The Oak Ridge Site, located in eastern Tennessee, is one of the three original sites in the Manhattan Project. The K-25 and Y-12 plants were built to explore different methods to enrich uranium, while the X-10 Site was established as a pilot plant for the Graphite Reactor and to explore methods for the production of plutonium. Throughout the following decades, the three sites purified isotopes, conducted advanced research, manufactured weapons components, and enriched uranium. These activities created environmental legacies that placed the Oak Ridge Reservation on EPA’s National Priorities List in 1989.
Oak Ridge Photo Gallery
An aerial view of the Alpha-2 facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex after crews completed demolition on its south side. The building measures 325,000 square feet and covers 2.5 acres of land.
Oak Ridge News
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Cleanup progress continues across Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where workers recently began preparing another facility for demolition as they remove hazards and pave the way for the next chapter of scientific discovery and innovation at the site. June 16, 2026June 16, 2026
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The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management mission is expanding from legacy cleanup to laying the foundation for America’s new nuclear energy era. June 9, 2026June 9, 2026
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The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge have achieved the first-year goal for processing oxide waste at the Transuranic Waste Processing Center months ahead of schedule, progressing toward the removal of this legacy material from the Oak Ridge Reservation. June 9, 2026June 9, 2026
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Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management crews have cleared the 2.5-acre footprint of the former Alpha-2 facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex following demolition and removal of 81 million pounds of rubble and debris. May 26, 2026May 26, 2026
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Oak Ridge team members designed a new attachment for robotic equipment that’s helping accelerate cleanup at Oak Ridge National Laboratory while handing taxpayers half a million dollars in savings. May 19, 2026May 19, 2026
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The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and cleanup contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge are setting a new benchmark in cleanup progress — conducting demolition on two former Manhattan Project uranium enrichment facilities in a single year. May 12, 2026May 12, 2026
Site Manager
Erik Olds became the manager for the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) on June 1, 2025.
Olds previously served at the OREM deputy manager since January 2024, serving as the acting manager from March to June 2025. He has been with the Department of Energy for more than 30 years, including 20 years within the EM program.
As the OREM manager, he oversees the daily operations needed to perform the organization’s environmental cleanup and stewardship, decontamination and decommissioning activities, waste processing and management, surveillance and maintenance programs, and procurement and contract functions. Before his assignment as OREM deputy manager, Olds served as communications director for DOE's Office of Environmental Management headquarters (EM-HQ) and previously as acting chief of staff for EM-HQ.
Click here to view full bio.
High-Level Budget Information
FY25 Requested (in the millions) | FY25 Enacted (in the millions) | FY26 Requested (in the millions) | FY26 Enacted (in the millions) | FY27 Requested (in the millions) |
| $658 | $695 | $636 | $701 | $604 |
For more information on the Office of Environmental Management's budget process and performance check out the Budget & Performance page.