LM Continues Leadership at Premier Environmental Stewardship Event

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Legacy Management (LM) will play a prominent role at the annual Waste Management Symposia (WMS), happening March 9-13, 2025, in Phoenix. With a panel, 12 presentations, and a poster session, LM’s contributions at this premier global forum will explore innovation, collaboration and transformative solutions in nuclear waste management.

“The protection of human health and the environment is a critical issue to millions of Americans who live near the 103 sites that LM manages,” said LM Director Carmelo Melendez. “The Waste Management Symposia is an incredible chance for us to engage with people who share our passion for protecting the environment and driving lasting, positive change.”

LM staff will lead meaningful discussions and share insights on long-term stewardship while advancing solutions for the future. LM will welcome guests to an exhibit space that encourages participants to explore its mission, will contribute to the event’s “STEM Zone,” showcasing how LM is promoting associated fields, and will be involved in expert-led presentations and panels.

What to Expect from LM at WM2025

Attendees will have numerous opportunities to engage with LM’s mission:

• Interactive exhibit space:  Exploring LM’s projects and commitment to environmental stewardship.
• STEM Zone: Seeing how LM’s work is connected to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals.
• Presentations and panel discussions: Gaining insights from LM experts tackling challenges in long-term stewardship and environmental remediation.

Project Highlights

Included in LM’s 14 presentations is a panel and two projects that had innovative approaches.

LM Panel

• Advanced Technologies to Enable Long Term Stewardship and Monitoring

Annette Moore and Anthony Farinacci will focus on technological solutions that streamline long term stewardship. This includes technologies that enable complex data intake in an enterprise environment. Panelists will discuss enterprise-scale tools and approaches to maintaining distinct and separate environmental solutions, centralizing groundwater process and procedure, and more.

• Date: Wednesday, March 12.
• Time: 2:45-4:25 p.m.
• Location: Room 229A.

LM Presentations

• Rifle, Colorado, Disposal Site Pore Water Accumulation and Extraction Enhancements Project

Mary Young and Clark Murphy will discuss the Rifle Disposal Site in Colorado, which stores uranium mill tailings. The site was designed with a liner and pore-water collection system to prevent water buildup and contamination.

However, water has continued accumulating since 2014, exceeding predictions and raising concerns about leaks or instability. From 2021-2024, LM recommended installation of new wells, evaporation ponds, and solar-powered infrastructure to manage the water and investigate its source.

This project highlights key lessons that will shape the future of disposal cell design and long-term site management to protect human health and the environment.

• Date: Wednesday, March 12.
• Time: 10:50-11:15 a.m.
• Location: Room 221C.

• Demolition of Piqua, Ohio, Decommissioned Reactor Site

Brian Zimmerman, Dave Parker, Amy Jones, and Michele Miller will discuss the Piqua Nuclear Power Plant in Ohio, which ran from 1963-1965. It was shut down in 1966 and cleaned up in 1969, with leftover low-level radioactive waste safely sealed underground.

In 2021, DOE decided to demolish the site's buildings, improve the reactor's protection with specialized concrete, and preserve its historical significance through documentation and artifacts.

More than 4,000 tons of waste were cleaned up, and now the area can be used for industrial purposes.

• Date: Wednesday, March 12.
• Time: 11:15-11:40 a.m.
• Location: Room 221C.

Additional LM Presentations

• Updating the Conceptual Site Model to Address Secondary Uranium Sources in the Vadose Zone at a Former Uranium Mill Site. Monday, March 10, 2:40-3:05 p.m., Room 223.
• Collaborative Initiatives for Improving the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program. Tuesday, March 11, 10:00-10:25 a.m., Room 222B.
• New, Off-Grid Treatment Component to Enhance Uranium Treatment at the Rocky Flats Site, Colorado. Wednesday, March 12, 8:05-8:30 a.m., Room 221C.
• Environmental Permitting on the Navajo Nation: A Case Study on the Enhanced Requirements for Projects on Tribal Lands. Wednesday, March 12, 8:30-8:55 a.m., Room 221C.
• New Beginnings: The Reality of Federal Real Property Transfer and CERCLA Section 120(h). Wednesday, March 12, 9:20-9:45 a.m., Room 221C.
• When Boundaries Are Blurry: Stakeholder Collaboration on Data Management and Long-Term Stewardship at the Tonawanda Landfill Site. Wednesday, March 12, 10:00-10:25 a.m., Room 221C.
• 811 One Call Utility Notification System Benefits Site Protectiveness: An Update and Case Studies. Wednesday, March 12, 10:25-10:50 a.m., Room 221C.
• DOE-LM’s CERCLA/RCRA Program: Crafting a Unified Approach to Diverse Legacy Sites. Wednesday, March 12, 12:50-1:15 p.m., Room 221C.
• Designing Site Closure to Minimize Post Closure Surprises. Wednesday, March 12, 1:40-2:05 p.m., Room 221C.
• Condition Assessment Survey Inspections Across Legacy Sites. Wednesday, March 12, 2:05-2:30 p.m., Room 221C.

Poster Session

• Post-Closure Strategy and Transition of the Nevada National Security Site Corrective Action Sites. Wednesday, March 12, 8:00-11:40 a.m., Phoenix Convention Center North (200 level foyer).

About WM2025

The Waste Management Symposia 2025 will bring together more than 3,000 experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore sustainable solutions for radioactive waste management and nuclear facility decommissioning.

The team at LM looks forward to engaging with attendees at this year’s event and continuing dialogue in efforts to protect human health and the environment today and in the future.