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DOE/ORO-2467

Cleanup Progress

Annual Report 

to the Oak Ridge 

Community

2013
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This report was produced by URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, DOE’s 

Environmental Management contractor for the Oak Ridge Reservation.

UCOR

URS | CH2M

Oak Ridge LLC
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Message from the EM Manager Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office

To the Oak Ridge Community: 

As the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) begins another year, we reflect on last year’s progress and look forward 

to our goal of achieving a clean, modernized Oak Ridge Reservation. In pursuit of that 

goal, we realized a great number of successes last year. We continued to address mercury contamination at the Y-12 National Security Complex, demolished unneeded facilities at the East Tennessee Technology Park, and removed environmental and security 

risks from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In my opinion, one of our greatest accomplishments is the emphasis we have 

placed on strategic planning and stakeholder involvement. In December, we finalized 

and released our Oak Ridge EM Program Plan—a document that lists our priorities and 

vision for the next decade. This plan establishes eight goals that direct our operations 

and keep our organization unified and focused. In addition, we hope that this document helps residents and stakeholders understand our goals and objectives that will 

guide us for the next ten years.

Another notable success is our progress on Recovery Act-funded work. We anticipate finishing our final projects in Fiscal Year 2014. The $755 million we received in Oak 

Ridge provided us the opportunity to address projects at all of our sites, and in most instances we accomplished them on-schedule and under-budget. Due to effective project management, we completed Recovery Act projects 

$110 million under original estimates, allowing us to conduct additional projects that further reduced risk and environmental liability. 

Finally, we are close to finishing our work on the K-25 Building, the largest decommissioning and demolition project in the history of 

the Environmental Management program. Our employees and contractor partners have continued to be innovative in their approach to this 

project, and completing it in 2014 will be a notable achievement. The K-27 Building will then be the last of the large, contaminated former 

gaseous diffusion buildings at the East Tennessee Technology Park that will need to be addressed.

During my time as manager of Oak Ridge’s EM program, I continue to be impressed by the level of stakeholder support and involvement. Your concern and awareness about your community is a tremendous asset to our program, and our interactions with you serve as a 

constant reminder about the purpose and impact of our work. Thank you for your time, interest, and shared commitment to protect and 

restore the environment. We are extremely grateful for your involvement and feedback concerning our ongoing operations, and it is our 

hope that this public participation continues as we strive to advance future missions in Oak Ridge. 

Environmental Management

safety v performance v cleanup v closure

E

 M

Mark Whitney
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Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................................4

East Tennessee Technology Park ................................................................................................................................................5

Last standing section of K-25 Building being demolished..........................................................................................................................7 

NaF traps removed from K-25....................................................................................................................................................................9

K-27 Building being prepared for demolition...........................................................................................................................................10

Iconic ETTP Fire Water Tower demolished.................................................................................................................................................12

Work continues to reduce environmental contamination at ETTP............................................................................................................14

Final K-33 Building cleanup work completed...........................................................................................................................................15

Efforts under way to commemorate the K-25 site....................................................................................................................................16

Shutdown of Central Neutralization Facility completed............................................................................................................................17

ETTP cleanup at a glance..........................................................................................................................................................................18

Reindustrialization Program continues reshaping the ETTP site...............................................................................................................20

Oak Ridge National Laboratory.................................................................................................................................................21

3026 Hot Cells Facility downgraded and maintained in surveillance and maintenance mode..................................................................22

Bethel Valley groundwater monitored.....................................................................................................................................................23

Off-site groundwater monitoring shows no man-made contaminants ....................................................................................................23

Upgrade of 4500 Area Gaseous Waste System completed........................................................................................................................24

Building 3550 slab excavated...................................................................................................................................................................25

Plans under way to dispose of uranium-233 inventory............................................................................................................................25

Waste removal, stabilization completed at Building 3038........................................................................................................................26

Work continues to remove flush and fuel salt at MSRE.............................................................................................................................26

Y-12 National Security Complex................................................................................................................................................27

Mercury remediation strategy developed for Y-12, East Fork Poplar Creek...............................................................................................28

Mercury reduction project work continues at the Y-12 Complex...............................................................................................................29 

Contents

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Waste Management.......................................................................................................................................................................31

Oak Ridge Reservation landfills handling most of wastes generated by cleanup.....................................................................................32 

Efforts under way to identify location for new on-site waste disposal facility..........................................................................................33

Transuranic Waste Processing Center processing, shipping waste for disposal..........................................................................................34 

Work under way to remove remote-handled sludge from ORNL..............................................................................................................35

Millions of gallons of wastewater treated on the Oak Ridge Reservation .................................................................................................36

Oak Ridge Reservation..................................................................................................................................................................37

Uncontaminated Reservation sites identified for “No Further Investigation”............................................................................................38

Remediation Effectiveness Report submitted...........................................................................................................................................38

Strategy developed for addressing Oak Ridge Reservation groundwater .................................................................................................39

 

Public Involvement........................................................................................................................................................................40

EM celebrates cleanup successes at special event.....................................................................................................................................41

ORSSAB’s advice helps DOE make cleanup decisions.................................................................................................................................42

DOE Information Center ...........................................................................................................................................................................46

Information Resources ................................................................................................................................................................47

Internet Sites....................................................................................................................................................................................47

Commonly Used Abbreviations.................................................................................................................................................48

Commonly Used Terms..................................................................................................................................................................48

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Introduction

The 33,500-acre U.S. Department of Energy 

(DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation has played key roles in 

our nation’s defense and energy research. However, 

past waste disposal practices and unintentional 

releases have left land and facilities contaminated. 

These contaminants include radioactive elements, 

mercury, asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, and 

industrial wastes. 

The Environmental Management Program is 

responsible for cleaning up this legacy contamination, and numerous cleanup projects are under way 

at the Reservation’s three major facilities: East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge National 

Laboratory (ORNL), and Y-12 National Security Complex.

The contaminated portions of the Reservation 

are on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 

National Priorities List, a list of hazardous waste 

sites across the nation that are to be cleaned up 

under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). 

Efforts are under way to delineate the contaminated 

areas of the Oak Ridge National Priorities List Site, 

which DOE is cleaning up under a Federal Facility Agreement with the Environmental Protection 

Agency and the State of Tennessee.

Much progress has been made in cleaning up 

the Oak Ridge Reservation, as detailed in this document.

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The former K-25 Site began operations during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project. 

Its original mission was to produce enriched uranium for use in atomic weapons. The 2,200-

acre plant was permanently shut down in 1987 and is undergoing cleanup for ultimate conversion to a private sector industrial park. Restoration of the environment, decommissioning 

and demolition of facilities, and disposition of wastes are the major activities at the site.

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East Tennessee Technology

Park
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. . . 

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Last standing section of K-25 Building being demolished

Demolition continued at the end of FY 2013 on the last section 

standing of the K-25 Building at ETTP.

URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) workers started in September 

2013 tearing down the final six units of the mile-long Manhattan 

Project-era gaseous diffusion building that once was the largest 

building under one roof in the world. The work, including waste 

disposal, is expected to be completed in 2014.

The original building was in the shape of a “U.“ The west wing 

was demolished using a previous contractor. In the first two years 

of its contract, UCOR demolished the north end and the east wing, 

except for six units that were presumed to be contaminated with 

technetium-99 (Tc-99) and required further deactivation. Tc-99 is 

a very mobile, slow-decaying radioactive material which presents 

unique challenges.

“Beginning this final stage of demolition marks the end of 

an era,” said Steve Dahlgren, UCOR’s Deactivation and Demolition 

manager. “This building served the nation well for over 60 years and 

played a role in ending World War II and the Cold War. Now it will 

soon be safely on the ground.”

Getting the last six units to this point was a long, difficult road, 

said Dahlgren. When UCOR arrived at ETTP in August of 2011, they 

found unexpected challenges, including large sections of K-25 that 

were still deemed “crit credible”—meaning materials were still 

present that could theoretically cause a nuclear criticality to occur. 

Workers had to perform all the work necessary to declare the area 

“crit incredible,” which meant finding ways to remove and dispose 

of a number of these challenging materials. Then the building had 

to be rendered “cold, dark and dry,” which means all hazardous 

materials removed and all sources of energy cut off. 

Years ago, during west wing demolition, materials for which a 

disposition path had not been determined were moved out and into 

other parts of the building so that demolition could continue. These 

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Workers load a 

converter from 

the east wing for 

shipment

materials included a collection of surge tanks that had been part 

of the process and had been disconnected and placed in the east 

wing. In the north end, which has now been demolished, workers 

discovered items that had been removed from the west wing before 

demolition, including a collection of high-risk equipment (HRE) 

and items called monoliths—large blocks of uranium-containing 

components encased in concrete.

Also, components called NaF (sodium fluoride) traps, 

which were used during operations to separate uranium from 

intermediate gases in the process system, had to be addressed (see 

article on next page). 

The HRE and monoliths had to be moved out of the building 

before that section could be deemed crit incredible. The concrete 

in the monoliths had to be chipped away and the uranium content mined out of the components in an on-site facility called the 

segmentation shop. The HRE had to be opened, mined, and repackaged to meet disposal criteria. Depending on the contents, they 

were either disposed of at the on-site Environmental Management 

Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) or shipped off-site for disposal. 

Enclosures were built around the surge tanks where they 

stood. The uranium was mined out of the tanks and the hulls 

stayed in place to be disposed as part of the building demolition.

Previously, the prevailing thought was that because of the 

chemical characteristics of Tc-99—it is extremely mobile and 

travels quickly—the last Tc-99 section in its entirety would 

need to be packed up and shipped for off-site disposal. Through 

characterization, however, workers determined that most of the 

building structure and some of the process gas equipment could be 

disposed on site at EMWMF, saving significant dollars.

Under the previous approach, workers in the Tc-99 area would 

have spent weeks cutting out contaminated pipes that could not 

be disposed on site, then loading them for shipment. Under a new 

approach, they painted them with bright paint and left them in 

place. As the last six units are demolished, these bright components 

will be segregated and loaded by heavy equipment in the field for 

disposal. 

Compressors and converters were previously an issue because 

they were taken into the non-destructive assay (NDA) shop, 

where NDA (surveying components without breaching or causing 

damage) was performed. Instead, as part of the deactivation 

and demolition of the Tc-99 units, these components are being 

decontaminated and sprayed with fixative in the demolition field. 

The NDA equipment was brought into the field, and a packaging, 

assay, and ship production line was established. 
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Before beginning demolition of the K-25 Building’s final 

section, UCOR removed five components known as NaF traps, some 

of the highest risk equipment in the building.

The NaF traps contain a material that was used to absorb 

uranium from the process system and were in the portion of the 

building being demolished at the end of FY 2013. 

When K-25 was operational, the NaF traps were part of the 

final uranium removal process. Sodium fluoride pellets were used 

to trap the uranium, and these particular traps still contain uranium 

materials from when the facility was shut down decades ago. The 

NaF traps are each about the size of a household hot water heater 

and range in weight from 150 pounds to 800 pounds.

Extensive safeguards were in place during the removal 

because the vessels represent a significant danger in case 

they are dropped or if a fire occurs. 

To remove the vessels, workers cut a hole in 

the roof of the building, and a crane lifted them out. 

“It’s a big accomplishment to remove these vessels,” 

said Leo Sain, UCOR President and Project 

Manager. “They represented one of the highest 

risks remaining in the K-25 Building. Safely 

removing them gets us one step closer to 

project completion.”

NaF traps removed from K-25

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Predemolition work continued in the K-27 Building, one of the five gaseous diffusion buildings at ETTP. The building is in a severely deteriorated 

state, necessitating timely attention to ensure safe and efficient demolition. 

The K-27 Building is similar in structure to the K-25 Building and is approximately 900 feet long, 400 feet wide, and 58 feet in height. 

In FY 2013, workers performed inventory management; characterized 

process equipment; and performed vent, purge, and drain operations on process equipment.

Six sodium fluoride (NaF) traps were also removed from the K-27 Building. When K-25 and K-27 were operational, the NaF traps were part of the final 

uranium removal process. Sodium fluoride pellets were used to trap the uranium, and these particular traps still contain uranium materials from when 

the facility was shut down decades ago. The NaF traps are each about the size 

of a household hot water heater and weigh up to 800 pounds each.

K-27 Building

Workers prepare a NaF trap for removal

being prepared

 for demolition

Workers are preparing to plasma cut the 

duct in the K-27 Building pipe gallery

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K-27 Building

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ETTP Fire Water Tank demolished

One of the most iconic structures at ETTP—the checkerboard 

water tank that has dominated the site’s skyline for 55 years—

has been demolished.

UCOR, along with its subcontracting partners, brought down 

the 382-ft-tall tank in August 2013 through a controlled explosive 

demolition that sent the structure toppling into an empty field.

Officially called the K-1206-F Fire Water Tower, the 

400,000-gallon structure was designed and built by the Chicago 

Bridge and Iron Company in 1958 to service the site’s fire 

protection system. It operated until June 3, when the valves were 

turned off. It was drained, disconnected, and permanently taken 

out of service on July 15. 

With the tank gone, the site will rely on pumping stations 

to provide the necessary pressure for its fire water system. The 

system will eventually be turned over to the city of Oak Ridge, 

another step in DOE’s overall strategy of converting ETTP into a 

private sector industrial park. 

Through the years, the tower had deteriorated. An engineering 

evaluation was conducted in 1994 to assess its overall condition. It 

was eventually added to the list of structures at ETTP that would be 

demolished. Although not originally scheduled to be demolished 

this year, UCOR and DOE accelerated the schedule for demolition 

because of the tower’s continuing deterioration.

“Removing this water tower is a significant—and very 

visible—step in cleaning up ETTP,” said Jim Kopotic, Oak Ridge 

Office of Environmental Management’s Federal Project Director 

for the East Tennessee Technology Park. “Many people have 

worked countless hours to safely bring down this tower, which 

was one of the most visible and identifiable structures at the 

site. This demolition marks another major advancement in the 

transformation of ETTP.” 

The project was a team effort involving DOE, UCOR, and 

UCOR’s subcontractors—Veterans Contracting Solutions Group LLC 

and Controlled Demolition Inc.

Iconic

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Water tower debris being shipped for disposal

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Remediation activities to reduce ETTP soil contamination 

continued in FY 2013. The site is divided into two cleanup regions: 

Zone 1, which includes approximately 1,400 acres outside the main 

plant area, and Zone 2, which is the 800 acres that comprise the 

main plant area.

Zone 1

An interim Record of Decision, which documents the cleanup 

method for a site, has been completed for Zone 1. That Record of 

Decision required soil to be remediated to a depth of 10 feet (suitable for the protection of an industrial work force) and for sources 

of groundwater contamination to be removed. 

Subsequent Records of Decision will address soil, groundwater, surface water, ecological protection, and final land use controls. 

In FY 2013, The Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation provided comments on the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS), and 

an agreement was reached to initiate a Zone 1 Final Soils Record of 

Decision and defer Zone 1 surface water and groundwater to a future decision. Upcoming work will include preparing a Zone 1 Final 

Soils Proposed Plan, conducting a public meeting, and preparing 

the Zone 1 Final Soils Record of Decision.

Zone 2

Remediation of Zone 2 involves cleaning up the soil so that it 

is suitable for the protection of industrial workers, and removing 

sources of groundwater contamination. In FY 2013, the following 

work was completed:

• Remediation of the 32-acre footprint of Building K-33 was 

completed with excavation and disposal of the slab and associated soil. 

• The Environmental Protection Agency and The Tennessee 

Department of Environment and Conservation approved the 

document that details the K-1070-B Burial Ground cleanup, 

called a phased construction completion report. The burial 

ground operated from the 1950s through the mid-1970s. 

• Remediation of two subsurface sumps at the Toxic Substances 

Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator was completed. The phased 

construction completion report documenting completion of 

the remediation was prepared and submitted to The Environmental Protection Agency and The Tennessee Department of 

Environment and Conservation.

• Characterization of several subsurface facilities at the Central 

Neutralization Facility, a former wastewater treatment facility, was completed to determine if remediation is required 

prior to backfill. Based on the results, the subsurface facilities 

were backfilled to eliminate safety hazards and the management of storm water. The phased construction completion 

report documenting completion of this work was prepared.

Workers are filling a sump at the TSCA Incinerator

environmental contamination at ETTP

Work continues to reduce
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Removal of process tie lines at the K-33 Building marks 

the final cleanup work associated with this facility. The tie lines 

connected the K-33 Building to the K-31 Building as uranium 

passed through the buildings during the enrichment process.

The K-33 Building, one of the major uranium enrichment 

facilities at ETTP, was previously demolished. The building was 

a partially decontaminated multi-story building that contained 

more than 1.4 million ft2 of concrete and steel and spanned 32 

acres. Constructed in 1954, the facility enriched uranium for 

defense and naval fleet purposes until 1985. 

As part of a Reindustrialization effort in 1997, most of 

the building’s decontamination was performed. BNFL Inc. was 

awarded a fixed-price contract to decontaminate Building K-33, 

along with two other uranium enrichment buildings: K-29 and 

K-31. The company dismantled, removed, and dispositioned more 

than 159,000 tons of material and equipment from the three 

buildings, which comprise more than 4.8 million ft2

 of floor space. 

All three buildings were originally to be cleaned up and 

converted to usable facilities for private industrial tenants. 

However, DOE later determined that Buildings K-29 and K-33 were 

not suitable for reindustrialization. Building K-29 was demolished 

in 2006. 

In 2010, DOE contracted with LATA/Sharp Remediation 

Services to demolish Building K-33. The demolition was completed, 

and the last waste was disposed ahead of schedule in September 

2011. In FY 2012, LATA/Sharp Remediation Services removed the 

building’s 32-acre slab, excavated contaminated soil, backfilled 

and seeded the area, and disposed the waste ahead of schedule. 

LATA/Sharp Remediation Services performed the process tie 

line removal, which was completed in September 2013.

Final K-33 Building cleanup work completed

Removal of tie lines that connected K-33 to K-31 marks the completion of the K-33 Building cleanup work
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DOE and historic preservation agencies agreed upon commemorative 

measures that will preserve the historic contributions of Oak Ridge’s K-25 site 

to the World War II Manhattan Project. Much was accomplished in FY 2013 

toward achieving the commemorative measures. 

The K-25 site contained more than 500 buildings and 12,000 workers 

at its peak. The project’s enormous scale, which in 1945 included the world’s 

largest building, was necessary to produce a few grams of uranium-235 that 

were used to build the atomic bomb that ended the war with Japan. 

DOE will commemorate the site by implementing the following 

measures: • Approximately 40 acres located inside the road that currently surrounds 

the original K-25 Building will be dedicated for commemoration and 

interpretation activities. The agreement calls for the construction of a 

four-story equipment building that will recreate a scale representation 

of the gaseous diffusion technology and contain authentic equipment 

used in the K-25 Building. The building will also house other Cold Warera equipment that was developed and/or used at the site. The project 

will include a viewing tower erected near the building’s footprint (near 

the Oak Ridge Fire Station) and 12 wayside exhibits that will tell portions 

of the K-25 story. 

• A K-25 History Center will be located on the second level of the Fire 

Station, owned by the City of Oak Ridge. The History Center will provide 

space to exhibit equipment, artifacts, oral histories, photographs, and 

video. 

• DOE provided a grant of $500,000 to the East Tennessee Preservation 

Association to help preserve the Alexander Inn, a historic structure in 

Oak Ridge where visiting scientists and dignitaries stayed. The grant is 

being used to purchase the property and stabilize the structure until the 

Inn can be transferred to a private developer.

In FY 2013, a pre-qualification process was conducted that determined 

nine small business architectural/engineering and museum planning 

partnering teams could compete for the Professional Site Design Team 

and Museum Professional design subcontract. The Alexander Inn was also 

purchased by a local private developer in order to preserve the structure 

and rehabilitate for future use as an assisted living facility. Other activities 

included the following: • Continued to retain the K-25 building slab, pending results of the Slab 

Feasibility Study (done in conjunction with the Zone 2 Record of Decision 

Survey). 

• Retained bricks associated with the Powerhouse for potential use in the 

Professional Site Design Team’s wayside exhibits designs. 

• Published the Professional Site Design Team and Museum Professional 

Request for Proposal for the commemorative facilities at ETTP and 

conducted a pre-bid meeting and site orientation. 

commemorate the K-25 site

Efforts under way to 

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Shutdown and decommissioning of the Central Neutralization Facility, which was the main wastewater treatment 

plant at ETTP, was completed in FY 2013.

Activities that were completed included sludge removal 

and disposal; chemical removal and disposal; waste, material, media, and equipment removal and disposal; oil removal 

and disposal; equipment rinsing and pressure washing; and 

characterization and filling of some subsurface facilities. 

The Central Neutralization Facility Deactivation and Demolition Project includes approximately 49 buildings, strucCentral Neutralization Facility completed

Shutdown of 

tures, containment and storage tank facilities, and support 

trailers.

The Central Neutralization Facility treated wastewater 

to remove radioactive materials, metals, and suspended 

solids to meet required discharge criteria for effluent discharged to the Clinch River. The treatment process provided 

elementary neutralization, metals removal, organic oxidation/filtration, solids settling, solids removal, and filtration 

of contaminants present in the waste streams treated at the 

facility.

Workers remove sludge from the Central Neutralization Facility as part of the shutdown operations
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ETTP cleanup

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at a glance*
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Facilities demolished 378 

UF6

 cylinders removed 7,000 

Waste removed from site 1.88 million yds3

Area cleared for unrestricted use ** 1,400 acres

 *Totals since cleanup operations began

**Unrestricted industrial use down to 10 ft

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The DOE Oak Ridge Reindustrialization Program continued 

the transformation of ETTP into a private sector business/industrial 

park in FY 2013.

Babcock Services, Inc., a private company that provides services to the nuclear industry, constructed a 13,000-square-foot 

building at ETTP. Babcock Services purchased 2.5 acres of industrial land from the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee 

(CROET) last year. Facility construction and equipment installation 

are complete, and operations recently began. This facility is used 

to manage, recover, and refurbish components from commercial 

nuclear power plants and could potentially bring more than 100 

new jobs within three years of operation. 

This facility is another recent success of the Reindustrialization 

program in Oak Ridge. The property, just east of the K-25 Building 

site, is on land where cleanup has been completed. It was transferred from DOE to CROET and then sold to Babcock Services. CROET 

will reinvest proceeds from the sale to further enhance the viability 

of ETTP as a private industrial park. When buildings at ETTP are demolished or transferred, many more private construction projects 

will take place as reindustrialization continues. 

A new solar installation was dedicated in Spring 2013 at ETTP. 

This solar project is the second at the site and highlights the continued growth of the solar industry 

in Tennessee as well as the industrial park’s suitability for renewable 

energy production. Vis Solis, LLC, 

based in Franklin, Tenn., is leading 

the project, partnering with the 

Tennessee Valley Authority, the 

German Energy Agency, DEGERenergie (Germany’s leading solar 

manufacturer), and CROET. 

The system consists of seven 

ground-mounted geo-trackers that 

rotate, following the sun to maximize the amount of collected light. 

Each rotating tracker holds 30 solar 

panels, and the 50-kilowatt photovoltaic system will produce enough 

power to serve about 15 homes. 

This project was sited in an area 

not suitable for traditional development and highlights DOE and 

CROET’s commitment to efficient reuse of land assets at the former 

K-25 uranium enrichment plant. 

Production has begun at the new state-of-the-art Carbon 

Fiber Technology Facility at the Horizon Center, an industrial park 

near ETTP located on former DOE property. This $35 million dollar 

pilot plant is working to commercialize the development of lowcost carbon fiber, an extremely strong and lightweight material 

that can be used in building structures and industrial products. 

Most notably, automobile manufacturers could potentially use 

these products to decrease weight and increase fuel efficiency in 

their vehicles. 

This facility is using processes developed at ORNL to dramatically reduce the cost of carbon fiber by mass producing low cost 

precursor fibers used to manufacture the material. Several Fortune 

500 companies have partnered to help with the technology development, including Ford, Dow Chemical, 3M, and Volkswagen.

DOE has completed the environmental regulatory documents 

needed to transfer an additional 98 acres to the public at land parcel ED-13 and is nearing completion for an additional 28 acres at 

ED-11 and ED-12, which will allow additional industrial development of the site to continue.

Reindustrialization Program continues

reshaping the ETTP site

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new solar array at ETTP involved local elected officials, the 

German Consul General, and Vis Solis officials
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory is becoming one of the world’s most modern campuses 

for scientific discovery in materials and chemical sciences, nuclear science, energy 

research, and super-computing. However, among all this modern infrastructure are large 

contaminated areas that resulted from past operations and waste disposal practices. The 

Environmental Management Program has divided ORNL into two major cleanup areas: 

Bethel Valley and Melton Valley. The Bethel Valley area includes reactors and the principal 

research facilities, and Melton Valley includes reactors and waste management areas. Oak RidgeNational

Laboratory
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The 3026 hot cells facility at ORNL has been downgraded from 

a Hazard Category 3 nuclear facility to a radiological facility. Previously, three of the facility’s five hot cells were demolished. However, due to unanticipated conditions, the remaining hot cells were 

downgraded and placed into surveillance and maintenance. This 

downgrade makes the facility less costly to maintain .

UCOR, at the request of DOE, took over the 3026 hot cells project as part of the Surveillance and Maintenance Program. UCOR 

conducted stabilization activities to achieve the downgrade, such 

as installing permanent electrical equipment, sealing all openings, 

reinforcing site boundaries, and containerizing residual waste and 

debris. 

3026 hot cells facility downgraded

and maintained in surveillance and maintenance mode

In FY 2011, the 3026-C “Counting Room” and “Tritium Lab” 

were decontaminated. In FY 2012, 3026-C “Cell Bank 1” and “Cell 

Bank 2” and 3026-D “Storage/Sorting Cell” were decontaminated. 

In FY 2012, 3026-C was demolished and the waste was disposed.

In FY 2013, preparation for demolition of 3026-D was halted 

because higher levels of contamination than anticipated were 

found. The available funding allowed 3026-D to be left in a safe 

configuration for surveillance and maintenance but did not allow 

for demolition. A report documenting work completed and work 

remaining was submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency 

and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

A concrete berm is being poured as part of the 3026 stabilization activities 
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Groundwater monitoring was conducted in FY 2013 

in off-site wells adjacent to Melton Valley to determine 

if any contaminant migration off the Reservation was 

occurring.

Signature man-made contaminants that have been 

detected in groundwater near former Melton Valley waste 

disposal areas on DOE property include the radionuclides 

tritium, strontium-90, and technetium-99 as well as 

chlorinated organic compounds, including TCE and its 

degradation products. None of these signature manmade contaminants were detected in the monitored offsite groundwater.

Groundwater monitoring related to the Bethel Valley 7000 

Area Groundwater Treatability Study continued in FY 2013. 

The 7000 Area covers the maintenance facilities on the east 

end of ORNL. A treatability study was initiated earlier to determine 

the feasibility of using bacteria to eliminate trichloroethene (TCE) 

in groundwater. Previously, a dilute solution of emulsified vegetable oil was injected into the TCE plume through four existing 

groundwater monitoring wells. Groundwater monitoring continued, with a Treatability Study Report documenting the results.

The purpose of the injection was to provide a source of carbon 

to stimulate existing TCE-degrading microbes in the groundwater 

system. The post-injection monitoring indicated that anaerobic 

reductive dechlorination can be successfully implemented at full 

scale at this site for treating TCE in groundwater. 

groundwater monitoring

 shows no man-made contaminants

Sampling in the Bethel Valley help determine the effectiveness 

of treatment

Off-site

Bethel Valley

groundwater monitored
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The objective of the 4500 Area gaseous waste system upgrades 

project was to deactivate one of the five cell ventilation system 

branches and remove several facilities from the central hot off-gas 

system. 

The ventilation system branches 

and off-gas system are part of the central 

gaseous waste system at ORNL that vent 

through the 3039 Central Stack. The project provides localized ventilation systems 

to the 4501, 4505, 4500N, and 4507 facilities; stabilizes the hot cells in Building 4507; 

cleans out filter pits 3106 and 4556; and 

stabilizes hundreds of feet of deactivated 

underground ductwork. 

Demolition, removal of existing equipment, and fabrication and installation of 

the replacement ventilation system for the 

4501, 4505, and 4500N facilities were completed in January of 2013. 

In September of 2013, characterization 

of the underground ductwork, stabilization 

of the underground ductwork, and cleanout 

of the 3106 and 4556 filter pits were completed.

Design, fabrication, installation, and operation of the local 

ventilation system for Building 4507 had previously been completed in FY 2012, along with stabilization of the 4507 hot cells. 

4500 Area gaseous waste system completed

Upgrade of 

Workers core bore a vent duct 

cover as part of the 4500 Area 

gaseous waste system upgrades 

 A HEPA shield plug is being removed 

from a filter pit

24
25

Building 3550 is one of 34 buildings recently 

demolished in the Central Campus area of ORNL. Since 

this slab is the largest in the area and the only one located 

along Central Avenue, it was selected for excavation. In 

FY 2013, the concrete slab was excavated, along with 

contaminated soil beneath the slab to a depth of up 

to two feet, and the area was graded and seeded with 

grass. 

A completion report documenting the work performed was prepared and submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and Tennessee Department 

of Environmental Conservation.

Building 3550 slab excavated

Removal of slab debris at Building 3550 site

dispose of uranium-233 inventory Plans under way to

Oak Ridge has a significant inventory of uranium-233 (U-233) stored in Building 3019A at ORNL. U-233 is a special nuclear material 

that requires strict safeguards and security controls to protect against access. 

The U-233 Project was initiated to address safeguards and security requirements, eliminate safety and nuclear criticality concerns, and 

safely dispose of the material. 

Treating the U-233 inventory as expeditiously as possible will reduce the substantial annual costs associated with safeguards and 

security requirements, eliminate the risk of a nuclear criticality event, and avoid the need for future facility upgrades to Building 3019A to 

ensure safe storage of the inventory. 

By the end of FY 2013, the project completed all of the preparations necessary for the shipment and disposal of material from the Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project (CEUSP), a 1980s project that processed radioactive materials for storage. Shipment of the 

CEUSP material to the Nevada 

National Security Site (NNSS) 

has not been initiated pending 

resolution of issues with the 

state of Nevada.

The conceptual design for 

the processing campaign was 

initiated in FY 2013. The campaign will focus on processing 

and disposal of the remainder 

of the U-233 inventory. Several processing campaign planning documents are in review. 

Follow-on design activities in 

FY 2014 will be contingent on 

budget availability. 

Building 3019A at ORNL
26

The Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) facility was a 

graphite-moderated, liquid-fueled reactor that operated from June 

1965 through December 1969. Since reactor shutdown, several 

studies and removal actions have been performed to address the 

contaminated fuel and flush salts in the facility. In 1998, a Record 

of Decision for an interim action to remove fuel and flush salts was 

approved. The approved action included the following steps:

1. Melt and chemically treat the salts.

2. Fluorinate the salt to remove uranium.

3. Trap the uranium on cold traps and transfer the uranium to 

chemical traps.

4. Ship the uranium-loaded traps to ORNL Building 3019A for 

storage.

5. Transfer residual salts to shield canisters designed for 

transportation and storage.

6. Ship shielded salt canisters to ORNL Solid Waste Storage Area 

5 for interim storage.

The first four steps were completed between 2004 and 2008. 

The remaining steps were deferred pending an engineering study 

to examine the approach for salt removal, which is addressed in the 

MSRE Remediation Strategy Plan prepared in FY 2012. The preferred 

alternative for the salt disposition is removal of the defueled salt by 

thermal means, transfer to shipping containers, and disposal at the 

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. 

In FY 2013, comments on the MSRE Remediation Strategy Plan 

were received from the Environmental Protection Agency and the 

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and a 

revised plan was prepared and submitted. 

Also in FY 2013, additional waste from the defueling performed 

in 2006 was identified. An inventory of the waste and a waste 

disposition plan were prepared and submitted to the Environmental 

Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment 

and Conservation.

flush and fuel salt at MSRE Work continues to remove

Building 3038 is a 7,773-square-foot 

nuclear facility located in the ORNL Central 

Campus area. Building 3038 was used for 

packaging, inspecting, and shipping activities for radioisotopes. In 1994, all operations 

ceased.

In FY 2013, in order to prepare the 

building for future demolition, all waste was 

removed from the building and disposed; 

stabilization activities were completed; the 

local ventilation system was re-started; airmonitoring equipment was placed on-line; 

and a report documenting completion was 

submitted to the Environmental Protection 

Agency and the Tennessee Department of 

Environmental Conservation.

Waste removal, stabilizationcompleted at Building 3038

A worker in 3038 uses a glove box to package and dispose of waste
27

The Y-12 National Security Complex is a premier manufacturing facility dedicated 

to making our nation and the world a safer place. The Y-12 Complex helps ensure a 

safe and reliable U.S. nuclear weapons deterrent. The site also retrieves and stores 

nuclear materials, fuels the nation’s naval reactors, and performs highly skilled, 

specialized manufacturing work for other government and private-sector entities. 

27

National

Security

Complex

Y-12 
28

A draft Mercury Remediation Strategy Plan was developed 

to address cleanup of mercury contamination at Y-12 and in 

East Fork Poplar Creek. The document was submitted to the 

regulators for review in March 2013. DOE held a workshop with the 

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the 

Environmental Protection Agency in August 2013. Comments on 

the plan were discussed and the strategic approach refined. 

A phased, adaptive management approach is proposed to first 

address mercury contamination in surface water. A key component 

is construction of a water treatment facility, the Outfall 200 Mercury 

Treatment Facility, to provide both current reductions of mercury in 

the creek and future capacity to treat water during the demolition 

and remediation of the West End Mercury Area at Y-12. 

Other actions proposed in the plan will also advance cleanup 

of mercury at the site and in the creek, including diversion of water 

sources to avert contact with contaminated soils and sediments. 

Technology development efforts described in the plan will help 

support future cleanup on many levels; for example, by gaining an 

understanding of mercury bioaccumulation and movement in the 

environment that in turn can help refine and target methods for 

remediation, thus reducing cost and time investments. 

Mercury source removal—building demolition and soil/

sediment remediation—is planned to begin in 2021. Since the 

majority of the waste resulting from source remediation actions 

will be generated after the Environmental Management Waste 

Management Facility will reach capacity, the plan calls for disposal 

of the waste in a proposed future landfill. 

Mercury remediation strategy

developed for Y-12, East Fork Poplar Creek

Mercury 

recovered 

from a 

contaminated 

tank
29

The Mercury Reduction Project was initiated to facilitate reduction and lower mobility of mercury 

at Y-12. Subprojects under the Mercury Reduction Project included 

Five Tanks Remediation, Outfall 

200 Conceptual Design, Mercury 

Recovery Trap Installation, Mercury Soils Treatability Study, and 

Secondary Pathway Remediation. 

Field activities on the Mercury Reduction Project began in May 2012 

and continued into FY 2013. 

Five Tanks Remediation Project

A tank removal project was 

initiated in FY 2012 to dispose of 

five tanks formerly used for mercury-related activities at Y-12. These 

tanks were removed from service 

in the 1980s. Characterization was 

completed along with the necessary documentation needed for 

disposal of these tanks. 

The tank removal project was completed in FY 2013. Based 

on characterization results, two tanks were sent to the sanitary 

landfill at Y-12. Three tanks were transported to Materials and 

Energy Corporation for residual removal of tank contents and size 

reduction of the tanks. After size reduction, the tank residuals and 

debris were disposed. More than 800 pounds of mercury was removed and treated. A formal report documenting completion of 

the project was submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency 

and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

Outfall 200 Mercury Treatment Conceptual Design Project

An outfall is a discharge point of a waste stream into a body of 

water. Outfall 200 is the point at which the Y-12 storm drain system 

discharges to Upper East Fork Poplar Creek. 

During FY 2012, a treatability study and conceptual design 

were initiated for a treatment plant to reduce the release of mercury from Outfall 200 into Upper East Fork Poplar Creek. Samples 

were collected from Outfall 200 A6, Outfall 169, Outfall 163, and 

Outfall 150. Collected samples of storm water effluent and grit 

from the bottom of the storm sewers were analyzed for constituents of concern and subjected to treatability analysis for removal 

of suspended solids and mercury. An alternatives analysis was performed for an Outfall 200 treatment system.

During FY 2013, the Remedial Design Work Plan for the Outfall 

200 Mercury Treatment Facility was completed. The work plan described an interim remedial action to reduce the release of mercury 

into Upper East Fork Poplar Creek with a goal of restoring surface 

waters. The design of the treatment facility was summarized in the 

Conceptual Design Report for the Outfall 200 Mercury Treatment 

Facility.

Mercury Recovery Project 

The Mercury Recovery Project designed and installed mercury 

recovery traps at locations upstream of Outfalls 150, 160, 163, and 

169. The traps collect elemental mercury and mercury-contaminated sediment, and Y-12 personnel remove that mercury and 

sediment from the traps and other storm drain locations. 

Workers load a mercury-contaminated tank onto an inspection saddle

Mercury Reduction Project work

continues at the Y-12 Complex
30

Y-12 began collecting mercury and sediments from storm 

drains in FY 2013. Ongoing collection and disposition of elemental 

mercury and associated contaminated sediments from the storm 

drain system from the traps will be summarized in the annual 

Remediation Effectiveness Report, which details the effectiveness 

of remediation activities.

In FY 2013, the Mercury Recovery Project installed a decanting facility to separate mercury from co-collected sediment and 

water, and potential amalgamation of collected elemental mercury for disposal purposes. 

Trapping and removing elemental mercury from the storm 

drain system will be of benefit by removing some mercury before 

it reaches the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek at Outfall 200.

Mercury Contaminated Soils Treatability Study

A treatability study for mercury-contaminated Y-12 soils 

started in FY 2012. The treatability study was initiated to define 

treatment options and available disposal options for Y-12 soils contaminated with mercury. 

In FY 2013, the Treatability Study Report for Y-12 Site 

Mercury Contaminated Soil was prepared, detailing the results of 

treatability studies and providing treatment and disposal options 

for the mercury contaminated soils.

Secondary Pathways 

In FY 2013, actions to reduce or eliminate secondary mercury 

infiltration around Alpha 4 (9201-4) and Alpha 5 (9201-5), and 

identification and confirmation of open drains inside Alpha 5 and 

Beta 4 (9204-4) were completed. These massive facilities were 

involved with lithium isotope separation activities, which utilized 

large quantities of elemental mercury. These activities included 

modifying some roof drains and drainage systems, installing 

graded impervious surfaces to ensure rainwater runoff is routed to 

storm drains to reduce percolation through mercury-contaminated 

soils, and investigating potential mercury source points inside the 

facilities. The actions were documented in a completion report. All 

waste generated was disposed in FY 2013. 

Workers are installing a new catch basin at Y-12 to improve drainage and reduce mercury infiltration
31

Wastes on the Oak Ridge Reservation are being disposed in a variety of ways. 

Much of the waste is going into the on-site Environmental Management Waste 

Management Facility. Wastewater is treated at the Chromium Water Treatment 

System at ETTP and the Process Waste Treatment Complex at ORNL. Waste

Management
32

Oak Ridge Reservation landfills

handling most of wastes generated by cleanup

Much of the waste generated during FY 2013 cleanup activities 

was disposed at facilities on the Oak Ridge Reservation.

The Environmental Management Waste Management Facility 

(EMWMF), located in east Bear Creek Valley near the Y-12 Complex, 

received 7,096 truckloads of waste, accounting for 80,070 tons 

during FY 2013. This engineered landfill consists of six disposal cells 

and accepts low-level radioactive and hazardous waste that meets 

specific waste acceptance criteria. Waste types that qualify for 

disposal include soil, dried sludge and sediment, solidified wastes, 

stabilized waste, building debris, scrap equipment, and personal 

protective equipment.

EMWMF operations collected, analyzed, and dispositioned 

approximately 5.1 million gallons of leachate at the ORNL Liquid/

Gaseous Waste Operations Facility in FY 2013. No contact water 

(water that comes in contact with waste but does not enter the 

leachate collection system) required treatment in FY 2013. An 

additional 16.7 million gallons of contact water was collected, 

analyzed, and released to the storm water retention basin after 

determining that it met the discharge standards. Operating 

practices also effectively controlled site erosion and sediment. 

Projects that disposed of waste at EMWMF during FY 2013 

include demolition of the K-25 Building; demolition of the K-33 to 

K-31 tie lines; and several ORNL demolition projects.

DOE also operates solid waste disposal facilities called the 

Oak Ridge Reservation Landfills, which are located near the Y-12 

Complex. These landfills are engineered facilities used for the 

disposal of sanitary, industrial, construction, and demolition waste. 

In FY 2013, approximately 36,435 yd3

 of industrial wastes and 

construction/demolition debris were disposed in the landfill. 

Operation of the Oak Ridge Reservation Landfills generated 

approximately 1.1 million gallons of leachate that was collected, 

monitored, and discharged into the Y-12 Complex sanitary sewer 

system. The Y-12 Complex sanitary sewer system discharges to the 

Oak Ridge sewer system under an industrial sewer user permit. 

EMWMF
33

EMWMF, the existing on-site disposal facility for low-level, 

mixed, and classified waste, is predicted to reach capacity before 

all Oak Ridge Reservation cleanup waste has been generated and 

disposed. To evaluate alternatives for disposal of future cleanup 

waste, DOE issued a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study draft 

report in September 2012. A Remedial Investigation/Feasibility 

Study is used to collect and evaluate data in order to make cleanup 

decisions.

In FY 2013, comments received from the Environmental 

Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment 

and Conservation were incorporated into a second draft report that 

was submitted to the regulators on June 20, 2013. A workshop was 

held in August 2013 to evaluate current and future on-site disposal 

on the Oak Ridge Reservation. 

Following regulator review and approval, the final Remedial 

Investigation/Feasibility Study will serve as the initial document 

supporting selection of a preferred alternative for waste disposal 

post-EMWMF. The document analyzes three alternatives:

• The no action alternative provides a benchmark for comparison 

with the action alternatives. Under the no action alternative, 

no coordinated Oak Ridge Reservation-wide strategy to 

manage wastes generated by future CERCLA actions would be 

implemented.

• The on-site disposal alternative would provide consolidated 

disposal of future-generated CERCLA waste in a newly constructed, engineered facility referred to as the Environmental 

Management Disposal Facility (EMDF).

• Under the off-site disposal alternative, future CERCLA waste 

would be transported off-site for disposal in approved disposal 

facilities, primarily by rail. 

The RI/FS concludes that both the on-site and off-site 

disposal alternatives would be protective of human health and the 

environment long-term by disposing of waste in a landfill designed 

for site-specific conditions. 

The off-site disposal alternative has the potential to isolate the 

wastes more effectively if located in an arid climate and possibly at 

facilities in western states. 

While the on-site disposal alternative requires permanent 

commitment of additional Oak Ridge Reservation land for waste 

disposal and impact environmental resources, it would be less 

costly, has lower transportation risk, and provides a greater level of 

certainty that long-term disposal capacity will be available.

location for new on-site disposal facility

Efforts under way to identify

Site evaluations are under 

way for additional on-site 

disposal capacity to handle 

waste generated from cleanup 

operations 
34

Transuranic radioactive waste, or TRU, is one of several types of 

waste handled on the Oak Ridge Reservation. TRU waste contains 

man-made elements heavier than uranium, such as plutonium, 

hence the name “trans,” or “beyond,” uranium. 

TRU waste material is generally associated with the human 

manipulation of fissionable material dating back to the Manhattan 

Project and primarily consists of clothing, tools, rags, residues, soil, 

and debris. 

The TRU Waste Processing Center’s (TWPC) function is to 

characterize and package TRU waste for transportation and 

disposition at DOE’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, which 

provides permanent isolation and disposal in underground salt 

caverns. Any mixed low-level waste or low-level waste processed 

from the TRU waste inventory is prepared for compliant disposal 

elsewhere. 

Two waste streams, contact-handled (CH) TRU solids and 

remote-handled (RH) TRU solids, are being processed at the TWPC. 

During FY 2013, the TWPC processed 109 m3

 of the RH-TRU waste, 

reaching a total of 302 m3 of processed RH waste. The TWPC also 

processed 113 m3

 of CH-TRU waste, reaching a total of 1,370 m3 

of processed CH waste. During FY 2013, the TWPC shipped a total 

of 59 m3 of original RH-TRU inventory, reaching a total of 110 m3 

disposed. The TWPC also shipped 94 m3 of original CH-TRU waste 

inventory to disposal facilities in FY 2013, reaching a total of 970 m3 

disposed.

Transuranic Waste Processing Center

processing, shipping waste for disposal

A TWPC worker removes a supercompacted waste puck from 55-gallon waste drum
35

The Remote-Handled (RH) Sludge Project’s mission is to process and treat RH-TRU tank waste at ORNL. This processing includes 

RH sludge and supernate waste, with the packaging of the waste 

and shipment operations to be performed at the TWPC. 

The selected treatment alternative—stabilization and solidification—is projected to result in a low-level waste that can be disposed of at an off-site location. 

In FY 2013, the RH Sludge Project made progress in defining 

the nuclear safety design strategy, verification of technology selection for waste treatment, continuation of the RH Sludge Test Program to mature and demonstrate the selected technology, the RH 

Sludge Test Area design, and the procurement of long lead items 

for the RH Sludge Test Area. Additionally, the sludge project issued 

a Sludge Processing Waste Characterization and Certification Strategy document that describes the innovative waste characterization 

process control program that is planned for use in place of final form 

sampling, which was accepted by the Nevada Nuclear Security Site, 

the planned disposal site. The TWPC National Environmental Policy 

Act document—Environmental Impact Statement Supplement 

Analysis—was revised to bring it up to date with the latest conceptual design and to reflect the 

2010 U.S. Census data used 

in radiation exposure calculations. The document was 

submitted to DOE Headquarters for review, approval, and 

subsequent modification to 

the TWPC Record of Decision.

Solidification testing to

verify process production 

rates and the heat-up characteristics of the grout recipe 

(i.e. verify maximum temperature during curing) was 

completed in August 2013. 

The RH Sludge Test Area 

design was 75% complete at 

the end of FY 2013. 

Procurement activities 

and build-out of the Sludge 

Test Area were initiated. All 

major procurement packages with one exception were completed and ready for award to 

the selected contractor or for issuance as a Request for Proposal. 

On-site conversion of a 40-ft storage container into a mobile nonradiological laboratory was 65% complete. 

The TWPC east gate was relocated to support the buildout 

of the Sludge Test Area. After initial clearing and grubbing in the 

Sludge Test Area, an area that appeared to have a large amount 

of non-native soil was observed. Therefore, a test pit was opened 

to determine the depth and extent of non-native soils that would 

need to be removed. Material was discovered which was not radiologically contaminated during the digging of the test pit. Therefore, precautionary contamination controls were put in place, and 

excavation to native soils that exhibit acceptable compressibility 

characteristics was resumed. 

Later, more material was found—some of which was determined to be radiologically contaminated. Work was paused, and a 

time-critical CERCLA removal action was initiated to remove and 

dispose of the contaminated soil and debris from the Sludge Test 

Area so build-out activities could resume. The CERCLA activity was 

commenced and continued into FY 2014.

TWPC workers excavate soil for preparation of the sludge test area site

remote-handled sludge from ORNL

Work under way to remove

35
36

At ORNL, approximately 126,102,000 gallons of wastewater 

were treated and released at the Process Waste Treatment Complex. 

In addition, the liquid low-level waste evaporator at ORNL treated 

218,900 gallons of such waste. The ORNL 3039 Stack Facility has 

treated a total of 2.2 billion m3

 of gaseous waste. These waste treatment activities supported both EM and Office of Science mission activities in a safe and compliant manner during FY 2013.

The National Nuclear Security Administration at the Y-12 Complex treats wastewater generated from both production activities 

and environmental cleanup activities. Safe and compliant treatment of a total of 116,319,588 gallons of wastewater were provided 

at various facilities in FY 2013. Totals for each facility are listed below:

Facilities primarily serving National Nuclear Security Administration operations:

• West End Treatment Facility treated 470,00 gallons of process 

waters contaminated with chemical and radiological materials

• Central Pollution Control Facility treated 45,927 gallons of 

concentrated process waters 

contaminated with oil, chemical and radiological materials

Facilities serving environmental cleanup activities:

• Big Spring Waste Treatment 

System and the East End Mercury Treatment System treated 

100,473,040 gallons of mercury contaminated groundwater.

• Liquid Storage Facility and 

Groundwater Treatment Facility treated 2,104,902 gallons of 

leachate from burial grounds 

and well purge waters from 

remediation areas. 

• East End Volatile Organic 

Compound Treatment System 

treated 11,041,072 gallons of VOC-contaminated groundwater.

• Central Mercury Treatment System treated 2,184,647 gallons 

of mercury-contaminated sump waters from the Alpha 4 building. 

 Chromium Water Treatment System

Operation of the Chromium Water Treatment System at ETTP 

began in FY 2012 and continued through FY 2013. 

This system provides a long-term solution for hexavalent 

chromium being released into Mitchell Branch. The source of this 

contamination has not been identified. These releases affected the 

ambient water quality in Mitchell Branch, potentially affecting the 

water quality in Poplar Creek. 

Since operation of the treatment system, the concentration of 

chromium in Mitchell Branch has been reduced to compliant levels. 

Millions of gallons of wastewater treated

on the Oak Ridge Reservation

Chromium Waste Treatment System
37

The DOE Oak Ridge Reservation is home to ETTP, ORNL, and the Y-12 Complex. 

It contains approximately 33,500 acres, which is mostly wooded. In addition 

to cleanup projects at the three facilities on the Reservation, DOE is taking 

measures to address Reservation-wide issues.

37

Oak Rige

Reservation
38

The DOE Oak Ridge Reservation, which includes ETTP, the 

Y-12 Complex, and ORNL, is surrounded by approximately 20,100 

acres of mostly wooded parcels. These buffer parcels have littleto-no process-related history and are considered uncontaminated. 

However, with the listing of the Reservation on the National 

Priorities List (a listing of the country’s most contaminated sites) 

in 1989, the natural assumption was that all the property was 

contaminated. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has since 

clarified that NPL sites are not based on property boundaries, but 

rather the areas of contamination. 

Beginning in 2008, the DOE Oak Ridge Office initiated a process 

to achieve Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) party consensus that 

the buffer parcels require no further investigation (meaning that 

they are not contaminated and no further investigation is needed 

into determining that fact) and to modify the FFA appendices 

to better represent the known contaminated areas constituting 

the NPL site. Oak Ridge Associated Universities was contracted to 

complete the verification activities, including review of historical 

documents, sampling and analysis, risk analysis, and reporting of 

study results, with recommendations for no further investigation 

where appropriate. 

The first report addressing five parcels around ETTP 

(approximately 4,600 acres) was submitted as final to the FFA 

parties in December 2011 and approved by regulators in March 

2012. 

The second report addressing 14 parcels around ORNL and the 

Y-12 Complex (approximately 15,500 acres) was submitted as final 

to the FFA parties in September 2013. Since then, DOE has received 

formal approval from all FFA parties. This report recommended 

no further investigation for most (14,300 acres) but not all of the 

investigation area. Portions of Melton Valley between Haw Ridge 

and Copper Ridge extending from State Highway 95 to the Clinch 

River, and the area within the fenced boundary of the Central 

Training Facility firing range on West Chestnut Ridge, were not 

recommended for a no-further investigation determination. Based 

on the recommendations included in these reports, a total of 18,900 

acres were approved for no further investigation.

Uncontaminated Reservation sites

identified for “No Further Investigation”

The 2013 Remediation Effectiveness Report for the Oak Ridge Reservation was submitted to the Environmental Protection 

Agency and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and comments were received and incorporated into a 

revised version of the report.

The Water Resources Restoration Program coordinates 

watershed monitoring to include data interpretation and final 

reporting in the annual Remediation Effectiveness Report for 

the Oak Ridge Reservation. The scope of work includes groundwater, surface water, sediments, and biological monitoring. 

The program’s primary technical objective is to provide data 

and technical analysis necessary to support groundwater and 

surface water management decisions, gauge the effectiveness 

of past and future remedial actions, and to ensure compliance 

with all CERCLA-mandated requirements pertaining to environmental monitoring. 

Remediation Effectiveness Report submitted
39

An Oak Ridge Reservation Groundwater Strategy was completed in September 2013 to document a path forward for managing 

legacy groundwater challenges. Issuing the Oak Ridge Reservation 

Groundwater Strategy document for regulator review completed a 

year-long project to develop an interagency approach for addressing Oak Ridge Reservation groundwater contamination. 

Six workshops with representatives from the Environmental 

Protection Agency, Tennessee Department of Environment and 

Conservation, DOE, contractor representatives, and a representative 

from the U.S. Geological Survey were held in FY 2013:

• Three workshops to review conceptual site models for each Oak 

Ridge Reservation watershed, identify plumes and related data 

gaps, and identify potential groundwater projects. 

• Two workshops to combine and rank the plumes, combine and 

rank projects, and select an early action project. 

• A final workshop to review groundwater use restrictions and 

policies and alternatives to engineered groundwater restoration. 

Consensus was reached on a number of key groundwater issues, 

including:

• Additional near-term, off-site monitoring measures are needed to assess potential off-site risks. This need guided selection 

of an early action project, Off-site Groundwater Quality Assessment, to perform additional sampling and analysis of off-site 

groundwater. 

• No immediate off-site groundwater use controls (beyond those 

controls already in place) are needed at this time. This assessment could change based on characterization results of the 

Off-site Groundwater Quality Assessment project.

• An ongoing Oak Ridge Reservation Groundwater Program to 

systematically prioritize and investigate groundwater plumes 

and data gaps is needed. The program will provide flexibility to 

adapt project sequencing and scopes based on plume characterization findings, cleanup progress, and changing priorities 

and budgets.

Plans for FY 2014 include initiating the Off-Site Groundwater 

Quality Assessment as a tri-party effort and setting up an Oak Ridge 

Reservation Groundwater Program that will be based in the established Water Resources Restoration Program.

Oak Ridge Reservation groundwater

Strategy developed for addressing

39
40

The public is involved in all cleanup decisions made by DOE. To keep the public informed, DOE provides information through a variety of outlets, including meetings, fact sheets, public notices, the monthly Public Involvement 

News newsletter, and other publications. .

40

Public 

Involvement
41

 Local elected officials, DOE and contractor personnel, 

members of the public, and others attended an Oak Ridge 

cleanup celebration event, held May 2, 2013, at Pollard 

Auditorium in Oak Ridge. The event featured a series of 

timeline posters showing cleanup progress throughout 

the years, as well as a video featuring accounts of cleanup 

successes. The event was open to the public. Rep. Chuck 

Fleischmann was among the dignitaries attending the 

event.

cleanup successes

40

Three former DOE managers—Jim Hall, Joe 

LaGrone, and Gerald Boyd—receive framed 

copies of a DVD shown at the cleanup celebration. The three men appear in the DVD

A timeline display showing EM’s accomplishments through the years was a key feature of the celebration event

at special event

EM celebrates
42

Community Outreach

In FY 2013 ORSSAB continued efforts to keep the public informed of its activities to provide opportunities for dialogue between EM and the surrounding communities.

Each monthly board meeting is video recorded, and the 

presentation portion is broadcast on cable television stations 

in Anderson, Knox, and Loudon counties. The videos are also on 

the board’s YouTube channel. ORSSAB’s website and Facebook site 

have links to the YouTube postings. 

The board also reaches out through its quarterly Advocate 

newsletter, news releases, and postings on the board’s website and 

Facebook page. The board’s permanent exhibit at the American 

Museum of Science and Energy features a variety of touch-screen 

kiosks and displays on waste management activities, long-term 

stewardship, history, and other aspects of DOE’s cleanup program. 

ORSSAB Tours Transuranic 

Waste Processing Center

A number of board members 

had the opportunity to see where 

and how transuranic (TRU) waste 

from the Oak Ridge Reservation is 

packaged and prepared for shipment.

They were shown how both 

contact-handled and remotehandled TRU waste is prepared for 

shipping at the Transuranic Waste 

Processing Center near Oak Ridge 

National Lab. After packaging and 

certification, TRU waste will be sent 

in 2014 to the Waste Isolation Pilot 

Plant in New Mexico, where it will 

ORSSAB’s advice

The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board (ORSSAB) is a federally appointed citizens’ panel 

that provides independent advice and recommendations to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak 

Ridge Office of Environmental Management (EM). The board is composed of up to 22 members, 

who are chosen to reflect the diverse occupations, perspectives, and interests of people living 

near the Oak Ridge Reservation.

Since 1995, ORSSAB has actively provided input to the DOE Oak Ridge EM Program on cleanup operations and stewardship of remediated areas and permanent waste disposal sites. The 

board continued that tradition in FY 2013. All of ORSSAB’s activities can be viewed by accessing 

the board’s website at www.oakridge.doe.gov/em/ssab/.

be permanently disposed in salt caverns 2,100 feet below the surface. 

Recommendations

ORSSAB’s primary function is to provide advice and recommendations to DOE on its environmental cleanup of the Oak Ridge 

Reservation. ORSSAB submitted five recommendations to DOE for 

consideration in FY 2013.

Complete text of all ORSSAB recommendations can be found 

on the ORSSAB website at www.oakridge.doe.gov/em/ssab/recc.

htm.

Recommendation on Availability of DOE Environmental 

Management Documents

ORSSAB recommended to DOE that it improve the system of 

ORSSAB members tour the Transuranic Waste Processing Center

helps DOE make cleanup decisions
43

finding documents in the DOE Information Center’s online search 

catalog. 

Some members of the board’s EM Committee had expressed 

frustration at trying to find documents online, saying the basic 

search function often yields many pages of documents not relevant 

to the search and that the advanced search function is only usable 

if details of the document are already known.

The recommendation suggested several actions to expedite 

finding documents online.

DOE responded saying it was working to improve search capabilities and had included a ‘search tips’ function on the website. DOE 

also advised researchers to contact directly personnel at the DOE 

Information Center to assist with document searches.

Recommendation on Remaining Legacy Materials on the 

Oak Ridge Reservation

DOE Oak Ridge EM has a collection of legacy materials stored 

at various locations around the Oak Ridge Reservation. Some of this 

material is considered waste and is best suited for permanent disposal, while some is non-waste that has potential for re-use. Most 

of it is under some type of regulatory requirement and must be 

dealt with eventually. 

This legacy material includes sodium shields stored at East 

Tennessee Technology Park and at Oak Ridge National Lab, shielded 

transfer tanks in Melton Valley, Disposal Area Remedial Action Soils 

in Bear Creek Valley, and 28 vaults of low-level radioactive waste on 

a concrete pad at the lab. 

While these legacy materials are considered to be in safe storage, they are a cost liability to keep.

After presentations on the legacy materials at both a full 

ORSSAB meeting and at an ORSSAB EM Committee meeting, a 

recommendation was developed and submitted to DOE. The recommendation included a number of suggestions DOE could take in 

dealing with remaining legacy materials.

DOE’s response was that it had developed a comprehensive 

inventory of all waste/materials stored on the reservation and has 

prioritized the inventory for disposition, with the highest priority 

to address hazardous and/or radioactive waste that may pose a 

threat to the environment or could result in a violation of federal or 

state laws. DOE also said it had established a hierarchy for dispositioning the inventory to minimize disposition costs.

Recommendations on the FY 2015 DOE Oak Ridge EM Budget Request

Each year the DOE EM Program develops its budget request 

for the fiscal year and two years beyond the current fiscal year. DOE 

also asks for input from the public on its proposed request. 

In February 2013, DOE briefed ORSSAB on the current budget 

picture and described near-term, mid-term, and long-term priorities. 

In developing the recommendation on DOE’s budget request, 

ORSSAB generally agreed with DOE’s current strategy for cleanup 

and endorsed its 2015 budget request.

ORSSAB’s endorsement, however, didn’t come without some 

reservations. It noted that delays in cleanup generally increase lifeThe ORSSAB held its annual planning meeting in October 2013 to discuss FY 2013 work topics. Below, DOE’s Dave Adler, 

ORSSAB’s Alternate Deputy Designated Federal Officer, leads the discussion on topics that DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation suggested the board focus its attention on in FY 2014.
44

cycle costs and human risk. When programs are delayed, financial 

costs and environmental and safety risks escalate. 

DOE Oak Ridge EM forwarded ORSSAB’s comments with its 

budget request to DOE Headquarters.

Recommendation to Develop a Fact Sheet on Site Transition at Ongoing Mission Sites

In June 2011, ORSSAB recommended to the DOE Assistant 

Secretary for EM that DOE develop a fact sheet similar to one used 

by the Office of Legacy Management that describes a site transition 

process upon completion of cleanup at remediated DOE sites. 

DOE developed a document called “Site Transition: Cleanup Completion to Long-term Stewardship at DOE On-going Mission Sites 

(September 2011).

ORSSAB’s Stewardship Committee provided comments on 

the fact sheet and in February 2012, DOE issued another 

document that reflected input provided by ORSSAB and 

other site specific advisory 

boards.

The Stewardship Committee reviewed the revised 

document and concluded 

that, while the revision is useful and provides much good 

information related to turning remediated areas back to 

original landlords when work 

is completed at an ongoing 

mission site, it still believes that the format used in the Office of 

Legacy Management fact sheet is more user-friendly and better 

suited for public use.

The recommendation re-stated ORSSAB’s request to develop 

a fact sheet based on the Office of Legacy Management fact sheet. 

In September 2013 DOE provided a revised fact sheet based on 

ORSSAB’s recommendation.

Recommendation on a Stewardship Point of Contact for 

the Oak Ridge Reservation

While all the standing ORSSAB committees have DOE Oak 

Ridge liaisons, the Stewardship Committee believed it was important that DOE Oak Ridge EM have a dedicated point of contact for 

stewardship that the board and the public can go to for stewardship-related issues on the Oak Ridge Reservation.

Representing ORSSAB at the 

EM SSAB Chairs’ spring 2013 

meeting webinar were Vice 

Chair Dave Hemelright, left, 

and Chair David Martin

Dan Goode, U.S. Geological Survey, right, briefs ORSSAB EM Committee members on Groundwater 

Strategy Workshops conducted by DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Tennessee 

Department of Environment and Conservation. Goode acted as a liaison between ORSSAB and the 

workshop proceedings.
45

ways be a permanent point of contact for the board for stewardship 

issues. 

DOE accepted the recommendation saying that the DOE liaison 

to the new EM & Stewardship Committee will be the permanent 

point of contact for stewardship issues on the Oak Ridge Reservation. 

Dave Adler, ORSSAB’s Alternate Deputy Designated Federal 

Officer, agreed to be the point of contact, but the committee recognized that changes occur over time, such as reorganizations, 

personnel changes, and re-assignments. The committee drafted 

a recommendation, which the board approved, that there will al45
46

The DOE Information Center is a one-stop information facility 

that maintains a collection of more than 46,000 documents involving 

environmental activities in Oak Ridge. 

The Center hosts various meetings, including the ORSSAB meetings, relevant to cleanup activities in Oak Ridge. Staff are available 

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to assist with your information needs. A web site is available for users to search for information 

at the Center. Go to www.oakridge.doe.gov and click on “Public Activities.” Select the “Online Catalog” to begin the search.

FY 2013 Stats

Average number of visitors per month 65

Number of public meetings held 97

Total citizen inquiries 794

Total number of documents at the center 46,653

 Total number of documents on-line 44,676

Visit the DOE Information Center on the Web at www.

oakridge.doe.gov/info_cntr

DOE Information Center

Phone: 865-241-4780

The DOE Information Center is located the Office of Scientific and 

Technical Information, Building 1916 – T1,

1 Science.Gov Way, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

DOE Information Center staff, from left, are Michelle McMillan, 

Wanda Joyce, and Eva Butler 
47

DOE Information Center

Office of Scientific and Technical Information

 Building 1916 – T1, 1 Science.Gov Way

Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830

Phone: (865) 241-4780

Fax: (865) 574-3521

E-mail: DOEIC@oro.doe.gov

Hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday

DOE Public Affairs Office

(865) 576-0885

DOE-ORO Public Information Line

1-800-382-6938

Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board

(865) 241-4583, (865) 241-4584

1-800-382-6938

Tennessee Department of Environment

and Conservation

(865) 481-0995

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Region IV

1-800-241-1754

Agency for Toxic Substances and

Disease Registry

1-888-422-8737

DOE Main Web Site www.energy.gov

DOE-ORO Home Page www.oakridge.doe.gov

DOE-ORO Environmental Management Program www.oakridge.doe.gov/external 

 (Click on “Programs,” then select 

“Environmental Management”)

Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board www.oakridge.doe.gov/em/ssab

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry www.atsdr.cdc.gov

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov/region4/

Tennessee Department of Environment www.state.tn.us/environment/

and Conservation

DOE Information Center www.oakridge.doe.gov/info_cntr

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act www.recovery.gov 

 www.energy.gov/recovery

Information Resources

Internet Sites
48

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

 Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980

CEUSP Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification

 Project

CH Contact-handled

CROET Community Reuse Organization of East

 Tennessee

DOE U.S. Department of Energy

EM Environmental Management

EMWMF Environmental Management Waste

 Management Facility

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

ETTP East Tennessee Technology Park

FFA Federal Facility Agreement

Commonly Used Abbreviations

CERCLA: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 established prohibitions and requirements 

concerning closed and abandoned hazardous waste sites, provided for liability of persons responsible for hazardous waste releases at these 

sites, and established a trust fund to provide cleanup when no responsible party could be identified. The law authorizes two kinds of response actions: short-term removals, where actions may be taken to address releases or threatened releases requiring prompt response, 

and long-term remedial actions, which permanently and significantly reduce the dangers associated with releases or threats of releases. 

Long-term actions can be conducted at sites on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List, a listing of the nation’s most 

hazardous waste sites. The Oak Ridge Reservation was added to that list in 1989. 

Environmental Management Waste Management Facility: The Record of Decision for the Disposal of Oak Ridge Reservation 

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 Waste, Oak Ridge, Tennessee was issued in 1999 to 

construct a dedicated disposal facility on the Reservation to receive low-level radioactive waste, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 

hazardous waste, Toxic Substances Control Act waste, and mixed wastes generated from cleanup programs conducted under CERCLA. While 

the Record of Decision did not establish a formal name for this facility, it has been designated as the Environmental Management Waste 

Management Facility.

Federal Facility Agreement: Cleanup activities are performed in accordance with state and federal laws, and CERCLA requires an interagency agreement to facilitate the interaction between state and federal entities (for the DOE Oak Ridge Office, that would be DOE, the 

Environmental Protection Agency, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation). The Federal Facility Agreement for 

Oak Ridge was initiated in January 1992 to satisfy the interagency agreement requirement.

Record of Decision: Under the CERCLA process, a Record of Decision formally documents the selection of a preferred cleanup method at 

Superfund sites after a series of steps, including a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study. After a preferred cleanup alternative is selected, 

it is presented to the public for comment in a Proposed Plan. The Environmental Protection Agency, the state, and the lead agency then 

select a remedy and document it in the Record of Decision.

Removal Actions: Some cleanup activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation are conducted as Removal Actions under CERCLA. These actions 

provide an important method for moving sites more quickly through the CERCLA process. When a site presents a relatively time-sensitive, 

non-complex problem that can and should be addressed, a Removal Action would be warranted.

Commonly Used Terms

FY Fiscal year

MSRE Molten Salt Reactor Experiment

NNSS Nevada National Security Site

NPL National Priorities List

ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORSSAB Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board

RH Remote-handled

RI/FS Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study

TRU Transuranic

TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act

TWPC Transuranic Waste Processing Center

UEFPC Upper East Fork Poplar Creek

VOC Volatile organic compound
49
50

For more information, please contact the DOE Public Affairs Office

at (865) 576-0885 or 1-800-382-6938.