Secretary Granholm to Give In-person Address at National Cleanup Workshop

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will provide an in-person keynote address at this year’s National Cleanup Workshop set for Sept. 11-13 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, the event’s organizers announced last week.

Granholm joins a growing list of federal representatives, industry officials and state and local leaders speaking at this year’s workshop, one of the largest events in the country dealing with EM. Other speakers include:

• William “Ike” White, EM senior advisor;
• Jeff Avery, EM principal deputy assistant secretary;
• Dae Chung, EM associate principal deputy assistant secretary for corporate services;
• Greg Gervais, director, Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;
• Brent Gerry, mayor, City of West Richland, Washington; and chair, Energy Communities Alliance (ECA); and
• Rebecca Casper, mayor, City of Idaho Falls, Idaho; and vice-chair, ECA.

This year’s workshop also includes a new emphasis on early career professionals in the EM industry, with programming to learn more about EM and how to grow and succeed in the DOE cleanup program. These sessions will include:

• Leadership development principles;
• Case studies from federal and contractor representatives on building a career in the EM program; and
• An in-depth “EM 101” on the background and history of the DOE cleanup program.

Check out this EM webpage to find coverage of past workshops, including a video of White’s 2022 workshop keynote address. The site features EM Update newsletter reporting and a gallery of photos showcasing everything from the reception kicking off the event to a variety of speakers and panels.

Last year, about 630 in-person and 91 virtual participants attended the workshop, billed as the premier annual gathering to discuss progress in environmental cleanup of former government weapons sites and nuclear research facilities. ECA, with the cooperation of EM and the Energy Facility Contractors Group, host the workshop. Registration is open for this year's workshop.