Oak Ridge Today

Environmental advisory board seeks new members

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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…]

Federal board recommends five cleanup priorities for Oak Ridge Reservation

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The fiscal year 2017 Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board is pictured above. (Photo by SSAB)

The fiscal year 2017 Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board is pictured above. (Photo by SSAB)

 

A federal board has recommended five cleanup priorities for the Oak Ridge Reservation: offsite groundwater monitoring, future waste disposal capacity, the disposal of excess facilities, mercury in East Fork Poplar Creek, and remaining debris at the East Tennessee Technology Park.

The recommendations were made by the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board. That’s a federally appointed citizens’ panel that provides independent advice and recommendations to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management.

The recommendations are for the fiscal year 2019 environmental management budget, which begins October 1, 2018.

“ORSSAB has identified five priorities for Oak Ridge Reservation cleanup, and recommends that the FY 2019 Oak Ridge EM program budget request reflect adequate funding to keep these projects going,” the board said. “Also, when additional funds from suitable plus-ups and savings become available, it recommends that these funds be targeted for these projects.”

Here is more information from the SSAB recommendation: [Read more…]

Local environmental board meets with federal, state agencies to discuss cleanup mission

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The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board holds its annual planning meeting in August 2016 with U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. (Submitted photo)

 

In August, members of a citizen’s advisory board met with representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to consider key issues for Oak Ridge Reservation cleanup in fiscal year 2017, which begins in October.

The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board held its 2016 Annual Planning Meeting in Townsend, Tennessee, on August 6. The Saturday meeting brought together members of the Oak Ridge board, leadership from DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, and liaisons from federal and state regulatory agencies to review cleanup accomplishments in FY 2016 and discuss priorities for FY 2017.

ORSSAB is a federally chartered citizens’ panel that provides recommendations to OREM on its environmental management activities at DOE sites locally. OREM encourages public participation in federal projects and meets regularly with the Oak Ridge board, as well as with other citizen and stakeholder groups within the community to gather public perspectives regarding a diverse cleanup mission that addresses legacy nuclear waste at sites across the Oak Ridge Reservation through numerous activities, including waste disposition, long-term stewardship, and site restoration. [Read more…]

Budgeting for a clean future in Oak Ridge

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Karen Thompson, OREM’s branch chief for Planning and Baseline Management Branch, spoke to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board at its March 9, 2016, meeting on developing the FY 2018 budget. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board)

 

By Ashley Huff

Developing a budget for the massive cleanup efforts undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, requires advanced planning and careful prioritization of the program’s near-term and long-term goals. DOE’s vision for a clean future largely depends upon funding designated for the Oak Ridge site by Congress each fiscal year.

Appropriations for Oak Ridge cleanup comprise only a part of the overall budget for DOE’s EM Program, which includes a number of additional sites also dealing with the lingering inheritances of the Manhattan Project. The Oak Ridge site has traditionally fared well both in the president’s request and in the actual appropriations determined by Congress. OREM experienced a $36 million increase in its enacted budget for Fiscal Year 2014, meaning the site received $36 million above what the president even requested for the Oak Ridge cleanup mission. In FY 2015, the site received $46 million above the president’s request. For the current year, OREM welcomed a generous “plus-up” from Congress. Appropriations for FY 2016 were $102 million above President Obama’s request for the program.

“The additional funding of $102 million above the president’s request for FY 2016 has allowed OREM to accelerate progress on spending priorities already well established,” said Karen Thompson, OREM’s branch chief for Planning and Baseline Management Branch, who spoke to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board at its March 9 meeting on developing the FY 2018 budget. [Read more…]

DOE seeks candidates for advisory board vacancies, applications due Sept. 30

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management is seeking volunteers to fill vacancies on the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board, or ORSSAB. The board is a federally chartered citizens’ panel that provides recommendations to the agency regarding cleanup activities across the Oak Ridge Reservation.

Chartered in 1995 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the board is comprised of up to 22 members that are chosen to reflect the diversity of gender, race, occupation, and interests of people living near the Oak Ridge Reservation.

The board and its EM/Stewardship Committee meet monthly to discuss and develop recommendations on cleanup decisions and topics such as cleanup strategies, hazardous waste management, and long-term stewardship. The board also reviews the Environmental Management program’s planning decisions and cleanup-related documents. All ORSSAB meetings and its committees are open to the public. [Read more…]

Site Specific Advisory Board elects officers for FY 2015

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Dave Hemelright

Dave Hemelright

The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board elected its Fiscal Year 2015 officers during its September board meeting. Re-elected for second terms are Dave Hemelright, chair, and Lisa Hagy, secretary. Jan Lyons was elected vice-chair. Their terms of service are October 2014 through September 2015.

Hemelright was the vice chair for FY 2013 and served as acting chair for a time when the previous chair’s term of service ended in July 2013. He also has served on the Finance and Process, Environmental Management and Stewardship, Public Outreach, and Executive committees.

Hemelright, who lives in Lenoir City, is the K-12 facilities specialist for Kaatz, Binkley, Jones, and Morris Architects Inc., specializing in Tennessee public school planning, design, and construction. He has 20 years of construction management experience in commercial, retail, and food service construction, and 10 years in maintenance management for retail and K–12 public schools. He currently serves on the board of the Tennessee School Plant Management Association and has served on the Loudon County Planning Commission. [Read more…]

DOE appoints new member to advisory board

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Wanfang Zhou

Wanfang Zhou

The U.S. Department of Energy has appointed Wanfang Zhou to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board. Zhou was appointed to a two-year term on the federally chartered citizens’ panel that provides independent advice and recommendations to DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, which is responsible for the cleanup of the Oak Ridge Reservation.

Zhou, a Knoxville resident, is a hydrogeologist with ERT Inc., a company that provides information technology, cybersecurity, program support, and engineering and environmental services to federal and state government agencies.

He received his doctorate in water resources and environmental engineering from the University of London’s Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine. He is a certified professional geologist by the American Institute of Professional Geologists and a registered professional geologist in five southern states. [Read more…]

DOE responds to advisory board recommendation
 on groundwater studies

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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…]

DOE responds to SSAB’s waste disposal recommendation

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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 continue to plan for additional on-site waste disposal capacity on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation, or ORR, for low-level radioactive and chemically hazardous waste.

DOE currently operates the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility, or EMWMF, a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility in Bear Creek Valley near the Y-12 National Security Complex. When the facility began accepting waste in 2002, it was expected to handle all projected low-level waste from cleanup operations on the ORR. However, with the amount of demolition and work left to complete, EM requires additional disposal capacity onsite.

DOE has conducted a study to develop, screen, and evaluate alternatives for an additional waste disposal facility, with a working name of EM Disposal Facility, or EMDF. ORSSAB’s recommendation encouraged the agency to continue working toward adding disposal capacity and proposed recommendations for a new facility.

The ORSSAB encouraged DOE to minimize the need for additional on-site capacity when possible. In its response, DOE said it was examining the final cover design of the EMWMF to allow for extended capacity. The waste acceptance criteria for other so-called “sanitary landfills” on Chestnut Ridge are being evaluated for possible modifications to allow a wider variety of waste. [Read more…]

DOE advisory board welcomes new student representatives

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Aditya Chourey and Claire Rowcliffe

Aditya Chourey of Oak Ridge High School and Claire Rowcliffe of Hardin Valley Academy, are the new student representatives to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board for Fiscal Year 2014-15. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board welcomed two new student representatives, Aditya Chourey and Claire Rowcliffe, at its May meeting. They will serve on the board through April 2015.

ORSSAB is a federally chartered citizens’ panel that provides recommendations to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management.

“We’re very happy to welcome two new student representatives to the board,” said Dave Adler, the board’s DOE alternate deputy designated federal officer, as he introduced the students to the board. “Thank you for coming to work with us for a year. It’s great you’ll be taking the time from your high school schedules to be part of the board.” [Read more…]

Spotlight: DOE, advisory board recognize service of student representatives

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Gracie Hall, Susan Cange, and Julia Riley

Susan Cange from the U.S. Department of Energy in Oak Ridge presents plaques of appreciation to Julia Riley, Hardin Valley Academy, left, and Gracie Hall, Oak Ridge High School, right, for their service as student representatives to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office recognized outgoing student representatives Gracie Hall and Julia Riley at the April board meeting.

ORSSAB is a federally chartered citizens’ panel that provides recommendations to the DOE Oak Ridge Environmental Management Program, which is responsible for the cleanup of the Oak Ridge Reservation. Each year it provides seats for two non-voting student representatives from area high schools. In addition to participating at board meetings, students can be members of the board’s working committees.

“We appreciate the insight the student representatives provide during their tenure on the ORSSAB, so it’s always sad to see them leave when they complete their terms,” said Susan Cange, deputy assistant manager for the DOE Oak Ridge Environmental Management Program and the board’s deputy designated federal officer. “We are thankful to them for dedicating time during their busy senior year of high school to help provide valuable input in support of environmental cleanup in Oak Ridge.”

Gracie will graduate from Oak Ridge High School in May. For the last couple of years, she has been training in martial arts and has a blue-purple belt in Filkenjutsu. She plans to continue training and teaching various forms of martial arts.

Gracie also likes to sing and will be singing in her last Sound Company show in May. Sound Company is a local group of young singers and dancers.

She will be attending the University of Tennessee Knoxville this fall in the honors program with an undeclared major. She is considering environmental science or criminal justice. She does plan to minor in Spanish.

Julia will graduate from Hardin Valley Academy in May. During her senior year, she has been active as president of Hardin Valley’s Venture Crew. She has been involved in blood drives at Hardin Valley as assistant to one of her teachers who coordinates the drives.

Julia will attend Clemson University this fall in the honors program studying environmental science with a wildlife biology minor.

Two new students from Oak Ridge High School and Hardin Valley Academy will be seated in May.

For more information about ORSSAB, visit the board’s website at www.energy.gov/orssab or call (865) 241-4583 or (865) 241-4584.

DOE commits to three-year, $4.5 million groundwater study in Oak Ridge

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Daniel Goode and SSAB Groundwater Strategy Presentation

Daniel J. Goode, a research hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, briefs members of the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board on a new groundwater strategy for the Oak Ridge Reservation.

The U.S. Department of Energy has agreed to spend $4.5 million during the next three years to study groundwater contamination on the Oak Ridge Reservation.

The reservation includes three federal sites—East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Y-12 National Security Complex—that have been involved in missions ranging from scientific research to uranium enrichment to nuclear weapons work. That work has sometimes included the use of hazardous substances such as mercury and technetium-99, a slow-decaying radioactive metal.

The $4.5 million in funding will help implement a new groundwater strategy developed by DOE with help from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The strategy, which was presented to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board in November, will help guide future cleanup decisions, said Sue Cange, deputy manager for environmental management in DOE’s Oak Ridge Office. [Read more…]