News on the world's largest environmental cleanup
Office of Environmental Management
September 1, 2026
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Walsh Visits EM-Managed Fort St. Vrain Used Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Tim Walsh recently visited the Fort St. Vrain used nuclear fuel storage facility in Colorado to see how the workforce safely and securely manages legacy nuclear material. ⚛️
Recent upgrades to infrastructure, security equipment and training facilities are helping strengthen safety, security and preparedness at the site. Read the full story to learn how the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management is supporting the long-term safe storage of used nuclear fuel.
New Well to Further Characterization of Hexavalent Chromium Plume at Los Alamos
The Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office is advancing efforts to characterize and address the hexavalent chromium plume beneath Los Alamos National Laboratory. 💧
Legacy cleanup contractor N3B recently completed drilling a new groundwater monitoring well to a depth of about 1,030 feet, meeting a fiscal year 2026 Consent Order milestone and providing data to help evaluate remediation alternatives. Read the full story to learn how DOE is working with state and local partners to protect groundwater and inform the path forward for chromium plume cleanup.
First Bite: Demolition Begins on Legacy Isotope Labs at ORNL
The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management has begun demolishing 10 highly contaminated buildings on Isotope Row at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 🏗️
The project follows six years of deactivation work to reduce radiological and industrial hazards, paving the way to eliminate aging infrastructure and clear space for new research facilities. Read the full story to learn how crews are safely transforming ORNL’s central campus while supporting the laboratory’s ongoing missions.
Paperless Paducah: Barcode Tracking Lowers Costs, Accelerates Cleanup
The Paducah Site is going paperless with barcode scanning technology to help streamline cleanup and improve data accuracy. 📱
Workers are using the technology to inventory thousands of equipment components in the 2.1-million-square-foot C-337 Process Building as it is prepared for demolition, reducing manual data entry and providing real-time information. Read the full story to learn how innovation and collaboration are helping the U.S. Department of Energy improve efficiency while advancing cleanup at Paducah.