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.
Watch the video below to learn how environmental cleanup operations in Oak Ridge are modernizing the Y-12 National Security Complex and Oak Ridge National Laboratory and creating new opportunities for the community. It also explores Oak Ridge’s first-of-a-kind achievements and the projects underway that will transform the site in the years ahead.
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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In his first trip to Oak Ridge last week, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Tim Walsh witnessed firsthand the reach and impact of the U.S. Department of Energy’s cleanup mission. April 14, 2026April 14, 2026
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A detailed data-gathering process known as characterization is helping the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management advance cleanup at one of the nation’s most important national security sites. April 7, 2026April 7, 2026
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A demonstration of an innovative technology has proved successful in safely treating and permanently disposing of a complex legacy waste stored at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the past 50 years, reducing significant risk. March 31, 2026March 31, 2026
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The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management recently achieved a priority for the U.S. Department of Energy’s nuclear cleanup program by reaching the halfway mark in its uranium-233 processing campaign. March 24, 2026March 24, 2026
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Successful cleanup and reuse efforts underway at the Oak Ridge, Paducah, and Portsmouth sites are vividly illustrating the Office of Environmental Management’s ability to successfully deliver its vision of nuclear restoration and revitalization across the DOE complex, federal and contractor leaders said. March 17, 2026March 17, 2026
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The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge have begun major field work to address an old scrapyard, a project that will remove risks and allow future industrial reuse on the land. March 10, 2026March 10, 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
FY24 Requested (in the millions) | FY24 Enacted (in the millions) | FY25 Requested (in the millions) | FY25 Enacted (in the millions) | FY26 Requested (in the millions) |
| $635 | $694 | $658 | $695 | $636 |
For more information on the Office of Environmental Management's budget process and performance check out the Budget & Performance page.