LM Participates in DOE Annual Intergovernmental Meeting

The Office of Legacy Management (LM) participated in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) annual Intergovernmental Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dec. 3-5. The meeting included DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) and five partner groups: the Energy Communities Alliance, the Environmental Council of the States, the National Association of Attorneys General, the National Governors Association, and the State and Tribal Government Working Group. 

The meeting is an opportunity for state, local, tribal, and federal officials to discuss priorities and strategies for managing and storing defense-related nuclear waste and for remediating production sites. 

LM Director Carmelo Melendez and LM Site Operations Director Jay Glascock presented at a few of the panels during the meeting. 

During an executive leadership panel talking about the coordination and collaboration necessary between the key federal agencies responsible for cleanup of sites with different or changing landlords, regulatory responsibilities, and post-cleanup ownership, Melendez emphasized the importance of regular and consistent communication between federal, state, and tribal governments and community groups. 

“The time we take to pause and listen to the community’s concerns is so important. We listen to gain understanding, we strive to clearly communicate, and we do so in a way that is forward thinking,” Melendez said.

Glascock participated in a panel that discussed the integration of long-term stewardship in cleanup processes, how performance issues are addressed, and planning for the next site transition. Glascock also touched on records management, partnerships with other DOE entities, groundwater remediation, and striving for LM’s “ultimate goal.” 

“These types of informational settings are a great opportunity to share what we have learned with other groups and how we continue to work to protect human health and the environment,” Glascock said. 

“When a site is transferred to LM’s care from EM, one part of the remediation process has ended, and stewardship has begun. We continue working with community organizations, redevelopment corporations, states, and tribes to achieve the desired end state vision,” Glascock said. 

The end state vision for LM is giving the land back to communities where possible, such as at the Fernald Preserve Site in Ohio.

“Sites are often returned to the community to be reused as playgrounds, dog parks, wildlife refuges, and other outdoor recreational spaces enjoyed by residents, local groups, and tourists,” Glascock said. “This is the ‘ultimate goal’ — to return a site to the community. As an example, Fernald has been transformed from a production center into a nature preserve with open spaces boasting hundreds of species in multiple habitats. We want to do this for as many sites in LM’s portfolio as we can.” 

In addition to this panel, Glascock participated on a panel discussing disaster response planning, capabilities, and the benefits of leveraging federal agency, state, tribal, and local community resources to effectively address extreme events.

“We are always happy to learn and be able to present what we know and recognize our partnerships across DOE,” Glascock said.