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Controlled burns scheduled on Oak Ridge Reservation

Posted at 3:17 pm February 12, 2022
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Controlled burns are scheduled on the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. (Submitted photo)

Controlled burns are scheduled on the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation.

“The public should expect to see some smoke from this activity,” a press release said. “However, smoke in this and other areas in the region could also be the result of prescribed burns currently being undertaken by other federal and state agencies.”

DOE will be starting a series of controlled burns of grassland areas on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation on the Three Bend Area off Pump House and Bull Bluff Roads, and other managed grassland areas off Bethel Valley Road and off Highway 58, the press release said.

Beginning this week and continuing through mid-April 2021 as weather permits, controlled burns will take place at:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge Reservation, Police and Fire, Tennessee, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: controlled burns, DOE, Oak Ridge Reservation, planned burns, U.S. Department of Energy

Mullis, who led Oak Ridge cleanup, now working at DOE HQ

Posted at 3:42 pm December 30, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Jay Mullis

Jay Mullis, who has led Oak Ridge’s federal cleanup program for more than five years, is now working in U.S. Department of Energy headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mullis became the acting associate principal deputy assistant secretary for regulatory and policy affairs on November 1. He will serve in that position until it is filled. He replaces Mark Gilbertson, who retired from federal service at the end of October.

With Mullis going to Washington, D.C., Laura Wilkerson has been named acting manager for the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM).

As manager of cleanup work in Oak Ridge, Mullis has been responsible for an annual budget of more than $650 million that supports environmental cleanup and stewardship, decontamination and decommissioning, waste processing and management, surveillance and maintenance programs, historic preservation, and procurement and contract functions, according to DOE.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: DOE, environmental cleanup, federal cleanup, Jay Mullis, Laura Wilkerson, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Oak Ridge Reservation, OREM, U.S. Department of Energy

UCOR requiring COVID vaccinations

Posted at 12:38 pm September 21, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

UCOR is requiring its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The requirement applies to all of its nearly 2,000 employees, and it is a condition of employment, the company said Tuesday.

The vaccination requirement was announced by UCOR President and CEO Ken Rueter on August 26.

The company, an Amentum-led partnership with Jacobs, is the U.S. Department of Energy’s lead environmental cleanup contractor on the Oak Ridge Reservation, and it has an award-winning safety record, the company said. Rueter said that the decision to require the vaccine was in line with the company’s commitment to safety and its culture of caring.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, COVID-19, Front Page News, Health, Oak Ridge, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, UCOR Tagged With: COVID vaccinations, COVID-19, Ken Rueter, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, ORNL, U.S. Department of Energy, UCOR, vaccination requirement

Controlled burns start this week on DOE land

Posted at 2:03 am January 15, 2021
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Energy is starting a series of controlled burns of grassland areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation this week.

The controlled burns could continue through mid-April, depending upon weather. The burns will be on the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Three Bend Area off Pump House and Bull Bluff Roads, and other managed grassland areas off Bethel Valley Road and off Highway 58, a press release said.

The controlled burns will take place at:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Tennessee, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: controlled burns, DOE, Oak Ridge Reservation, U.S. Department of Energy

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

Posted at 8:24 am November 12, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the availability of the ORETTC Final Environmental Assessment (EA), Finding of No Significant Impact, and Wetland Statement of Findings.

The Final EA analyzes the potential impacts of constructing and operating the ORETTC to train first responders and other experts in nuclear operations, safeguards, and emergency response.

The proposed site for the ORETTC is on the Oak Ridge Reservation, approximately 5 miles west of the Y-12 National Security Site, across from the Horizon Center Industrial Park on the Oak Ridge Turnpike, and approximately 1.5 mile east of the State Route (SR) 95—SR 58 interchange. Copies of the documents are available on the NNSA NEPA web page (https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room) and/or the DOE NEPA web page (https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doe-environmental-assessments).

Filed Under: Classifieds, Public Notices, Sponsored Posts Tagged With: DOE, environmental assessment, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge Technology and Training Center, ORETTC, U.S. Department of Energy

Public notice: New document available to the Oak Ridge Community

Posted at 6:56 pm June 22, 2020
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Updated DOE Oak Ridge Reservation Property Boundary Map

The U.S. Department of Energy has recently published an updated map of the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) that shows DOE property boundary demarcations for all areas of the ORR, and it is now available to the public.

The updated map is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) product developed using records for land holdings the Department of Energy maintains ownership of. The GIS map provides a depiction of DOE property boundary lines throughout the ORR and can serve as an additional reference for current, or future potential non-DOE landowners to understand DOE property demarcations.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Sponsored Posts Tagged With: DOE, Oak Ridge Reservation, property boundary map, U.S. Department of Energy

ORNL researcher helps discover new species of cave snail

Posted at 11:59 am April 20, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Researchers discovered the Tennessee cavesnail, Antrorbis tennesseensis, in caves near Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The snail is less than two millimeters long. (Photo credit: ORNL/Nathaniel Shoobs and Matthew Niemiller)

A researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory helped discover a small cave snail.

The new snail species has been named the Tennessee cavesnail, or Antrorbis tennesseensis. Its name honors the state where it was found and the fact that several researchers involved in its discovery are affiliated with the University of Tennessee. A paper describing and naming the species was published in December.

The snail, which is less than two millimeters long, was found in two caves in Roane County a few miles south of the Oak Ridge Reservation. The reservation includes ORNL and parts of the city of Oak Ridge.

The snail is found on or under rocks far inside the caves, usually in streams that aren’t too muddy or silty, ORNL said. Researchers recommended that the species be listed as endangered.

The ORNL researcher is Evin Carter. He is a research associate and wildlife ecologist at ORNL, which is a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory. With only a handful of surveys completed so far, Carter has plans to survey the 40 or so other caves on the Oak Ridge Reservation, ORNL said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Science, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Annette Engel, Antrorbis tennesseensis, Cave Conservancy Foundation, cave snail, DOE, DOE Reservation Management, endangered, Evelyn Pieper, Evin Carter, Katherine Dooley, Kathryn Perez, Matthew Niemiller, Nathaniel Shoobs, Nick Gladstone, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Office of Science, ORNL, species, Tennesse cavesnail, U.S. Department of Energy, University of Tennessee

Nature walks scheduled on Oak Ridge Reservation

Posted at 12:31 pm February 17, 2020
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Narrow leaved spring beauties are found on the Oak Ridge Reservation. (Submitted photo)

Submitted

On the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Reservation, located in East Tennessee, more than 1,100 vascular plants, 72 fish, 34 mammals, and more than 200 bird species have been observed.

This year, the public is invited to nine nature walks designed to highlight not only the rich flora and fauna diversity of the reservation, but also to demonstrate the work being done to sustainably manage and conserve this resource. Walks will take place on several locations across the Oak Ridge Reservation beginning in late winter through mid-summer. No pets, please.

Reservations for the following events must be made in advance by noon the Thursday prior to each walk by contacting Tracy Clem at (865) 574-5151 or [email protected] More information about these walks is available by contacting Trent Jett at (865) 574-9188 or [email protected]

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Recreation, Science, Sports, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: nature walks, Oak Ridge Reservation

Environmental advisory board seeks new members

Posted at 8:18 am October 29, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board members recently toured Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Aquatics Lab, where researchers explained how their sampling and study efforts are helping understand and track biodiversity in the East Fork Poplar Creek. (Photo courtesy SSAB)

Members are being sought for an advisory board that learns about U.S. Department of Energy cleanup projects in Oak Ridge and, when appropriate, provides recommendations.

The citizens advisory board is the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board. It provides recommendations to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM. No technical expertise is required to serve on the board. Terms are for two years, and members may serve up to three terms, for a total of six years on the board.

The board and its Environmental Management and Stewardship Committee meet monthly to hear directly from OREM personnel on cleanup projects and related decisions. Topics include, but are not limited to, the removal of excess facilities, annual budget requests to Congress, groundwater remediation, hazardous waste management, and long-term stewardship.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: cleanup, DOE, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board, OREM, ORSSAB, SSAB, U.S. Department of Energy

Tour Freels cabin—oldest structure in Oak Ridge—on Saturday

Posted at 3:22 pm August 23, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

historic-freels-band-cabin
The Historic Freels Bend Cabin is pictured above. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association)

The last Oak Ridge Reservation Nature Walk of 2019 will be held at the historic Freels cabin—the oldest structure in Oak Ridge—on Saturday.

The cabin is on Freels Bend near Melton Hill Lake in south Oak Ridge, east of Clark Center Park. It was built in 1844, and it’s been reported to be on the National Historic Register.

The opportunities to see the cabin are rare because it’s on restricted U.S. Department of Energy land.

Saturday’s walk is titled “History of the Oak Ridge Reservation—Freels Bend.” Registered walkers will meet at 1 p.m. in the parking lot behind the ORISE building at the corner of Bethel Valley and Pumphouse roads, a press release said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Front Page News, History, Oak Ridge Reservation, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Freels Bend, Freels Cabin, Mick Wiest, nature walk, Oak Ridge Reservation

Y-12 has emergency management exercise on Wednesday

Posted at 11:02 am June 9, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy CNS Y-12)

Emergency response personnel from the National Nuclear Security Administration and Consolidated Nuclear Security—along with federal, state, and local emergency management personnel—will conduct an emergency management exercise in and around the Y-12 National Security Complex on Wednesday, June 12.

“During this exercise, people in the vicinity of the Y-12 may observe personnel simulating response activities and performing environmental monitoring or sampling, but these offsite activities are part of the exercise,” a press release said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Consolidated Nuclear Security, emergency management exercise, National Nuclear Security Administration, Oak Ridge Reservation, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex

DOE awards new contract to support environmental cleanup in Oak Ridge

Posted at 12:04 pm May 18, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Five contracts worth up to $24.9 million total have been awarded to small businesses to help support the cleanup of federal sites in Oak Ridge.

The awardees include one company based in Oak Ridge and two based in Knoxville.

The awards were announced last week by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management as part of its Characterization, Deactivation/Demolition, and Remediation Services contract.

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, said it will use the awards to advance cleanup progress across the Oak Ridge Reservation by issuing task orders to conduct characterization, demolish lower hazard buildings, dispose waste, and provide technical support.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, East Tennessee Technology Park, Front Page News, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Aerostar SES LLC, ARS Aleut Remediation LLC, Ben Williams, cleanup, contract, CTI and Associates Incorporated, demolition, East Tennessee Technology Park, environmental management, GEM Technologies Incorporated, Jay Mullis, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Oak Ridge Reservation, OREM, remediation, TerranearPMC LLC, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex

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Classifieds

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...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

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

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