1

FY 2008 Cleanup

DOE/ORO/2286

Progress

Cleanup Progress

FY 2008

Annual Report to the Oak Ridge Community Annual Report to the Oak Ridge Community
2

About the cover: The photo featured on the cover shows the demolition of 

the northwest bridge of the K-25 Building, which was the first demolition 

work performed on the building.

This report was produced by 

Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC, 

DOE’s Environmental Management 

Contractor for the Oak Ridge Reservation.
1

Message from the Manager

DOE Oak Ridge Office

To the Oak Ridge Community: 

 Safety. Performance. Cleanup. Closure. The accomplishments of the 

Oak Ridge Office’s Environmental Management (EM) Program during 2008 

are significant as we make progress cleaning up the environmental legacy 

found on the Oak Ridge Reservation. 

 Our major effort in 2008 was continuing cleanup of the East Tennessee 

Technology Park (ETTP). We are beginning to demolish the massive K-25 

Building, which consists of 44 acres under one roof. In 2009, demolition 

of this building, shut down since 1964, will be fully under way. Nets and 

barriers were installed in FY 2008 to make pre-demolition work inside 

the building safer. The building’s northwest bridge has already been demolished. We plan to completely demolish the K-25 Building by late 2010.

 ETTP has seen many changes during the past few years as several 

facilities were demolished, including the K-1401 Building, a 10-acre, WWII-era maintenance facility. The 

footprint of this site is now grass, which provides space for future private sector use as we transition the 

ETTP site into an industrial park. Our Reindustrialization Program is facilitating that transition. The program 

has transitioned the ETTP fire station and the site’s water treatment facility to the City of Oak Ridge. It also 

transferred two land parcels, totaling approximately 23 acres, to the Community Reuse Organization of East 

Tennessee. These actions help support economic growth on the west end of Oak Ridge.

 Also on the Reservation, workers completed removal of nuclear fuel from the Molten Salt Reactor 

Experiment facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), while planning was under way to remove more 

than 14,000 tons of scrap metal from the Y-12 Old Salvage Yard. In the one remaining off-site cleanup project, 

workers completed field cleanup work at the Witherspoon 1630 site in South Knoxville.

 We look forward to seeing the progress that will be made in FY 2009 as the K-25 west wing demolition 

advances. Environmental cleanup is essential to DOE’s missions in Oak Ridge. In fact, we are concurrently 

planning for additional cleanup work beyond our current scope through the Integrated Facility Disposition 

Program. This program includes facilities at both ORNL and the Y-12 National Security Complex that are determined to be excess. By eventually removing them, space will be made available for growth in our current 

and future mission activities. More importantly, demolition of these buildings will allow the Environmental 

Management program to address more areas of significant contamination and improve worker safety. 

 Our cleanup program provides a safer, healthier environment and paves the way for economic and DOE 

mission growth. The following pages highlight our FY 2008 accomplishments, reflecting our $522 million 

investment in the EM Program and the labor of many talented people. Included is the work of the Oak Ridge 

Site Specific Advisory Board, composed of citizen volunteers, who provided 17 recommendations in FY 2008 

on our cleanup activities. 

 Our cleanup program is truly the result of a team effort, and involvement of the public is an important 

part of that team work. We appreciate the input you provide and look forward to continuing this momentum, 

leading to even more accomplishments in 2009. 

Environmental Management

safety  performance  cleanup  closure

E

 M

Gerald Boyd

1
2

RmA

ROD

FFA

ESD

ETTP

CERCLA 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 (EPA’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. 

East Tennessee Technology Park: The former K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

Explanation of Significant Differences: An Explanation of Significant Differences documents necessary 

changes to an existing Record of Decision.

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, EPA, 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. EPA, 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
3

Introduction 5

East Tennessee Technology Park 7

Demolition Activities Begin on the K-25 Building 9 

Nets and Barriers Protection Completed 11

K-1401 Demolition Completed 12

ETTP Demolition Activities Changing Site Landscape 14

Groundwater Contamination Being Addressed 16

ETTP Soil Remediation Efforts Continue 16

Reindustrialization Transfers Continue As Site Transforms 17

Fire Station Transferred 18

Oak Ridge Reservation and Off-Site 19

Remedial Actions Defined in Bethel Valley ROD 20

3019 Project to Resolve Safety, Security Issues 20

Nuclear Fuel Removed From MSRE Facility 21 

UEFPC ROD Supports Remediation Decisions 22

Planning Under Way to Remediate Y-12 Old Salvage Yard 22

Remediation Planned for Bear Creek Burial Grounds 23

Witherspoon Project Nearing Completion 24 

Waste Management 25

TSCA Incinerator Treats 1 Million Pounds of Waste 26 

Disposal Continues at Reservation Waste Facilities 27

Expansion Planned at CERCLA Waste Facility 28 

Millions of Gallons of Wastewater Treated 29

TWPC Processing CH- and RU-TRU Wastes 30 

IFDP Planning Under Way to Enable Modernization Efforts 31 

 

Public Involvement 32

Public Comments Solicited on a Number of Issues 33 

ORSSAB Assists DOE on Several Key Reservation Issues 34

DOE Information Center 38

Information Resources 39

Commonly Used Acronyms 40

Contents
44
5

Introduction

Environmental Management (EM) is the 

largest DOE program in Oak Ridge, with cleanup 

programs under way to correct the legacies remaining from several years of energy research 

and weapons production. 

 Because of past practices, portions of land 

and facilities on the 33,750-acre Oak Ridge Reservation are contaminated with radioactive 

elements, mercury, asbestos, polychlorinated 

biphenyls, and industrial wastes. The Oak Ridge 

Reservation is on the Environmental Protection 

Agency’s National Priorities List and is being 

cleaned up under a Federal Facility Agreement 

with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

and the State of Tennessee.

 In 2008, the program focused on cleanup 

efforts at East Tennessee Technology Park. Significant progress has been made in cleaning up 

large gaseous diffusion buildings, various facilities, and soils at this site. Cleanup efforts also 

continued at the other Oak Ridge Reservation 

sites and the David Witherspoon Inc. 1630 site 

in South Knoxville.

 The current focus of the EM Program is completing the high-priority projects of demolishing the K-25 Building and preparing for cleanup 

activities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory 

and Y-12 National Security Complex.

5
6
7

East Tennessee Technology Park

Heritage Center

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 plant was permanently 

shut down in 1987 and is undergoing cleanup for 

ultimate conversion to a private sector industrial park. 

Restoration of the environment, decontamination 

and decommissioning of facilities, and disposition of 

wastes are currently the major activities at the site.
88

K-25 Building
9

Demolition Activities Begin on the

K-25 Building

Demolition of the 

northwest bridge 

of the K-25 Building 

marks the first actual 

demolition activities 

on the building.

 The first demolition activity on the K-25 Building has been successfully completed. The northwest bridge that connected the west wing to 

the base of the U-shaped structure has been removed.

 The K-25 Building, built during the Manhattan 

Project, covers 1.64 million ft2 and contains 540 

stages of gaseous diffusion and associated auxiliary equipment. Each stage consists of a converter, 

two compressors, two compressor motors, and 

associated piping. The footprint of the K-25 Building, the largest facility at ETTP, occupies about 40 

acres.

 The bridge housed pipes that transferred uranium as it was undergoing enrichment between 

building wings. Workers demolished the twostory, 143,000-ft3

 structure using excavators and 

other heavy equipment. 

 The bridge removal paves the way for demolition of the west wing, which is scheduled to begin in FY 2009. Demolition of both wings of the 

building is scheduled to be completed at the end 

of 2010. 

 Activities that have been under way to prepare the K-25 Building for demolition include process system stabilization by foaming, removal and 

segmentation of high-risk components, removal 

of transite panels, and shipment of converters off 

site for disposal. Measures have also been taken 

to improve the safety of workers, including the 

installation of nets and barriers to add protection 

from falling debris.

 Additional activities completed in FY 2008 include completing removal of excess materials and 

completing plans to demolish the West Wing. 

 Excess material removal addresses the nonprocess materials—such as laboratory equipment, 

centrifuge equipment, Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation equipment, drums of chemicals 

and nickel—from inside and outside of Buildings 

K-25 and K-27. About 98% of the excess materials 

has been removed as of September 2008. 
10

The photo above shows the 

location of the northwest bridge, 

and pictured right is the area 

after the bridge was removed.

Workers unbolt a 

beam on the K-25 

Building northwest 

bridge so that it can 

be removed. 
11

Nets and Barriers Protection Completed

 The Ironworkers Local 384 installed the last of the nets and barriers protection in the K-25 Building in 

September 2008. The project entailed the installation of more than 85,000 pieces of rebar—enough to wrap 

around the building 60 times. The nets and barriers protection will make working in the building safer as 

personnel prepare it for demolition. Workers below pose with the last piece of corrugated metal to be installed. These barriers were placed beneath the building’s deteriorating operating floor to protect workers 

on the cell floor below from possible falling debris. 

Crews are removing the 

external stairwells in 

preparation for demolition 

of the west wing of the K-25 

Building. A total of 24 stairwells 

were slated for demolition on 

the west wing.
12

Slab Demolished, Basement Backfilled

K-1401 Demolition Completed

The decontamination and demolition of Building K-1401, a 500,000 ft2

 structure in the center of 

ETTP, was completed at the end of FY 2007, and 

personnel have since been busy backfilling the 

basement area and pulling up the concrete slabs of

K-1401, the K-1008 change houses, and K-1020.

 Project personnel shipped and disposed of 

more than 50 million pounds of demolition debris 

as part of the project.

 Most of the slab debris was placed as backfill in 

the K-1401 basement area. The basement is 210 feet 

wide x 340 feet long x 16.5 feet deep, for a total of 

43,633 yd3 of volume requiring backfilling. 

 Backfilling, final site grading, and seeding are 

planned for completion in early FY 2009. The building, one of the original Manhattan Project structures, was used to condition processing equipment 

before it was installed in the K-25 uranium-enrichment plant. The facility later became the maintenance hub for the K-25 Site, and was used most

recently by private sector tenants as part of the site’s 

reindustrialization effort.

Building K-1401 before demolition
13

The slab debris, left, 

provides suitable 

backfill material for 

the K-1401 basement. 

Below, Foreman 

Becky Phillips and 

Project Manager 

Lydia Birk discuss slab 

demolition at the site.

Debris from the demolition of the K-1401 

Building was transported by truck to be 

disposed at the CERCLA Waste Disposal Facility 

near the Y-12 Complex.
14

Potential Reuse Equipment removal/

pre-demolition Demolished

East Tennessee

Technology Park

K-25

K-33

K-31

K-27 K-29

K-1401

Centrifuge 

Facilities

K-1420

K-1007

K-1330

K-1225

TSCA

Incinerator

K-1580

Po

plar Creek

Clinch

Riv

er

K-1652

K-1400

K-1036

Transferred

K-1064

Peninsula

 As demolition activities continue at ETTP, the 

landscape at the site continues to change. 

 Most buildings at ETTP, except for property 

transfer candidates, are scheduled for demolition. 

The facilities that will remain will be transferred for 

potential title transfer to private sector organizations under the Reindustrialization Program. 

 Eight major facilities (which include some complexes of multiple small buildings) and two land 

parcels at the former gaseous diffusion plant have 

been transferred. Building demolition is being performed through several projects: 

• K-25/K-27 Buildings, 

• Group I Auxiliary Facilities, 

• Group II, Phase 1 Main Plant Facilities, 

• Group II, Phase 2 Buildings (K-1064 Peninsula), 

• Group II, Phase 3 Remaining Facilities, and

• K-29/K-31/K-33 Buildings Decontamination. 

 Because these are removal actions, the CERCLA 

Zone 1 and Zone 2 Records of Decision (RODs) will 

determine the fi nal remedy for the contaminated 

slabs, soils, and below-grade structures.

Changing Site Landscape

ETTP Demolition Activities K-1035
15

K-25/K-27 Buildings

 As discussed previously, the K-25 Building is being prepared for demolition, which is expected to 

be completed in 2010. Demolition and disposal of 

the K-27 Building is scheduled to start in April 2015 

and be completed in April 2016. 

Group I: Auxiliary Facilities

 In FY 1997, DOE signed an Action Memorandum 

(AM) to demolish five ETTP auxiliary facilities. This 

project began in FY 1998 and was completed in FY 

2006. In FY 2006, the final Removal Action Report 

was prepared.

Group II, Phase 1: Main Plant Facilities

 In FY 2000, DOE signed an AM to demolish the 

ETTP main plant facilities. This project began in August 2000 and was completed in December 2003. 

In FY 2004, the work was completed, and the Removal Action Report was prepared.

Group II, Phase 2: K-1064 Facilities

 DOE signed an AM in July 2002 for the demolition of 18 facilities and the removal of scrap material located in the K-1064 peninsula area. In FY 2007, 

the work was completed, and the Removal Action 

Report was prepared.

Group II, Phase 3: Remaining Facilities

 In September 2003, DOE signed an AM to demolish the approximately 500 remaining facilities. 

In FY 2008, three predominantly uncontaminated 

facilities and 15 low-risk/low-complexity facilities 

were demolished. In the Poplar Creek area, asbestos 

abatement was completed in K-633, K-131, K-631, 

K-1231, and K-413; chemical treatment was completed in K-633 and the K-27/K-633 tie line; characterization was completed in K-413, K-1231, K-1233, 

K-633, and K-633/K-27 tie line; chemical treatment 

was completed on all facilities and 80% of the tie 

lines associated with hydrofluoric acid distribution 

to the uranium processing facilities, and the remaining uranium hexafluoride cylinders from Building 

K-33 were disposed. Demolition of the K-413 Building was initiated and is 50% complete. 

K-29/K-31/K-33 Buildings

 DOE signed an AM in 1997 to decontaminate 

and remove equipment from the K-29, K-31, and 

K-33 gaseous diffusion buildings. The contractor, 

BNG America, completed that work in FY 2005, 

and the Removal Action Report was prepared in 

FY 2006. Building K-29 was later demolished after 

DOE determined that the facility was not suitable 

for reindustrialization.

Demolition of K-413, a gaseous diffusion process support building
16

 The soil at ETTP is to be remediated to a level that protects 

a future industrial work force and 

the underlying groundwater. Two 

RODs have been signed that address soil, slabs, subsurface structures, and burial grounds.

 The Zone 1 ROD was signed 

in November 2002. Zone 1 is the 

1,400-acre area surrounding ETTP 

outside the fence. The Zone 2 ROD 

was signed in April 2005. Zone 2 

includes the area within the main 

fence of ETTP (approximately 800 

acres). 

 In Zone 1, soil characterization 

continued to determine whether 

additional remediation is needed, 

and several underground storage 

tanks were removed in the K-770 

area. In Zone 2, the characterization and remediation of the Balance of Site–Laboratories area 

were completed and documented. 

 Characterization also was 

completed in the Mitchell Branch 

Area. 

 Characterization continued 

in other areas located in the main 

portion of ETTP, and plans were 

made for the excavation in FY 2009 

of the K-1070-B Burial Ground.

 A Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study was previously submitted to EPA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) addressing the nature and extent of groundwater contamination, contamination of Mitchell Branch, 

and ecological concerns. It evaluated alternatives for remediation and provided the 

basis for the final remediation decision for 

ETTP. 

 In FY 2007, this document was reviewed 

by EPA and TDEC, and a revision was prepared and reviewed by these agencies. In 

FY 2008, a second revision was prepared 

and submitted to the EPA and TDEC for review. Also in FY 2008, plans were initiated to 

conduct a groundwater treatability study. 

This study will be conducted in FY 2009. A 

Proposed Plan was submitted to EPA and 

TDEC in FY 2007; however, it will be placed 

on hold until the Remedial Investigation/

Feasibility Study is finalized.

 An Action Memorandum for the 

remediation of the K-1007 Holding Ponds, 

K-901-A Holding Pond, K-720 Slough, and K770 Embayment was approved in FY 2007. The Remedial Action Work Plan and the Sampling and Analysis 

Plan were completed in FY 2008. Remediation activities will be conducted in FY 2009.

 A time-critical Action Memorandum to address releases of hexavalent chromium to Mitchell Branch was 

approved in FY 2008. The selected interim action, construction of a groundwater collection system, was completed in FY 2008, and a removal action report was transmitted to the regulators. The collection and treatment of contaminated groundwater under this action continues.

Contamination Being Addressed

Groundwater

ETTP Soil Remediation Efforts Continue

Installation of the water treatment system for hexavalent 

chromium at Mitchell Branch 
17

 In FY 2008, DOE Oak Ridge Office’s Reindustrialization Program transferred the K-1515 Water 

Treatment Plant Complex and the K-1652 Fire Station (see article on next page) to the City of Oak 

Ridge. 

 Transfer of the K-1515 Water Treatment Plant 

complex is part of a comprehensive plan for the City 

of Oak Ridge to provide potable water service to 

ETTP. 

 In addition to transferring the treatment plant, 

much of the water and sewer lines at the site were 

also transitioned to the city in FY 2008. 

 DOE also transferred Land Parcels ED-5 East and 

ED-7 to the Community Reuse Organization of East 

Tennessee (CROET). CROET, as a precursor to the 

future transfer of the K-1000 Building, demolished 

the former K-1028-57 Access Center. 

Transfers Continuing As Site Transforms

Reindustrialization

The K-1515 Water Treatment Plant Complex has been transitioned to the City of Oak Ridge.

 ED-5 East is approximately 18 acres and is located 

near the front of the ETTP site, behind Building K1007, a large office building previously transferred 

to CROET. This parcel of land is being slated for new 

development. 

 The second parcel, referred to as ED-7, is 

approximately 5 acres in size. ED-7 will be used for 

development of the Southern Appalachian Railway 

Museum. 

 Southern Appalachian Railway presently operates the Secret City Railroad from a leased location 

at ETTP and offers train rides through the plant and 

environs. 

 These transfers are part of DOE’s plan to transform 

ETTP into a private sector business/industrial park. 

Additional buildings at ETTP and several land areas 

are in various stages of the transfer process.
18

 As part of its reindustrialization effort, DOE has 

transitioned the 25,000-ft2 ETTP fire department to 

the City of Oak Ridge, making it an official part of 

the Oak Ridge Fire Department.

 With the addition of this new station, called 

Station No. 4, west end residents and businesses 

have closer access to firefighting and emergency 

medical services. 

 The transition took place after two-and-a-half 

years of study and negotiation. A formal ceremony 

turning over the fire station to the City was held 

May 17, 2008. Station No. 4 was previously operated 

by Bechtel Jacobs Company for DOE as an ETTPsite-only fire department. As part of the deal, the 

City received three fire engines, a rescue truck, a 

hazardous materials response truck, and several 

Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan (left) and Gerald Boyd, manager of DOE’s Oak Ridge Office sign a ceremonial 

deed for the city’s new fire station at ETTP. Also pictured, standing, is Oak Ridge Fire Chief Mack Bailey.

trailers equipped with special rescue equipment. 

The Fire Department also assumed operation of the 

DOE ambulances, which will most often be used on 

DOE sites but can respond off site.

City of Oak Ridge Now Operates Facility

Fire Station Transferred

K-1652 Fire Station
19

Retrieval of a TRU cask

Oak Ridge Reservation

and Off-Site Cleanup

In addition to ETTP, DOE is cleaning up sites across the 

Oak Ridge Reservation, including those at Oak Ridge 

National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security 

Complex. One major off-site project, cleanup of the 

David Witherspoon site in South Knoxville, is nearing 

completion.
20

The U-233 Disposition Project has been developed by DOE to resolve safety and security issues 

associated with the continued storage of 450 kg of 

Uranium 233, primarily uranium oxides, in Building 

3019 at ORNL. 

 The project addresses safety issues that were 

identified by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety 

Board in Recommendation 97-1, “Safe Storage of 

Uranium-233.” 

 Down-blending this material to a stable oxide 

is expected to begin in 2012 once facility modifications and new processing equipment is in place. 

 The objective of the project is to process the U233 inventory to a form suitable for final disposal, 

thereby reducing costs at ORNL.

 In October 2007, the project completed a readiness assessment to allow receipt of the remaining 

sodium fluoride traps from the MSRE facility. Due to 

delays in design completion during 2008, the project has experienced a slippage in the schedule. 

 The revised schedule indicates dismantlement 

and construction activities to support new processing equipment are to begin in FY 2009. 

To Resolve Safety, Security Issues

3019 Project

The Bethel Valley ROD defined remedial actions 

for soil and sediment and included three different 

tasks: (1) capping at two large waste sites, (2) soil removal actions that vary in size from limited extent 

to large areas, and (3) removal of stream sediments 

from seven stretches of the stream. 

 The Remedial Action Work Plan (RAWP) was submitted to the regulators in FY 2008 and addresses 

soil and sediment characterization activities in Bethel Valley on the Oak Ridge Reservation as set forth in 

the Bethel Valley ROD. 

 The primary objectives of this RAWP are to define the scope of remediation work to be performed, 

identify the controls that will be implemented to 

protect workers and the environment, and describe 

the methods of accomplishment to be used to execute the work. 

 This RAWP further proposes a statistically based 

soil characterization strategy to acquire additional 

data, following remedial actions, to ensure that the 

remedial action objective requirements are met. 

 The Waste Handling Plan was prepared as a 

primary document to support requirements under 

the Federal Facility Agreement in FY 2008. This plan 

presents the methods that will be used to manage 

and dispose of waste materials generated. 

Remedial Actions Defined In

Bethel Valley ROD

20
21

 The last of the nuclear fuel was removed from its 

storage tank at the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment 

(MSRE) facility in FY 2008. 

 Completion of this work marked the end of a 

highly technical project involving the chemical 

defueling of the MSRE reactor.

 The reactor, originally built in the 1960s, had set 

idle for almost 40 years before decommissioning 

activities were initiated. The fuel removal involved 

melting the fuel mixture with temperatures as high 

as 475 degrees Celsius, injecting highly reactive 

fluorine, and removing the gas mixture containing 

the uranium.

 The MSRE facility operated from 1965 to 1969 to 

test the molten salt concept. Unlike most current 

commercial reactors that have fuel confined to fuel 

rods, the MSRE facility was fueled by molten salt 

that flowed through the reactor chamber, where the 

nuclear chain reaction produced heat. 

 When the reactor was shut down, the molten salt 

was drained into two fuel salt storage tanks, where 

it solidified. 

 A flush salt, similar in composition to the fuel salt 

but without the uranium, was recirculated through 

the reactor and drained into a third storage tank 

and solidified. All three storage tanks are located in 

an underground, concrete-shielded drain tank cell 

adjacent to the reactor cell.

From MSRE Facility

Nuclear Fuel Removed

Using a glove box, a worker at 

MSRE raises a salt probe that had 

been inserted into the salt to 

melt it.

Workers are removing the bottom plate from the 

salt probe housing in order to access the salt probe.
22

 Approximately 14,446 tons of scrap metal at 

the Y-12 Complex Old Salvage Yard (OSY) require 

removal and disposal in an approved location. 

 The scrap is generally contaminated with depleted uranium. Before 1995, the OSY received scrap 

into open piles. Since 1995, and prior to shutdown, 

procedures required that all scrap metal be placed 

inside containers. 

 On October 12, 1999, the Y-12 OSY ceased operations. The OSY is located both within and outside 

the high security area of the Y-12 National Security 

Complex.

 The portion within the high security area is approximately 160,000 ft2

 and has two piles containing 

3,670 tons of scrap plus about 850 containers that 

contain scrap metal. The portion outside of the high 

security area is also approximately 160,000 ft2 and 

has three piles containing 5,030 tons of scrap plus 

about 250 containers that contain scrap metal. 

 The OSY will be remediated under CERCLA. In 

2008, the Remedial Design Report/Remedial Action Work Plan and the Waste Handling Plan, which 

are Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) milestone 

documents needed to plan the remediation, were 

Planning Under Way To Remediate

Y-12 Old Salvage Yard

 Remediation of the Upper 

East Fork Poplar Creek (UEFPC) 

Watershed is being conducted 

in stages using a phased approach. Phase 1 addresses interim actions for remediation 

of mercury-contaminated soil, 

sediment, and groundwater discharges that contribute contamination to surface water. The initial project of the Phase 1 ROD, 

construction of the Big Springs 

Water Treatment System, was 

completed in 2006. The system 

has been fully operational since 

September 2006, removing mercury from local spring and sump 

waters that discharge to UEFPC.

 The focus of the second 

phase is remediation of the balance of contaminated soil, scrap, 

and buried materials within the Y-12 Complex. Decisions regarding final land use and final goals for surface 

water, groundwater, and soils will be addressed in future decision documents. The Phase 2 ROD was approved by all parties in April 2006. The initial project of the Phase 2 ROD is remediation of the Y-12 Salvage 

Yard.

ROD Supports Remediation Decisions

UEFPC Watershed

Y-12 Complex
23

 DOE has submitted to EPA and TDEC the initial 

drafts of the Focused Feasibility Study (FFS) and Proposed Plan (PP) for remediation of the Bear Creek 

Burial Grounds (BCBG) at the Y-12 National Security 

Complex . 

 The BCBG operated from 1955 to 1993, primarily for the disposal of depleted uranium wastes and 

other industrial wastes from nuclear weapons production operations at the Y-12 Complex. The FFS and 

PP documents develop and evaluate alternatives for 

remediation of buried waste and contaminated soils 

at the BCBG, and build upon the Remedial Investigation (RI) and Feasibility Study (FS) for the overall Bear 

Creek Valley that were issued in 1997. The scope of 

this focused action does not include groundwater, 

which will be addressed in a future decision. 

 The proposed remedial actions for the BCBG 

constitute the second major phase of remediation 

activities for the Bear Creek Valley watershed. The 

ROD for Phase I Remedial Actions in Bear Creek 

Valley was issued in 2000 and focused on remedial 

action decisions for specific areas of Bear Creek Valley thought to be the major contributors to surface 

submitted by DOE to the Tennessee Department of Environment and 

Conservation (TDEC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for 

approval. Procurement planning was 

also initiated by DOE in 2008 to support establishment of a remediation 

contract. 

 The remedial action contractor 

will be required to develop a comprehensive schedule for the overall effort, 

including all activities required to accomplish the scrap removal. 

Remediation Planned for

Bear Creek Burial Grounds

water contamination in Bear Creek, including the S-3 

Site and the Boneyard/Burnyard in the Oil Landfarm 

Area. Remedial actions at the Boneyard/Burnyard 

were completed in 2003 and have been successful 

in reducing releases of contaminants. 

 While uranium releases to surface water in Bear 

Creek have been declining in recent years, the uranium levels still exceed goals established in the 

Phase I ROD. Recent data indicate the BCBG to be a 

much more significant contributor of contamination 

to Bear Creek than previously thought, primarily via 

surface water discharges at North Tributary 8 (NT-8). 

Remedial alternatives considered for the BCBG include a range of technologies for containment (hydrologic isolation), in situ treatment, or excavation of 

buried wastes; and collection of shallow groundwater for in situ passive treatment or ex situ wastewater 

treatment. 

 Comments from EPA, TDEC, and other stakeholders will be carefully considered and incorporated 

into the final remedy selection decision. The initial 

draft of the ROD for BCBG is expected to be issued 

by September 2009. 

More than 14,000 tons of waste are stored at the Y-12 

Old Salvage Yard.

23
24

 From the early 1950s until 1984, DOE and its 

predecessors sold scrap radioactive and hazardous 

materials from its Oak Ridge operations to local 

permitted dealers in Oak Ridge and Knoxville, Tenn. 

One of those scrap dealers was David Witherspoon 

Inc. (DWI), which owned and operated facilities in 

South Knoxville.

 DOE has been remediating two DWI sites: 901 

and 1630. Work on the 901 site is complete, and 

remediation activities at the 1630 site are expected 

to be completed ahead of schedule and under 

budget. 

 Acres of brush and trees have been removed, 

surveyors have laid out planned excavation areas, 

and soil excavation was initiated. Trucks began 

removing waste from the 1630 site in December 

2006.

 At the end of FY 2008, more than 90% of all 

contaminated soil and debris had been excavated 

and shipped to the CERCLA Waste Facility. The 

amount that has been disposed equates to almost 

8,700 truck loads of material. 

 Approximately 600 yd3 of Resource Conservation 

and Recovery Act-characteristic soil was treated on 

site and sent to the CERCLA Waste Facility, saving 

nearly $1 million over disposal in an out-of-state 

facility. An additional 40,000 yd3 of debris was 

found, and because of the presence of small items 

that could not be sent to the CERCLA Waste Facility, 

the debris was carefully sorted before shipment. 

Despite the unplanned additional volumes and 

sorting requirements, the project is anticipated to be 

completed 9 months ahead of schedule and several 

million dollars under budget.

Nearing Completion

Witherspoon Project

Excavation at the Witherspoon 1630 Site
25

Waste Management

Oak Ridge Reservation

Wastes on the Oak Ridge Reservation are being 

disposed in a variety of ways. Much of the waste is 

going into the on-site CERCLA Waste Facility, which was 

opened to receive waste from Reservation cleanup. 

Wastewater is treated in the Central Neutralization 

Facility at ETTP, and radioactive PCBs and other 

hazardous wastes are incinerated in ETTP’s TSCA 

Incinerator.
26

 Closure activities will continue into FY 2010 to 

remove residual waste such as the internal refractory, sludge, ash, and scrubber packing material.

 After FY 2009, DOE will use alternative treatment 

processes.

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator, located at ETTP, treated 1.03 million pounds 

of waste in FY 2008 (0.91 million pounds of liquid 

waste and 118,000 pounds of solid waste). 

 The TSCA Incinerator is a one-of-akind thermal treatment unit. It plays a key 

role in treatment of radioactive PCB and 

hazardous wastes (mixed wastes) from 

the Oak Ridge Reservation, as well as other facilities across the DOE complex, thus 

facilitating compliance with regulatory 

and site closure milestones. The facility, 

located on the eastern edge of the ETTP 

site, has operated since 1991 and has 

treated more than 30 million pounds of 

waste since inception.

 DOE is planning to incinerate more 

than 2 million pounds of waste in the 

TSCA Incinerator in FY 2009. The treatment quantities include fuel oil rinses of 

the tank farm as the incinerator initiates 

closure activities for its final year of operation. 

Monitors in the control room showing waste 

burning inside the TSCA Incinerator

TSCA

Control 

Room

Treats 1 Million Pounds of Waste

TSCA Incinerator
27

The on-site CERCLA Waste Facility, located in east Bear Creek 

Valley, was selected as the remedy for disposal of waste resulting 

from CERCLA cleanup actions on 

the Oak Ridge Reservation. This 

remedy called for the detailed 

design, construction, operation, 

and closure of a 1.7 million yd3

disposal facility. 

 The facility currently consists 

of four disposal cells with a fifth 

cell to be constructed that will 

bring the total disposal capacity 

up to that approved in the Record 

of Decision.

 The CERCLA Waste Facility 

is an engineered landfill that accepts low-level radioactive and 

hazardous wastes that meet specific Waste Acceptance Criteria 

developed in accordance with 

agreements with state and federal regulators. Waste types that 

qualify for disposal include soil, 

dried sludge and sediment, solidified wastes, stabilized waste, 

building debris, scrap equipment, 

and secondary waste such as personal protective equipment.

 During FY 2008, the CERCLA 

Waste Facility operations collected, analyzed, and dispositioned 

approximately 1.8 million gallons 

of leachate at the ORNL Liquids 

and Gases Treatment Facility. An 

additional 6.1 million gallons of 

contact water were collected and 

analyzed, and after determining 

that the volumes met the release 

criteria, were released to the sediment basin. Operating practices 

also effectively controlled site 

erosion and sediments.

At Reservation Waste Facilities 

Disposal Continues

 The CERCLA Waste Facility received approximately 6,500 truckloads of waste accounting for approximately 89,000 tons during FY 

2008. Projects that have disposed 

of waste at the CERCLA Waste FaDisposal operations at Cell 3 (above), and CERCLA Waste Facility 

site personnel completing pre-job checklist (below)
28

cility during the fiscal year include 

the following:

• David Witherspoon, Inc. 1630 

Site Remedial Action Project;

• K-25/K-27 Project, including 

hazardous materials abatement, excess materials removal, and K-1030 demolition debris;

• ETTP Decontamination and 

Decommissioning Project, including K-1401, K-1420, and 

K-413 demolition debris, Balance of Site Laboratory soils 

and debris, and K-1070-B Burial Ground waste;

• Upper East Fork Poplar Creek 

Project, including the Jack 

Case Center Force Main debris; and

• Melton Valley Project, including Molten Salt Reactor Experiment secondary waste.

 Concurrent with the activities 

at the CERCLA Waste Facility, DOE 

also operates solid waste disposal 

facilities called the Oak Ridge Reservation Landfills (ORRL), which 

are located near the Y-12 Complex. The ORRL are engineered 

facilities permitted by the TDEC 

Division of Solid Waste for the disposal of sanitary, industrial, construction, and demolition waste 

that meet the waste acceptance 

criteria for each landfill. In FY 2008, 

more than 129,000 yd3 of industrial, construction/demolition, classified, and spoil material waste were 

disposed. 

 Operation of the ORRL generated more than 817,000 gallons of 

leachate that was collected, monitored, and discharged to the Oak 

Ridge sewer system.

 The CERCLA Waste Facility 

and the Oak Ridge Reservation 

Landfills are serving the disposal 

needs of the Oak Ridge Reservation cleanup program as well as 

the active missions of the Y-12 

Complex and ORNL.

 Waste disposal operations at the CERCLA Waste Facility continued in Cells 2 and 3, while Cell 4 currently 

remains unused. As waste placement continues toward Cell 4, focus will be shifted to expanding the facility. 

The design for Cell 5 is complete and has been approved by the regulators. However, a conceptual design 

was done that alters Cell 5 

so that it could be built onto 

later if the extra capacity is 

needed and the appropriate regulator approvals can 

be secured via the CERCLA 

documentation process. 

 Timing for the start of 

construction of additional 

CERCLA Waste Facility capacity will depend on how 

quickly the existing capacity 

is forecast to be consumed 

as the cleanup program 

continues. This timing also 

determines the viability of 

pursuing any alternative 

other than the current design of Cell 5.

At CERCLA Waste Facility

Expansion Planned

CERCLA Waste Facility, with a view of the haul road winding through the 

Reservation.

28
29

 The Central Neutralization Facility located at 

ETTP treated 11.7 million gallons of wastewater in 

FY 2008. The facility is ETTP’s primary wastewater 

treatment facility and processes both hazardous 

and nonhazardous waste streams arising from 

multiple waste treatment facilities and remediation 

projects. The facility removes heavy metals and 

suspended solids from the wastewater, adjusts pH, 

and discharges the treated effluent into the Clinch 

River. Sludge from the treatment facility is treated, 

packaged, and disposed off-site. 

 At ORNL, approximately 120 million gallons of 

wastewater were treated and released at the Process 

Waste Treatment Complex. In addition, the liquid 

LLW evaporator at ORNL treated 125,000 gallons of 

such waste. A total of 2.3 billion m3 of gaseous waste 

were treated at the ORNL 3039 Stack Facility. 

 These waste treatment activities supported 

both EM and Office of Science mission activities in 

a safe and compliant manner during FY 2008.

 The National Nuclear Security Administration 

program at the Y-12 Complex treated 122.5 million 

gallons of ground/sump water at the Groundwater 

Treatment Facility, East End Mercury Treatment 

System, Central Mercury Treatment System, and East 

End Volatile Organic Compound System.

 The East End Mercury Treatment System was 

decommissioned in December 2006 after the sump 

water being treated was rerouted to the Big Spring 

Water Treatment System. The East End Mercury 

Treatment System was demolished and disposed. 

 At the Big Spring Water Treatment System, 108.7 

million gallons of ground/sump water was processed. In addition, approximately 1 million gallons 

of methanol-contaminated ground/sump water that 

was put into inventory in the West End Tankage in 

FY 2006 was completely dispositioned by controlled 

metering of the water into the Oak Ridge sewage 

treatment plant.

 The West End Treatment Facility and the Central 

Pollution Control Facility at the Y-12 Complex processed 416,000 gallons of wastewater, primarily in 

support of National Nuclear Security Administration 

operational activities. This wastewater included 

hazardous materials such as cyanide, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and uranium. The hazardous materials end up in the sludge generated from wastewater treatment. The sludge is disposed off-site.

A total of 11.7 million gallons of wastewater was treated at the Central Neutralization Facility in FY 2008.

Millions of Gallons of 

Wastewater Treated
30

 In 1998, DOE entered into a fixed-price privatization contract with Foster Wheeler Environmental 

Corporation to construct a processing facility for four

primarily transuranic (TRU) waste streams, operate it, 

and ultimately decontaminate and decommission it. 

 Construction of the facility, now referred to as the 

TRU Waste Processing Center (TWPC), was completed 

in FY 2004. Shortly afterward, the plant processed 

429,000 gallons of liquid supernate, which was 

evaporated to isolate solids and disposed of as LowLevel Waste (LLW).

 In 2006, because of many uncertainties about the 

waste characteristics and changing requirements, the 

privatization contract was converted to a cost-plusfixed-fee model deemed more suitable. The contract 

was novated to EnergX TN LLC in January 2008.

 The new contract includes processing 

and packaging for the three remaining waste 

streams stored at ORNL—Contact Handled 

(CH) TRU solids/debris, Remote-Handled (RH) 

TRU solids/debris, and RH TRU sludge—for 

disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 

(WIPP) in New Mexico or the Nevada Test Site 

(for LLW segregated from TRU waste streams).

 The facility was originally designed and 

constructed to treat and dispose of 900 m3 of 

RH-TRU sludge, 550 m3 of RH-TRU/alpha LLW 

solids, 1,600 m3 of RH LLW supernate, and 1,000 

m3 of CH-TRU/alpha LLW solids. The latest 

forecast has been updated to include 2,000 

m3 of RH sludge, 600 m3 of RH-TRU solids, and 

1,500 m3 of CH-TRU solids.

 Currently, two waste streams—CH-TRU 

solids and RH-TRU solids—are being processed.

CH processing began in December 2005. In FY 2008, 

the TWPC exceeded the TDEC Site Treatment Plan CH 

processing goal by reaching a cumulative total of 313 

m3 of processed waste. 

 Another important Site Treatment Plan milestone 

was met with the first shipments of processed CH-TRU 

waste to the WIPP in late September. An additional 

major accomplishment related to CH-TRU waste operations was the construction, readiness preparations, 

and operational commissioning of a 1,200-drum-capacity temporary storage facility. 

 Processing of RH debris waste began in May of 

2008, following successful build-out and start-up of a 

major hot cell. During 2008, approximately 10 m3 of 

RH TRU waste were received, and approximately 5 m3

were processed. 

CH- and RH-TRU Wastes

TWPC Processing

First 

CH-TRU

shipment

 Cans of RH-TRU waste being processed in the Hot Cell
31

The Integrated Facility Disposition Program (IFDP) is a cooperative effort among DOE organizations to 

eliminate the high risk legacies of the Manhattan Project and Cold War, complete the environmental cleanup 

mission, and enable ongoing modernization of 

ORNL and the Y-12 Complex. IFDP planning continued in 2008. 

 The DOE lead for 

IFDP is the Office of Environmental Management 

(EM). The Office of Science 

(SC), Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), and the National 

Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) support 

the IFDP and continue to 

work collaboratively with 

EM to plan the project. 

 Part of the IFDP scope 

is already in the existing 

EM Baseline, and the remainder is newly identified work, including the 

deactivation and decommissioning of additional excess facilities that will be transferred from SC, NE, and NNSA. IFDP scope includes: 

• decontamination and decommissioning of excess facilities, 

• treatment and disposition of legacy materials/waste, including remote-handled and transuranic materials/waste,

• soil and groundwater remedial actions,

• reconfiguration of waste management facilities and utilities at ORNL and Y-12,

• surveillance and maintenance of excess facilities, and

• waste treatment and disposal operations. 

 DOE approved the IFDP Critical Decision-0 (CD-0), Mission Need Statement, in July 2007. The IFDP CD-1 

package, Alternative Selection and Cost Range, was submitted to DOE Headquarters, for review in June 2008 

and was approved by the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management on November 17, 2008. The 

approved cost range for the Program is $9.4 billion to $14.5 billion. The schedule range for completion of the 

work is FY 2036-2039. The Oak Ridge Office now moves toward assembling the CD-2 data package, which 

consists of a life cycle baseline that will be submitted to DOE Headquarters for approval. 

 During FY 2008 the Central Characterization 

Project, working with the assistance of TWPC 

personnel, continued the development of Acceptable 

Knowledge documentation required for certification 

of TRU waste for shipment to WIPP. Acceptable 

Knowledge reports were completed and approved 

for two CH-TRU and one RH-TRU waste streams.

 Processing of the final waste stream, RH sludge, 

is scheduled to begin in 2013. In 2008, sludge 

characterization, bench scale testing of final form 

product, process technique, sequence definition, and 

conceptual design were accomplished.

To Enable Modernization Efforts

IFDP Planning Under Way

IFDP will assist in the modernization efforts 

at ORNL (below) and the Y-12 Complex.
32

Public Involvement

Oak Ridge Reservation

The public is involved in all cleanup decision made 

by DOE. To keep the public informed, DOE provides 

information to the public through a variety of outlets, 

including fact sheets, public notices in newspapers, 

meetings, the monthly Public Involvement News newsletter, and other publications.
33

 DOE solicited comments on a variety of significant cleanup/remediation documents and plans in

FY 2008. Items to which the public provided input include the following:

• Environmental Assessment that evaluated the potential impacts of advancing the technology transfer 

mission at ORNL by establishing the Oak Ridge Science and Technology Project;

• Hazardous waste permit to allow a storage facility at ETTP to continue storing and treating hazardous 

waste;

• Hazardous waste permit to allow ORNL to continue to store and treat hazardous and mixed waste in 

containers at its facility on Bethel Valley Road;

• Covenant Deferral Request for the transfer of Building K-1501-H&L to CROET;

• Covenant Deferral Request for the transfer of K-1008-F to CROET;

• Notice of a revised proposed policy on providing technical and financial assistance for training of public 

safety officials to state and Indian tribes through whose jurisdiction DOE plans to transport spent nuclear 

fuel or high-level radioactive waste;

• Environmental Assessment that evaluates the potential environmental impacts of proceeding with a 

modernization initiative at ORNL;

• Permit modification to allow additional treatment options and additional storage of mixed waste at the 

Transuranic Waste Processing Center;

• Waste characterization program for radioactive, contact-handled transuranic waste at ORNL that would 

be shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico; and

• Environmental Assessment on the disposition of radioactively contaminated nickel located at ETTP.

Solicited on a Number of Issues

Public Comments
34

The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board 

(ORSSAB) posted several key accomplishments in FY 

2008 in its mission to provide informed advice and 

recommendations to DOE on its Oak Ridge EM program and to involve the public in environmental decision-making. ORSSAB is an independent, volunteer, 

federally appointed citizens’ panel formed in 1995.

Oral History Initiative

 Under the direction of the ORSSAB Executive 

Committee, an Oral History Ad Hoc Subcommittee 

was established to determine if community support 

existed for the preservation of Oak Ridge oral history. 

 In October 2007, ORSSAB sponsored a workshop 

to consider ways to consolidate existing Oak Ridge 

oral histories in one manageable location and how 

to continue gathering oral histories for future use. 

Thirty people representing a variety of agencies and 

interests participated in the workshop at the DOE Information Center. About 275 oral history interviews 

have been conducted to date with Oak Ridge scientists, engineers, community leaders, and residents, 

but there is no central location housing all of the 

existing tapes, and no mechanism exists to manage 

an active oral history program in terms of cataloguing and transcribing tapes, identifying and interviewing people, and providing access to material to 

researchers and other interested parties. 

 The workshop was intended to help resolve 

several issues, including:

• What is the definition of an oral history?

• What are sources of funding?

• Should a permanent group be formed to oversee the program?

• What existing regulations/legislative acts control or influence an oral history program?

• Who are the individuals who need to be interviewed in the future?

• What format of the end product will be most 

desired and easy to access?

• What organization will handle transcribing oral 

histories that have not yet been transcribed?

on Several Key Reservation Issues

ORSSAB Assists DOE

FY 2009 ORSSAB members, liaisons, and student representatives. Seated, from left: Gloria Mei, Claire 

Campbell (Student Representative), Tim Myrick, Steve McCracken (DOE Deputy Designated Federal 

Officer), Miranda Clower (Student Representative), Ron Murphree. Standing, left to right: Steve Stow, 

Darrell Akins, Lance Mezga, Steve Dixon (Chair), Steve Mead, Kevin Westervelt, Betty Jones, Bob Olson, 

Maggie Owen, Darryl Bonner, Sondra Sarten, Pat Halsey (DOE Federal Coordinator), Ed Juarez, David 

Martin, Ted Lundy (Vice Chair), Charles Jensen. Not pictured: Dave Adler (DOE Liaison), Bill Bass, John 

Coffman (Secretary), Connie Jones (EPA Liaison) John Owsley (TDEC Liaison). 
35

 In spring 2008 the seeds sown at the workshop 

flowered into a comprehensive oral history program 

called the “Center for Oak Ridge Oral History,” and 

the ORSSAB’s role ceased except to have a seat on 

the steering committee. 

 Headquartered at the Oak Ridge Public Library, 

the program is being led by a steering committee 

that includes representatives from DOE Oak Ridge, 

ORSSAB, the Oak Ridge Public Library, the National 

Nuclear Security Administration/Y-12, the DOE Office of Science and Technical Information, the Tennessee State Library and Archives, the American Museum of Science and Energy, the City of Oak Ridge, 

the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the University of 

Tennessee. 

 Material contained in oral histories will offer invaluable information to EM when determining the 

scope and the data necessary to approach areas of 

the Oak Ridge Reservation requiring remediation 

or in determining if an area does not require 

remediation.

K-25 Building Historic Preservation

At the November 2007 ORSSAB meeting, the 

board’s Deputy Designated Federal Official Steve 

McCracken, requested that ORSSAB provide a recommendation to the EM program by April on the 

preservation plans for the K-25 Building at East 

Tennessee Technology Park. On February 19, 2008, 

ORSSAB cosponsored a public meeting, attended by 

about 160 people, to gather input from the public. 

Most of the mile-long, U-shaped building is being 

decontaminated in preparation for demolition. To 

comply with the National Historic Preservation Act, a 

memorandum of agreement was signed in 2005 by 

DOE, the City of Oak Ridge, the State of Tennessee, 

the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and 

the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. The agreement calls on DOE to retain the north 

tower of K-25 that connected the two long ‘legs,’ the 

footprint of the U-shaped building, and the upper 

10 feet of the inner basement area walls between 

these legs. 

 However, the building is rapidly deteriorating, 

and DOE is re-evaluating how best to preserve the 

historical significance of K-25. As part of its re-evaluation, DOE requested input from interested organiOak Ridge Public Library Director Kathy McNeilly, 

right, and Pat Halsey, the Federal Coordinator for 

the ORSSAB, talk with a visitor about the new 

Center for Oak Ridge Oral History at the 2008 

Secret City Festival.

Many members of the community expressed their 

views at the public meeting on K-25 Building historic 

preservation.
36

zations and individuals concerning the north tower 

and if it should be retained for historical purposes 

and what steps should be taken to interpret the 

building’s importance to the Manhattan Project. 

Numerous comments were generated and forwarded to DOE by ORSSAB.

 ORSSAB followed up on the meeting in March 

2008 by providing DOE EM with a recommendation 

on K-25 Building preservation. Because K-25 was allowed to deteriorate so much, the board addressed 

steps to prevent other buildings on the Oak Ridge 

Reservation with historic value from deteriorating. 

The board generated a follow-up recommendation 

on the subject in July.

 ORSSAB’s involvement in K-25 Building historic 

preservation provided a vital mechanism for DOE 

EM to provide the community with information and 

gather public input on an issue that will have longterm implications for the public and EM. 

Stewardship Map

 In FY 2008, ORSSAB’s Stewardship Committee 

worked with DOE to produce a stewardship map 

that shows all remediated areas on the Oak Ridge 

Reservation and what land use controls are currently in place. 

 The map, which is 50 by 64 inches, was placed in 

the DOE Information Center for public display and 

use. Accompanying the map will be a notebook that 

includes reference to all decision documents related to each remediated area. The map will be available on the Oak Ridge Environmental Information 

System (www-oreis.bechteljacobs.org/oreis/help/

oreishome.html). It will also be on display in the 

ORSSAB exhibit at the American Museum of Science 

and Energy.

 The map is color-coded to indicate the various 

watershed decision areas: East Tennessee Technology Park, Melton Valley, Bethel Valley, Upper East Fork 

Poplar Creek, Bear Creek Valley, and Chestnut Ridge. 

Within each watershed area, the map indicates contamination areas and remediated areas under deed 

restrictions. Icons explain what land use controls 

are currently in place for DOE operating areas and 

those in place for remediated areas, such as deed 

restrictions, fences, signs, security patrols, monitorRalph Skinner, DOE liaison to the ORSSAB Stewardship Committee, points out an area of interest 

during a tour of the Melton Valley remediation project. 
37

ing, and excavation/penetration permits required. 

The map will be updated when necessary to show 

the changes where waste has been left in place on 

the reservation and the land use controls utilized to 

protect the public and workers. 

Museum Exhibit

 In FY 2008, ORSSAB finished a complete overhaul 

of its permanent exhibit at the American Museum 

of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. First installed 

in February 2005, the exhibit uses touch-screen kiosks, displays, and posters to tell the story of the Oak 

Ridge EM program. The centerpiece of the exhibit is 

a scale model of the EM Waste Management Facility 

in Bear Creek Valley, which provides visitors an idea 

of the magnitude of the cleanup effort on the Oak 

Ridge Reservation. 

 Two touch-screen kiosks take visitors on an 

interactive journey through the cleanup process 

at the Gunite Tanks, one of the highly successful 

remediation projects at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

Seventeen Recommendations Provided to DOE

 In FY 2008, the board generated thirteen local 

recommendations on cleanup-related issues, such 

as:

• conducting future verifications of cleanup,

• engineering and technology development on the Oak Ridge Reservation, and

• historic preservation of the K-25 

Building at East Tennessee Technology Park. 

 ORSSAB also worked with the 

chairs of the other six SSABs that 

comprise the national EM SSAB to 

draft four joint recommendations to 

DOE on topics such as EM SSAB participation in the EM budget process 

and long-term stewardship incorporation into new EM projects and legacy waste decisions. 

 Complete text of all ORSSAB recommendations is available at www.

oakridge.doe.gov/em/ssab/recc.htm.

ORSSAB’s museum exhibit provides a variety 

of colorful posters that inform visitors about 

cleanup program topics, including an overview 

of the EM program, the challenges the program 

faces in Oak Ridge, and reindustrialization of 

the East Tennessee Technology Park. A poster 

explaining what ORSSAB is and what it does 

is featured prominently, and another explains 

how the remotely controlled airplane overhead 

was used by the cleanup program.

Staffing the ORSSAB booth at the 2008 Secret City Festival 

in Oak Ridge are board members Sondra Sarten and Ted 

Lundy.
38

DOE 

Information 

Center

 The DOE Information Center, located 

at 475 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, 

Tenn., is a one-stop information facility 

that maintains a collection of more than 

40,000 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 now 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 2008 Stats

Average number of visitors per month 175

Number of public meetings held 173

Total citizen inquiries 1,674

Total Number of Documents at Center 44,000

 Phone: 865-241-4780 475 Oak Ridge Turnpike www.oakridge.doe.gov/info_cntr
39

DOE Information Center

475 Oak Ridge Turnpike

Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830

Phone: (865) 241-4780

Fax: (865) 574-3521

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

Internet Sites

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

Information Resources
40

AM action memorandum

BCBG Bear Creek Burial Grounds

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980

CH contact-handled

CNF Central Neutralization Facility

CROET Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee

DOE U.S. Department of Energy

DWI David Witherspoon Inc.

EM Environmental Management

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

ETTP East Tennessee Technology Park

FFS Focused Feasibility Study

FY fiscal year

IFDP Integrated Facility Disposition Program

LLW low-level waste

MSRE Molten Salt Reactor Experiment

NNSA National Nuclear Security Administration

ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORRL Oak Ridge Reservation Landfills

ORSSAB Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board

OSY Old Storage Yard (Y-12)

PCB polychlorinated biphenyl

PP Proposed Plan

RAWP Remedial Action Work Plan

RH remote-handled

ROD Record of Decision

TDEC Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

TRU transuranic

TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act

TWPC Transuranic Waste Processing Center

UEFPC Upper East Fork Poplar Creek

WIPP Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico

Commonly Used Acronyms

EM Program
41

For more information, please contact

the DOE Public Affairs Office at

(865) 576-0885 or 1-800-382-6938. 
42

A publication of the U.S. Department of Energy

For more information, contact the DOE Public Affairs Office at (865) 576-0885.

A publication of the U.S. Department of Energy