ALEXANDRIA, Va. – DOE is maximizing its opportunities for progress in environmental cleanup, Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar told an audience at this year’s National Cleanup Workshop in remarks congratulating EM on its 30-year anniversary.

“At several sites where there was once radioactive and hazardous waste, today there are wetlands, nature preserves, industrial parks, and land available to local communities so they can execute their economic development and diversification plans,” Dabbar remarked to an audience of nearly 800 EM stakeholders at the fifth annual event.

Dabbar said the Department is making the most of its opportunities, highlighting efforts to contain a contaminant plume at Los Alamos National Laboratory, begin retrievals at the A and AX Tank Farms at Hanford, and complete environmental corrective actions at the Nevada National Security Site. The Nevada project saved $66 million and was accomplished six years ahead of schedule.

“Progress like this leads to secure management and disposition of waste, substantially reduced risks to people and the environment, and culminates in new opportunities for preservation, recreation, and economic development in the communities that hosted these sites for decades,” he said.

Over the next year, the Under Secretary said he expects progress on addressing tank waste. At Hanford, DOE is committed to the Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste approach to tank waste treatment that will enable large-scale tank waste treatment. At the Savannah River Site (SRS), the Salt Waste Processing Facility is preparing for startup, he added.

Dabbar discussed the Department’s efforts to tackle the challenge of getting waste out of tanks sooner. Historically, DOE has managed a significant amount of reprocessing waste as high-level waste despite much of it not being highly radioactive. EM has proposed a science-driven solution for reprocessing waste to be defined by how radioactive it is rather than its origin. He said this new approach could offer more options, with efforts underway as part of this initiative to analyze a particular waste stream at SRS.

He also emphasized contracting efforts to strengthen project management, drive cleanups to completion, identify opportunities to accelerate cleanup and closure, optimize sequencing of cleanup activities, and reduce liabilities.