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UPF lawsuit moved from DC to Knoxville

Posted at 8:13 am April 5, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A rendering of the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. (Image from May 2017 courtesy of NNSA)

A rendering of the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. (Image from May 2017 courtesy of NNSA)

 

The federal lawsuit that asks for an environmental review of the new multi-building design for the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex has been transferred from Washington, D.C., to Knoxville.

The transfer of the civil complaint had been requested in September by the defendants, U.S. Energy Secretary James Richard “Rick” Perry and Frank G. Klotz, former administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration. The NNSA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Energy that manages nuclear weapons programs and facilities, including Y-12, among other activities.

United States District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich, who was assigned the case in December, granted the motion to transfer the lawsuit from the District of Columbia to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, which includes the Knoxville division, on March 23.

The 44-page federal lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., on July 20, argues that a new environmental impact statement should be prepared for the new design for the UPF, the largest federal construction project in Tennessee since World War II. The plaintiffs allege that the NNSA’s decision to use several new buildings for the UPF, rather than just one, and continue to use some old buildings at Y-12 for some nuclear weapons work is risky because the old buildings could collapse during a major earthquake, possibly leading to a nuclear accident that could release radiological materials.

Federal officials denied that allegation and others in a 29-page response filed September 29. They’ve called some allegations vague, ambiguous, or speculative, and they have said that safety and technical analyses are under way at Y-12. Some buildings may require seismic upgrades, depending upon evaluation results, and an Extended Life Program is meant to ensure that two buildings—Building 9215 and Building 9204-2E—will safely support future operations, federal officials said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Courts, Front Page News, National Nuclear Security Administration, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, United States, Y-12, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Administrative Procedure Act, Amended Record of Decision, Dabney L. Friedrich, District of Columbia, Eastern District of Tennessee, Ed Sullivan, environmental impact statement, federal lawsuit, Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement, Frank G. Klotz, highly enriched uranium, Jack Carl Hoefer, James Richard “Rick” Perry, Linda Ewald, National Environmental Policy Act, National Nuclear Security Administration, Natural Resources Defense Council, NEPA, NNSA, Nuclear Watch of New Mexico, nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons work, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Ralph Hutchison, record of decision, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. District Court, UPF, uranium processing facility, Y-12 National Security Complex

UCOR awards site prep contract for Mercury Treatment Facility at Y-12

Posted at 1:35 pm September 19, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The planned Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy UCOR/U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

The planned Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy UCOR/U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2:30 p.m.

UCOR, the federal government’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, has awarded a $1.4 million contract to a Knoxville company for early site preparation activities for the Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, and the work could start in November.

GEM Technologies of Knoxville will perform the work for the new Outfall 200 Mercury Treatment Facility at Y-12, UCOR said in a press release Tuesday.

UCOR is also known as URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC.

Under the contract, GEM Technologies will perform limited demolition of existing abandoned utilities and the extension of new utilities—including electrical power, water, sewer, and storm drains—to the treatment facility sites, the press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: DOE, DOE Oak Ridge Office, early site preparation, East Fork Poplar Creek, East Tennessee Technology Park, Energy and Water Appropriations, environmental management, GEM Technologies, Headworks Facility, Jay Mullis, lithium isotopes, Mark Whitney, mercury, mercury contamination, mercury remediation, Mercury Treatment Facility, nuclear weapons work, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Outfall 200, Outfall 200 Mercury Treatment Facility, site prep contract, Sue Cange, U.S. Department of Energy, UCOR, URS-CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, West End Mercury Area, Y-12 National Security Complex

Former attorney general says Y-12 work unlawful, nuclear weapons should be eliminated

Posted at 3:05 pm April 23, 2013
By John Huotari 3 Comments

Ramsey Clark

Ramsey Clark

Note: This story was updated at 3:54  p.m.

KNOXVILLE—A former U.S. attorney general who said he has been involved in many cases that address the legality and wisdom of the nation’s nuclear arms policy on Tuesday said he supported the mission of the three protesters who broke into the Y-12 National Security Complex in July, splashing blood and spray-painting slogans on a building that stores most of the country’s bomb-grade uranium.

“I agree absolutely with their purpose, which is to eliminate nuclear weapons,” said Ramsey Clark, who was U.S. attorney general from 1967-1969.

The three protesters—Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, and Michael Walli—face a May 7 trial in U.S. District Court in Knoxville. Clark could testify for them. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Police and Fire, Top Stories, Y-12 National Security Complex, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: Amul R. Thapar, nuclear weapons work, Ramsey Clark, U.S. District Court, Y-12 National Security Complex

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Classifieds

Public Notice: Comment period extended for Draft EA for Lithium Processing Facility at Y-12

EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING … [Read More...]

Public Notice: Draft Environmental Assessment Available for Lithium Production Facility at Y-12

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING FACILITY AT THE Y-12 … [Read More...]

Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment for the Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC) (DOE/EA-2144), Finding of No Significant Impact, and Wetland Statement of Findings

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

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