Half of Oak Ridge’s Federal Acreage Deemed Suitable for Reuse

More than 16,000 acres, shown in green, of the 33,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation were not impacted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s historic operations and do not require environmental cleanup. This designation provides clarity about the condition of the land, simplifies future transfers and supports beneficial reuse on those parcels.

Designation by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management simplifies future land transfers

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) have confirmed half of the federal acreage on the 33,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation was not impacted by historic operations and does not require environmental cleanup.

This designation provides clarity about the condition of more than 16,000 acres, simplifies future land transfers and supports beneficial reuse on those parcels.

“Ensuring communities around our cleanup sites are safe, clean and prosperous is at the core of our mission,” said OREM Manager Erik Olds. “This clarification is noteworthy because it helps Oak Ridge to continue growing and thriving in the years ahead by providing a more accurate view of the area and simplifying the land transfer process.”

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management has transferred more than 1,800 acres to the community for economic development to date. That land has attracted more than 25 businesses that have announced $8 billion in capital investments, and more developments are expected in the years ahead. Pictured is construction progress on Kairos Power’s new demonstration reactor facility at the East Tennessee Technology Park at Oak Ridge.

While DOE will not transfer all this acreage under the recent designation, the clarification presents a clearer understanding of the landscape and supports the transfers that do occur. It also allows for a wider variety of uses and developments on the land.

EPA placed the entire Oak Ridge Reservation on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List in 1989 to expedite cleanup, said OREM Regulatory Specialist Roger Petrie.

“That approach allowed cleanup to begin sooner by avoiding the cost and time otherwise spent to characterize all of the land at that time,” Petrie said.

OREM and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation have since conducted investigative efforts and environmental surveys to provide a clearer picture of the areas not impacted by DOE’s previous operations. Now that information is being put to use, so that land can be, too.

“All the property won't be transferred because there are portions of this property that DOE will retain for security purposes and for other reasons,” said Petrie. “We've been very successful to this point transferring about 1,800 acres. Now, having 16,000 acres that are opened up, it is even a more attractive place for people to come.”

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation conducted investigative efforts and environmental surveys to provide a clearer picture of the areas of the 33,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation not impacted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s previous operations.

This is the latest in a line of recent success from OREM and EPA’s partnership in Oak Ridge.

Through support from EPA’s Region 4 office, OREM is setting the pace for environmental cleanup across all the 175 federal facilities in the Superfund program. Since 2020, OREM has accounted for 16% of all completed cleanup tasks across those sites and 35% for Region 4 in the southeast region of the U.S.

Earlier this year, EPA confirmed all soil cleanup is complete at a portion of the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), a 1,400-acre area known as Zone 1, enabling the reuse of land for economic development. It marked the fourth record of decision advancing cleanup signed in the past three years.

ETTP is formerly known as the K-25 Site or Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant that operated from the mid-1940s until 1985. The plant was originally used to enrich uranium as part of the Manhattan Project, but it continued operations after World War II to produce enriched uranium for defense missions and commercial power.

Decades of cleanup by OREM and its contractors have transformed the former uranium enrichment complex into a multiuse industrial center, historical park and conservation area that benefit the community. ETTP was the recipient of EPA’s 2024 National Federal Facility Excellence in Reuse Award.

To date, OREM has transferred more than 1,800 acres to the community for economic development. That land has attracted more than 25 businesses that have announced $8 billion in capital investments, and more developments are expected in the years ahead.

-Contributor: Ben Williams