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 News
-
Crews removed 64 million pounds of waste from Oak Ridge’s cleanup sites in 2025, a tally showcasing the pace and progress of projects clearing away old infrastructure and preparing numerous buildings for demolition. December 23, 2025December 23, 2025
-
Helping to grow America’s burgeoning nuclear renaissance, advancing infrastructure critical to winning the artificial intelligence race and safely addressing aging facilities to contribute to the modernization of America’s strategic deterrent — these are just some of the ways the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management helped enable American energy, innovation and security in 2025, according to a new document released today.December 23, 2025
-
A technology that features a remote sensing method using laser pulses to measure distances and create high-resolution 3D models is making a big impact for teams tasked with preparing Manhattan Project and Cold War era facilities for demolition at Oak Ridge. December 16, 2025December 16, 2025
-
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management have confirmed half of the federal acreage on the 33,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation was not impacted by historic operations and does not require environmental cleanup. December 9, 2025December 9, 2025
-
OREM worked with EPA and TDEC to confirm half of the acreage on the Oak Ridge Reservation was not impacted by previous operations and does not require cleanup. This clarification provides transparency about the condition of the land and supports reuse.December 3, 2025
-
Insight and a questioning attitude from a project manager has led the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management to accelerate one of the largest demolitions on the horizon at the Y-12 National Security Complex and help avoid millions of dollars in costs to taxpayers. November 25, 2025November 25, 2025
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.