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UPF lawsuit: NNSA considering new, supplemental environmental impact statement for Y-12

Posted at 1:35 pm May 21, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The sign at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The sign at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

With a lawsuit pending, federal officials are considering whether a new or supplemental environmental impact statement is needed for the Y-12 National Security Complex after design plans changed for the Uranium Processing Facility, the largest federal construction project in Tennessee since World War II.

As part of the process, the National Nuclear Security Administration is preparing what is known as a supplement analysis, or SA. A draft of the new SA has been issued, and you can read it on the Y-12 website.

Comments on the draft supplement analysis can be submitted through June 20.

The final new supplement analysis and a record of decision could be issued by July 27, although the schedule is subject to change, according to a joint status report filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on May 11. The record of decision is expected to say whether a new or supplemental environmental impact statement is required for Y-12.

There was a site-wide environmental impact statement, or EIS, prepared for Y-12 in 2011. About five years later, in 2016, there was a supplement analysis prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act. It was connected to the decision by the NNSA and U.S. Department of Energy to not prepare a new or supplemental environmental impact statement after the NNSA decided on a new multi-building design for the UPF, rather than a single-building design, as part of an effort to keep project costs down, among other considerations. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Courts, Federal, Front Page News, Government, National Nuclear Security Administration, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy, United States, Y-12, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Administrative Procedure Act, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, DOE, Ed Sullivan, environmental impact statement, Frank G. Klotz, Jack Carl Hoefer, James Richard “Rick” Perry, James Richard “Rick” Perry and Frank G. Klotz, Linda Ewald, Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty, National Environmental Policy Act, National Nuclear Security Administration, Natural Resources Defense Council, NNSA, Nuclear Watch of New Mexico, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Pamela L. Reeves, Ralph Hutchison, record of decision, site-wide environmental impact statement, summary judgement, supplement analysis, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. District Court, U.S. Geological Survey, UPF, uranium processing facility, Y-12 National Security Complex

Appeals court rules in favor of Covenant Health, other defendants in excessive radiation lawsuit

Posted at 6:29 pm June 25, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Methodist Medical Center Main Entrance

A three-judge appeals court panel has ruled in favor of Covenant Health and two other defendants in five lawsuits that alleged that the absence of shielding in part of the emergency department at Methodist Medical Center exposed five X-ray and radiologic technologists, including two who were pregnant, to excessive radiation.

The unanimous opinions by the three Tennessee Court of Appeals judges—D. Michael Swiney, John W. McClarty, and Thomas R. Frierson II—were filed June 9 in Knoxville. They affirmed an order by Anderson County Circuit Court Judge Donald R. Elledge granting a summary judgement in favor of the defendants: Covenant Health, Rentenbach Engineering Company, and TEG Architects LLC.

The lawsuits were filed in January 2014 by Connie Raby, Keith Gillis, Michael Phillips, Mary Ridenour on behalf of her and her child, and Micah Noelle Lewellen on behalf of her and her child.

The lawsuits alleged that the technologists were exposed to excess radiation for several years at Methodist Medical Center because some walls in and around a radiology imaging center in the new emergency department, which opened in February 2006 as part of a hospital remodel, were built without the required lead shielding, elevating the workers’ risk of health problems, including cancer. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Business, Front Page News, Government, Health, Health, Oak Ridge, Slider, State, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Circuit Court, cancer, Connie Raby, Covenant Health, D. Michael Swiney, emergency department, excessive radiation, John W. McClarty, Keith Gillis, lead shielding, Mary Ridenour, Methodist Medical Center, Micah Noelle Lewellen, Michael Phillips, MMC, radiologic technologist, radiology imaging center, Rentenbach Engineering Company, shielding, statute of repose, substantial completion, summary judgement, TEG Architects LLC, Tennessee Court of Appeals, Thomas R. Frierson II, X-ray technologist

Bullets for blanks negligent, but rounds not put into guns during police training, attorney says

Posted at 10:21 pm July 13, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Today

KNOXVILLE—The Oak Ridge police lieutenant who sent deactivated .38-caliber pistol ammunition and live .223-caliber rifle rounds rather than blanks for use in a training session three years ago was negligent, an attorney said Thursday.

But the mistake was detected before the live rounds were put into guns, and there was no imminent danger or harm to anyone, said Benjamin K. Lauderback, who represented the City of Oak Ridge in oral arguments before the Tennessee Court of Appeals in Knoxville on Thursday.

The police officer who detected the error, former Oak Ridge Police Department Sgt. Mark Coffey, filed a formal complaint two days after the August 20, 2011, training session, known as an “active shooter” response. He resigned a few months later in October, and in August 2012, he filed a lawsuit in Anderson County Circuit Court alleging retaliation and wrongful discharge.

In the lawsuit, Coffey said other ORPD employees retaliated against him after he filed the complaint against Lt. Brad Jenkins, who supplied the ammunition. Coffey said he had been forced to resign and was “constructively discharged.” Before he left the job, Coffey said, he had been re-assigned to work under Jenkins, and he resigned because of the alleged retaliation and fears for his personal safety. He sought $600,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.

The city won a summary judgement, which is like a dismissal, in August 2013. Anderson County Circuit Court Judge Don Elledge did not find that Coffey’s working conditions were bad enough that an ordinary person couldn’t tolerate them, Lauderback said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, State, Top Stories Tagged With: active shooter, ammunition, Anderson County Circuit Court, Benjamin K. Lauderback, blanks, Brad Jenkins, Charles D. Susano Jr., City of Oak Ridge, complaint, constructive discharge, constructively discharged, D. Michael Swiney, Don Elledge, Jim Akagi, John W. McClarty, lawsuit, live rounds, Mark Coffey, Matthew Tedford, negligent, Oak Ridge Police Department, oral arguments, ORPD, reckless endangerment, retaliation, rounds, summary judgement, Tennessee Court of Appeals, Thomas Leveille, work conditions

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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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