Erik Olds is the acting manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO). He assumed this role in January 2026.
At PPPO, Olds oversees the deactivation and demolition of the former gaseous diffusion facilities at the Portsmouth, Ohio, and Paducah, Kentucky, sites, and the Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion plants at both locations.
Olds also serves as the manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM), a position he has held since June 2025. Olds joined OREM in 2024 as the organization’s deputy manager.
He previously served as communications director for DOE’s Office of Environmental Management headquarters (EM-HQ) and acting chief of staff for EM-HQ. Before his headquarters assignment, he was the Direct‐Feed Low‐Activity Waste deputy project integration manager for the Office of River Protection (ORP) at the Hanford Site in Washington.
Olds has also served as the chief of staff for both the Richland Operations Office and ORP at Hanford, as well as the ORP director of communications. Prior to working at Hanford, Olds worked in public affairs at the Yucca Mountain Project in Nevada.
He has worked for DOE for more than 30 years, including more than 20 years in the EM program.
Olds holds a bachelor's degree in public relations and a master’s degree in communications studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
