Jeffrey Murl’s passion for land stewardship drives his work at LM.
August 5, 2021
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For Jeffrey Murl, nature has always provided a source of escape and reflection. From roaming the woods and farmlands of Kentucky as a child to falling in love with Hawaii’s surf and mountains as a young man, his love for the environment has steered the course of his personal and professional life.
Now, those two paths have converged.
“There is a kind of Zen, a peaceful calm I get from disconnecting and being alone with nature,” Murl said, a Project Controls Analyst with the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) who works to preserve the environment for future generations.
“Being in Hawaii for 13 years really opened my eyes – I spent so much time around water, which made me realize how precious our resources are,” he said. “There’s only so much fresh water on the islands of Hawaii, and contamination and waste are global issues, too. If our actions as humans taint the supply, there’s no backup. We don’t have a ‘planet B.’”
Before arriving at LM in 2016, Murl served in the Navy, where he studied, operated, and maintained nuclear reactors on submarines. After completing his Master’s-level study of groundwater contamination, he became an environmental consultant.
Murl was drawn to LM upon learning of its duty to provide what he calls “a final resting place” for war-era materials. He knew that at LM, he could draw from his experience to make a difference.
“With so much uncertainty regarding climate change, a post-pandemic culture, the fear of the unknown – we need to have a plan in place,” Murl said. “Protecting natural resources is our obligation, and it is the first step toward a healthy future for people and the planet.”
Murl joined LM as a site manager, with responsibilities for numerous sites across the country, from the Laboratory for Energy-related Health Research Site in Davis, California, to another site in Hallam, Nebraska, to many Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program completed sites.
Murl’s on-site work has focused on decades-old remediation projects. Collecting samples, studying data, and interacting with local stakeholders, which has taken endurance and patience.
“The issues LM handles onsite are rarely quick fixes. Contamination doesn’t just go away,” Murl said. “People often assume environmental work in the field is always a high-speed, highly-visible ordeal. It’s true that we act with immediacy, but it takes a lot of patience and strategy to achieve results.”
LM’s progress depends on the diverse skills of its staff, and Murl’s prior experience of scientific assessment and intervention now serves him in a new capacity within the organization. His role has evolved from site manager to a position on LM’s Financial, Audits, and Contracts (FACS) team where he now oversees audits and contracts on the business side of LM’s operations.
“It’s a pleasure working with Jeff Murl,” said Ingrid Colbert, the FACS Team Supervisor. “He brings great technical and field insights over to the business operations side of LM, and the FACS team really appreciates his scientific perspective as it relates to financial matters. LM is ‘one LM, one mission’—we work together across the country to bring positive results.”
Although he’s no longer in the field, Murl considers his team’s role vital to powering the on-site work. Every day, he listens to the voices of experts and stakeholders across the country, evaluates their recommendations, and priorities and crafts plans that will help shape the nature and scope of LM’s efforts. As it turns out, saving the planet requires a lot of paperwork.
Murl’s pivot from the field to the realm of finance is a testament to the multi-dimensional nature of LM’s mission. He says a shared sense of responsibility connects everyone throughout the organization.
No matter their area of expertise or level of visibility, LM’s employees across the country work in tandem. Each is instrumental in stewarding the health and longevity of the environment – today and in the long term. At LM, Murl exemplifies that the mission is personal.