Cleanup Paves Way for DOE’s Future Missions

Senior leaders from EM, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Science and industry came together for a National Cleanup Workshop panel focused on how EM’s cleanup work supports other DOE missions and facilities.

Panelists discussed how EM approaches and executes cleanup at other DOE sites. EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Avery explained different cleanup strategies and the benefits of EM’s expertise in decommissioning and demolition (D&D) as an integrated capability for the Department. He also offered several examples in which a fully integrated approach has led to successful outcomes for DOE and the communities surrounding project sites.

“Take a look at Oak Ridge and the transition from the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Y-12. The workforce that preformed the work at ETTP is transitioning over to preform similar work at other parts of the ORNL campus,” said Avery. “In terms of what makes us successful, it’s deliberate and close communication with the different programs across the entire lifecycle of the projects that we manage, from a planning, execution and disposition perspective.”

Chuck Hope, council member for the City of Oak Ridge and member of the Energy Communities Alliance Executive Board of Directors, later led the group in a discussion on how EM’s cleanup work has impacted the community of Oak Ridge.

“From a city’s point of view, it has allowed us to economically go out and market these areas. We have proved with several companies already that you can come into these areas. We have the space, expertise and ongoing missions,” he said. “It has allowed us to grow.”

Ken Harrawood, president and program manager for Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, the management and operations contractor for EM's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), offered a similar sentiment about Carlsbad, New Mexico, located 26 miles from the WIPP site. 

“The Carlsbad community has really seen a difference as a result of the EM mission at both sites. It has completely changed the DNA of the town,” he said.

Harrawood also indicated that WIPP has encouraged the development of mining programs in the area and that the increased workforce associated with the EM mission is reinforcing a strong community commitment to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. He added that the community’s passion for STEM programs was further reinforced with the recent $11.7 million DOE awarded to the Southeast New Mexico Collage to support developing the next-generation workforce.

The panelists also talked about EM’s long-term future in addressing facility D&D and waste disposal needs at NNSA and Office of Science sites, and the benefits that approach brings compared to those entities performing their own cleanup work.

“Fundamentally it is a core part of what EM was set up to do. It is our responsibility to execute this cleanup work across the country and there are tremendous benefits in that model,” Avery said.

While Avery pointed out efficiency and cost-saving benefits associated with EM performing its core competencies, Jay Mullis, manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, emphasized the importance of retaining a highly skilled workforce to conduct this work in the future. Mullis highlighted EM’s investments in building a highly trained workforce and how that is paying dividends for other programs like NNSA and the Office of Science.

Hope noted that EM’s safe and efficient cleanup will allow NNSA and the Office of Science to expand operations.

“EM is critical to cleaning up the legacy areas that will allow us to have future expansion,” he said.

-Contributor: Kyle Hendrix