Cleanup program addressing high risk facilities at nation’s premiere science and national security sites

The following was an op-ed by OREM Acting Manager Jay Mullis that was featured in the Oak Ridger.

Over the decades, the men and women working in Oak Ridge have earned a well-deserved reputation for consistently pioneering solutions to the nation’s most pressing scientific and defense needs. Today, the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are known globally for both their accomplishments and capabilities. 

However, these iconic sites are in the midst of transition and hindered by environmental legacies. Amid the world’s fastest supercomputers and world-leading national security assets are deteriorating  and contaminated facilities that date back to operations in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. These facilities pose risks to employees and the environment, and they block the way for new growth and missions.    

Last year, we at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management were excited to begin the Excess Contaminated Facilities initiative that allowed us to address these risks directly. The initiative received congressional attention and funding after a report showed DOE owned more than 2,300 facilities that were no longer operational or serving the agency’s mission.  

Many of these facilities pose high risk from contamination and deteriorating structural integrity due to their age and limited available resources to maintain many of them. Specifically, Oak Ridge made headlines in the report when it showed that more than a quarter of all the high risk excess facilities were located at Y-12 and ORNL. 

Our leadership showed tremendous vision years ago by proactively identifying and evaluating all the remaining cleanup needed across Oak Ridge. Due to their work, we were positioned to begin work immediately when Congress provided $28 million for this effort in 2016. 

Through this initiative, we are able to begin characterizing and stabilizing facilities that are not scheduled for near-term demolition. In total, Y-12 has 90 excess facilities to address while ORNL has more than 200. Our work is preventing the spread of contamination, removing hazardous materials, stabilizing the facilities, and significantly lowering future cleanup costs so we can accomplish more for every dollar we receive.  

Our cleanup program has already started six projects at the two sites, and this year, we will continue planning and conducting additional field work. At ORNL, crews have already removed fire hazards at one building and performed tasks that eliminates the spread of contamination from another. 

At Y-12, crews completed roof repairs on Alpha 4, one of the site’s largest and most contaminated former mercury buildings. These repairs prevent water intrusion, which is the most significant contributor to structural deterioration and the spread of contamination. Its completion significantly reduces the cleanup costs and provides a more stable environment for future demolition crews. Workers have also completed a majority of the characterization within the nine remaining Biology Complex facilities, which is an essential step before the buildings can be demolished. Workers are also focused on removing very old, hazardous equipment located outside the Alpha 4 facility. 

The Excess Contaminated Facilities initiative is not only important for our cleanup program, but also for the future of DOE and the Oak Ridge community. Our work is ensuring Y-12 and ORNL remain the nation’s premiere sites for science and national security so the generations of employees to come will continue finding answers to our nation’s greatest needs.