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Los Alamos, New Mexico.

The “Hanford’s Pioneers” tour allows visitors to listen to stories from people who grew up in the towns of Hanford and White Bluffs and the Bruggemann farm, or lived in the Hanford construction camp. Visitors can choose from more than 30 short audio/visual vignettes. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Federal, Government, Nonprofits, Top Stories Tagged With: AHF, Annette Heriford, Army Corps of Engineers, Atomic Heritage Foundation, Columbia Basin, Congress, Ernest Moniz, Hanford, Hanford's Pioneers, Leslie R. Groves, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Maria Cantwell, National Park Service, Oak Ridge, Paul Bruggemann, Robert Fletcher, Russell Jim, Sally Jewell, Veronica Taylor

Record funding in federal budget could help Oak Ridge, senator says

Posted at 1:14 am November 21, 2015
By John Huotari 4 Comments

Lamar-Alexander-Warren-Gooch-Terry-Frank-Nov-20-2015

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, at a brief press conference with Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch, center, and Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The federal budget expected to be complete by mid-December should have record funding, and the money could help Oak Ridge in areas ranging from mercury and Cold War cleanup to scientific research and the proposed Uranium Processing Facility, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander said Friday.

The Oak Ridge area now receives about $3 billion per year in federal funding, and the level will be increased although he doesn’t have a number yet, said Alexander, a Tennessee Republican.

Alexander held a brief press conference at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building on Friday.

He said the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which provided $1.4 billion to Oak Ridge National Laboratory this year, will have a record level of funding. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, East Tennessee Technology Park, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: cleanup, Energy and Water Appropriations, federal funding, Hanford, House, Lamar Alexander, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Corridor, Oak Ridge Municipal Building, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, ORNL, Scientific Research, Senate Appropriations Committee, Spallation Neutron Source, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Summit supercomputer, Terry Frank, U.S. Department of Energy, uranium processing facility, Warren Gooch, Y-12 National Security Complex

Photos: Oak Ridge celebrates new national park

Posted at 9:58 pm November 12, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Ed Westcott and National Park Staff at Celebration on Nov. 12, 2015

Ed Westcott, left, the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during World War II, is pictured above with National Park Service staff members during a celebration of the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This post was last updated at 8:05 a.m. Nov. 13.

Oak Ridge residents and officials celebrated the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park on Thursday, two days after the park was formally established in a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C. Here are photos of Thursday’s celebration at Oak Ridge High School and Jackson Square by John Huotari of Oak Ridge Today.

We will add captions to the photos as we can.

The new park includes Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Hanford, Washington; and Los Alamos, New Mexico. The Manhattan Project was a top-secret program to build the world’s first atomic weapons in World War II, before Germany could. The new park is the first of its type to commemorate the Manhattan Project, which is considered one of the top scientific achievements of the 20th century.

The new park includes four buildings in Oak Ridge: the Graphite Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the footprint of the former K-25 Building at East Tennessee Technology Park, and Building 9731 and Building 9204-3, or Beta-3, at Y-12 National Security Complex. The Alexander Inn, which is not a U.S. Department of Energy building, is also eligible for inclusion.

See a story on the establishment of the park on Tuesday here, and see a story on Thursday’s celebration here.

Colin Colverson, Tracy Atkins, and Warren Gooch at Manhattan Project Park Celebration on Nov. 12, 2015

From left above at a celebration for the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, are Colin Colverson, Oak Ridge Reservation lead for the park in the DOE Oak Ridge Office; Tracy Atkins, project manager for the agreement between DOE and the National Park Service; and Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, East Tennessee Technology Park, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Media, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Office, Photos, Roane County, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Barclay Trimble, Beta 3, Building 9204-3, Building 9731, Colin Colverson, East Tennessee Technology Park, Ed Westcott, Graphite Reactor, Hanford, Jackson Square, K-25 Building, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Natasha Klug, National Park Service, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tracy Atkins, U.S. Department of Energy, Warren Gooch, World War II, Y-12 National Security Complex

Oak Ridge celebrates new national park

Posted at 6:32 pm November 12, 2015
By John Huotari 6 Comments

National Park Celebration at Jackson Square on Nov. 12, 2015

The iconic “War Ends” photo is recreated in part on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, with a “Park Opens” photo that celebrates the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 8:20 a.m. Nov. 13.

Federal officials established the new national park that includes Oak Ridge on Tuesday. Oak Ridge residents celebrated on Thursday.

The new park, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, commemorates the Manhattan Project. That was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II, before Germany could.

Oak Ridge was the main production site for the Manhattan Project, and uranium enriched at the Y-12 National Security Complex fueled the first atomic bomb used in wartime. It was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, shortly before the war ended. [Read more…]

Filed Under: East Tennessee Technology Park, Federal, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Alexander Guest House, Alexander Inn, atomic bombs, atomic weapons, Barclay Trimble, Beta 3, Building 9204-3, Building 9731, Colin Colverson, D. Ray Smith, Department of Interior, DOE, Ed Westcott, Graphite Reactor, Hanford, Jackson Square, Japan, K-25 Building, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, National Park Service, NPS, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Park Opens, Tracy Atkins, U.S. Department of Energy, War Ends, Warren Gooch, World War II, Y-12 National Security Complex

Reminder: Oak Ridge to celebrate new national park on Thursday

Posted at 1:36 pm November 11, 2015
By John Huotari 5 Comments

Jonathan-Jarvis-Manhattan-Project-National-Historical-Park-Nov-10-2015

National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis shares a story about the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which became the 409th park in the National Park System on November 10, 2015, after Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz signed a memorandum of agreement on operation of the park during a ceremony at the South Interior Building in downtown Washington, D.C. The park was authorized by Congress in December 2014. The park will have three sites in Los Alamos, New Mexico; Hanford, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. (NPS Photo by Anthony DeYoung)

 

Reminder: Two events in Oak Ridge on Thursday will celebrate the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

The park was formally established in a federal signing ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, November 10. That signing followed more than a decade of work by historic preservation groups, local leaders and governments, and federal officials and federal legislators representing communities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington.

The Manhattan Project, which included the city that became Oak Ridge, was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II. It is considered one of the top scientific achievements of the 20th century, and it credited with helping to end the war. The new park, the nation’s 409th, is the first of its type to commemorate the Manhattan Project. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Federal, Front Page News, Government, K-12, Meetings and Events, Oak Ridge, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: atomic bombs, Hanford, Jackson Square, Jonathan B. Jarvis, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, National Park Service, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge High School, U.S. Department of Energy, World War II

Foundation led efforts to create Manhattan Project Park

Posted at 12:47 am November 11, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Cindy-Kelly-Victor-Knox-Stephanie-Toothman-Nov-10-2015

AHF President Cindy Kelly with NPS Associate Directors Victor Knox and Stephanie Toothman. (Photo by Atomic Heritage Foundation)

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Atomic Heritage Foundation on Tuesday welcomed the official establishment of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park with units at Los Alamos, New Mexico; Hanford, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In a ceremony at the Interior Department on Tuesday morning, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell signed an agreement that defines the respective roles of the Department of Energy and the National Park Service in implementing the new park, a press release said.

“Today is a milestone for Manhattan Project history,” said Foundation President Cynthia C. Kelly, who attended the ceremony along with the Foundation’s staff. “For more than a decade, the Atomic Heritage Foundation and our partners have been working to preserve Manhattan Project sites and create the park. The national park is long overdue and will provide Americans with an important opportunity to understand the Manhattan Project and its complex legacy for the world today.”

The sites of the Manhattan Project Park “are among the world’s most significant places, where work was done that changed the human world forever,” said Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Making of the Atomic Bomb” and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Nonprofits, Oak Ridge, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: AHF, Atomic Heritage Foundation, Cindy Kelly, Cynthia C. Kelly, Ernie Moniz, Hanford, Hiroshima, Interior Department, Lamar Alexander, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Maria Cantwell, Martin Heinrich, memorandum of agreement, Nagasaki, National Park Service, NPS, Oak Ridge, Richard Rhodes, Sally Jewell, Stephanie Toothman, Tom Udall, U.S. Department of Energy, Victor Knox

Alexander statement on Manhattan Project Park

Posted at 12:27 am November 11, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lamar-Alexander-Manhattan-Project-National-Historical-Park-Nov-10-2015

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee addresses a gathering of park supporters and the news media at the South Interior Building in downtown Washington, D.C., on November 10, 2015, where Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz signed a memorandum of agreement which created the 409th park in the National Park System, The Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The park was authorized by Congress in December 2014. It will have three sites in Hanford, Washington, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Los Alamos, New Mexico. NPS Photo by Anthony DeYoung.

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander on Tuesday was among those celebrating the formal establishment of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Alexander said the Manhattan Project paved the way for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Oak Ridge Corridor, which now attracts “good-paying jobs to the area.”

“Today, we celebrate the Manhattan Project as a unique period in our history,” Alexander said. “But it’s also part of our future because from that effort arose many of the country’s great national laboratories—our secret weapon as we look to the future of keeping our country competitive in the world. I thank Secretary Sally Jewell and Secretary Ernest Moniz and the National Park Service for their work to establish the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.”

Alexander continued: “Almost everyone in the Knoxville area knows something about the Manhattan Project. I was a little boy growing up in Maryville at the time, and I knew people who worked at Oak Ridge—what we called ‘the secret city.’ I didn’t know what they were doing, but today we can see what has come of their work—the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, home to one of the world’s fastest computers and additive manufacturing. The ‘Oak Ridge Corridor’ now symbolizes some of the greatest scientific brainpower in the world. So, for us in the Knoxville area, it is our history—and it is our future.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Ernest Moniz, Hanford, Lamar Alexander, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, National Park Service, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Corridor, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sally Jewell, Secret City, U.S. Department of Energy, World War II

Read Manhattan Project Park agreement here

Posted at 12:05 am November 11, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Manhattan-Project-National-Historical-Park-Signing-Ceremony-Sally-Jewell-Ernest-Moniz-Nov-10-2015

And with a handshake, there’s a new national park. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz shake hands immediately after signing a memorandum of agreement that created the 409th park in the National Park System, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The ceremony took place at the South Interior Building in Washington, D.C., on November 10, 2015. The park was authorized by Congress in December 2014. The park will have three sites in Hanford, Washington; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Los Alamos, New Mexico. (NPS Photo by Anthony DeYoung)

 

After more than a decade of work, the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Interior formally established the Manhattan Project National Historical Park on Tuesday. The new park, which includes Oak Ridge, commemorates one of the signature scientific achievements of the 20th century. It was formally established when Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz signed a memorandum of agreement, or MOA, in Washington, D.C.

The unique, three-site Manhattan Project National Historical Park includes Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Hanford, Washington; and Los Alamos, New Mexico. It’s the nation’s 409th park.

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II.

Read the memorandum of agreement signed Tuesday here. See a story on the park and Tuesday’s signing ceremony here. See photos by the National Park Service here.

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Ernest Moniz, Hanford, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, memorandum of agreement, MOA, Oak Ridge, Sally Jewell, World War II

Photos: Manhattan Project National Historical Park signing ceremony

Posted at 11:27 pm November 10, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak-Ridge-Group-Manhattan-Project-National-Historical-Park-Signing-Nov-10-2015

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz shortly after they signed a memorandum of agreement and created the 409th park in the National Park System, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The park was authorized by Congress in December 2014. The park will have three sites in Los Alamos, New Mexico; Hanford, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The ceremony took place at the South Interior Building in Washington, D.C., on November 10, 2015. (NPS Photo by Anthony DeYoung)

 

After more than a decade of work, the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Interior formally established the Manhattan Project National Historical Park on Tuesday. The new park, which includes Oak Ridge, commemorates one of the signature scientific achievements of the 20th century. It was formally established when Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz signed a memorandum of agreement, or MOA, in Washington, D.C.

The unique, three-site Manhattan Project National Historical Park includes Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Hanford, Washington; and Los Alamos, New Mexico. It’s the nation’s 409th park.

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II. Here are photos from Tuesday’s signing ceremony, taken by the National Park Service and used with their permission.

See a story on the park and the signing ceremony here.

Vic-Knox-Manhattan-Project-National-Historical-Park-Nov-10-2015

National Park Service Associate Director Victor Knox welcomed visitors from Hanford, Washington, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, to a ceremony at the South Interior Building in Washington, D.C., on November 10, 2015, where Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, signed a memorandum of agreement and created the 409th park in the National Park System, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The park was authorized by Congress in December 2014. The park will have three sites in Los Alamos, New Mexico; Hanford, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. (NPS Photo by Anthony DeYoung)

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Media, Oak Ridge, Photos, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Anthony DeYoung, David Klauss, Ernest Moniz, Hanford, Jonathan B. Jarvis, Lamar Alexander, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Maria Cantwell, Martin Heinrich, memorandum of agreement, National Park Service, NPS, Oak Ridge, Sally Jewell, Tom Udall, Victor Knox

Manhattan Project Park formally established in DC ceremony

Posted at 11:20 am November 10, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Sally-Jewell-Ernest-Moniz-Manhattan-Project-National-Historical-Park-Nov-10-2015-1

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz shortly after they signed a memorandum of agreement and created the 409th park in the National Park System, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The park was authorized by Congress in December 2014. The park will have three sites in Los Alamos, New Mexico; Hanford, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The ceremony took place at the South Interior Building in Washington, D.C., on November 10, 2015. (NPS Photo by Anthony DeYoung.)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9 a.m. Nov. 11.

After more than a decade of work, the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Interior formally established the Manhattan Project National Historical Park on Tuesday. The new park, which includes Oak Ridge, commemorates one of the signature scientific achievements of the 20th century. It was formally established when Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz signed a memorandum of agreement, or MOA, in Washington, D.C.

The unique, three-site Manhattan Project National Historical Park includes Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Hanford, Washington; and Los Alamos, New Mexico. It’s the nation’s 409th park.

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II—before Germany could. It was an unprecedented national program, a world-changing event that harnessed the atom, and the largest industrial project ever, employing 130,000 people at just the three park sites. Whole cities and gigantic industrial plants were built in just a few short years, and Oak Ridge quickly swelled to a population of 75,000. Plants like the B Reactor at Hanford, the world’s first large-scale plutonium production reactor, were built in 11 months, still considered a marvelous feat today. The Manhattan Project is credited with helping to end World War II through its creation of the two atomic bombs dropped over Japan in August 1945.

During Tuesday’s ceremony, officials said the Manhattan Project was a groundbreaking scientific and engineering achievement that helped end the war, ushered in the nuclear age and new discoveries, and determined how the Cold War would be fought. But it also raised important moral questions about the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons. Officials vowed to tell all sides of the story during the signing ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday morning.

“You can trust us with this story,” National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said. “We will be fair to all.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Alexander Inn, atomic bombs, B Reactor, Beta 3, Building 9204-3, Building 9371, Cold War, D. Ray Smith, Department of the Interior, Ernest Moniz, Graphite Reactor, Hanford, Hiroshima, Jonathan B. Jarvis, K-25 Building, Lamar Alexander, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Maria Cantwell, Martin Heinrich, memorandum of agreement, MOA, Nagasaki, National Defense Authorization Act, National Park Service, NPS, nuclear weapons, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sally Jewell, Tom Beehan, Tom Udall, U.S. Department of Energy, Vic Knox, World War II, X-10, Y-12 National Security Complex

Interior, Energy to sign agreement establishing Manhattan Project Park

Posted at 6:41 pm November 9, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Building 9204-3 at Y-12

Building 9204-3 at the Y-12 National Security Complex could be among those included in a Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Also known as Beta 3, Building 9204-3 has beta calutrons that produced stable isotopes until 1998 and are still on standby. (Photo courtesy of Y-12 National Security Complex.)

 

Note: This story was updated at 7 p.m.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz will sign a memorandum of agreement, or MOA, in Washington, D.C., to establish the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which will include Oak Ridge.

The new park will be the first of its type to commemorate the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II. The park will have three locations: Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington.

National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis will attend the Tuesday morning ceremony along with U.S. senators Lamar Alexander, Maria Cantwell, Martin Heinrich, and Tom Udall, who represent each of the park’s locations. Leaders of the communities that will host the park, including Oak Ridge, will attend the ceremony. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Meetings and Events, Top Stories Tagged With: Alexander Guest House, Building 9731, Department of the Interior, Ernest Moniz, Graphite Reactor, Hanford, Jonathan B. Jarvis, K-25 Building, Lamar Alexander, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Maria Cantwell, Martin Heinrich, memorandum of agreement, MOA, National Park Service, Oak Ridge, Sally Jewell, Tom Udall, U.S. Department of Energy, X-10, Y-12 National Security Complex

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  • ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal+ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal More than $1 million raised in past 10 years benefits United Way and Community Shares Oak Ridge, Tenn. ORAU exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 in donations as part of its internal annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares nonprofit organizations. ORAU has raised more than $1 million over the past 10 years through this campaign. A total of $126,839 was pledged during the 2024 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign. Employees donate via payroll deduction and could earmark their donation for United Way, Community Shares or both. ORAU has remained a strong pillar in the community for more than 75 years, and we encourage our employees to consider participating in our annual giving campaign each year to help our less fortunate neighbors in need, said ORAU President and CEO Andy Page. Each one of our employees has the power to positively impact the lives of those who need help in the communities where we do business across the country and demonstrate the ORAU way taking care of each other. ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, provides science, health and workforce solutions that address national priorities and serve the public interest. Through our specialized teams of experts and access to a consortium of more than 150 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to provide innovative scientific and technical solutions and help advance their missions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakRidgeAssociatedUniversities Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/orau Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orau ###

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