Unlike many EM cleanup sites in the DOE complex, Oak Ridge is a multi-program site where the National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Science, and Office of Nuclear Energy also perform missions. EM’s work at the site enables this crucial ongoing work that is advancing scientific discovery, technological advancements, and national defense for our nation.

At the East Tennessee Technology Park, EM is tasked with removing facilities associated with 40 years of uranium enrichment and production. As it cleans the site, EM is transferring land back to the community for redevelopment as a private industrial park that will strengthen the regional economy.

The next major phase of cleanup will focus on the Y-12 National Security Complex, which is one of the nation’s most important national security assets. EM will address and remove the 700,000 pounds of mercury that leaked into buildings and the environment during past operations. The EM program will also demolish the site’s outdated, contaminated facilities onsite which will enhance safety, enable modernization, and reduce the site’s footprint. With a smaller, modernized campus, Y-12 can increase efficiency and security to protect our nation.

Finally, EM is removing radiological risks contained in the older, central campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. As the nation’s largest multi-program science and technology laboratory, it employs 4,400 people, attracts 3,000 guest researchers, and welcomes 30,000 visitors and 10,000 precollege students annually. As the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is cleaned, environmental and safety hazards are eliminated and valuable real estate is opened for ongoing missions and research at the site.