1

Cleanup Progress

Annual Report to the 

Oak Ridge Regional Community

2019

OREM-19-2579
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Message from the Manager

DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management

To the Oak Ridge Regional Community:

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management 

(OREM) completed another successful year of cleanup in Fiscal Year 2019. Our workforce 

is using the record-level of funding from Congress to achieve first-in-the-world 

accomplishments, eliminate risks, and transform the site. 

Our employees remain intensely focused on achieving Vision 2020 at the East Tennessee 

Technology Park (ETTP)—a goal that will make Oak Ridge the first site in the world to 

complete major cleanup at an enrichment complex in 2020. 

The latest tally shows our program has removed 12 million square feet of facilities at ETTP. This year, crews 

successfully removed the final buildings associated with the site’s former gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment 

operations and demolished the site’s largest remaining building. Employees also tore down numerous support 

structures, removed large concrete slabs, completed soil remediation projects, and initiated deactivation inside 

the former centrifuge enrichment complex. 

As cleanup advances, we are realizing our ultimate vision for ETTP as a multi-use industrial park. DOE has 

transferred almost 1,300 acres from government ownership for economic development. The most recent 

company to locate on transferred land anticipates generating 200 high-paying jobs in 2025. We are also excited 
1

to open the K-25 History Center. It will be a great educational attraction that gives the site’s early workers the 

recognition and honor they deserve. 

Congress’s continued support has allowed us to reduce risks and make great strides preparing for the next 

chapter of cleanup at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12). 

Crews are inside the final five buildings of the Y-12 Biology Complex preparing them for demolition. They also 

cleaned out and removed old COLEX equipment at the Alpha-4 Building. That effort allowed workers to retrieve 

almost 10,000 pounds of mercury, preventing a potentially large environmental release. Our program is also 

actively testing new decontamination technologies that will enhance efficiency for future Y-12 projects. 

In our last update, we announced teams had finished site preparations for the new Mercury Treatment Facility. 

Now, crews are hard at work building it. This project will fulfill a longtime commitment to reduce mercury levels 

leaving Y-12. It also will allow us to safely conduct large-scale demolition there. 

We have numerous projects at ORNL that are modernizing waste treatment infrastructure, deactivating former 

research reactors, and eliminating contamination pathways to enable near-term demolition projects.

Additionally, in our partnership with researchers at ORNL, we are identifying effective and affordable approaches 

for mercury cleanup in soil, sediments, and creeks. This research has uncovered solutions that are less costly 

and less damaging to ecosystems. OREM is funding an expansion of the laboratory so researchers will have the 

capability to test mercury removal technologies using real-world stream settings. This addition will accelerate 

mercury technology development for OREM to deploy in the field in the coming years.

Our employees are key to maintaining our tremendous success. We are proud of the planning and efforts 

underway to ensure Oak Ridge continues to have a highly-trained, skilled, and experienced workforce. OREM and 

its contractors have numerous initiatives and partnerships with universities, community colleges, high schools, 

and labor apprenticeship training programs. This multi-faceted approach is equipping the next generation to 

safely and successfully take on and accomplish our complex and challenging mission.

Finally, we appreciate your interest in and support of our program. We recognize the importance and impact 

of our work on the community, and we keep you at the forefront of every decision. Our program will continue 

advancing cleanup to give Oak Ridge the future it deserves. 

 Jay Mullis 
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Introduction..........................................................................................................................................4

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

Former barrier production facility demolished ........................................................................................6

Demolition of Poplar Creek facilities completed ......................................................................................8

Workers demolish Chemical Recovery Facility .......................................................................................10

Toll Enrichment Facility demolished.......................................................................................................11

ETTP garage demolished ........................................................................................................................12

Slab left from K-29 Building demolition removed ..................................................................................12

Soil remediation preparing site for future use .......................................................................................13

ETTP transforming into multi-use industrial park...................................................................................14

Construction begins on commemorative facilities.................................................................................14

Oak Ridge National Laboratory.....................................................................................................15

Excess contaminated facilities stabilized ................................................................................................16

Uranium-233 processing begins ahead of schedule...............................................................................17

MSRE waste items characterized, dispositioned ....................................................................................17

Project enhancing safety and reducing costs at MSRE...........................................................................18

Zeolite treatment process at LGWO being moved .................................................................................18

Y-12 National Security Complex....................................................................................................19

More than 4.6 tons of mercury removed at COLEX................................................................................20

Biology Complex deactivation underway ...............................................................................................21

Construction begins on Mercury Treatment Facility ..............................................................................22

Major soil disposition project completed...............................................................................................23

Mercury treatment technologies explored ............................................................................................24 

Waste Management.........................................................................................................................25

Onsite disposal aids site’s cleanup .........................................................................................................26

Data gathered for proposed waste disposal facility ...............................................................................27

Millions of gallons of wastewater treated..............................................................................................27 page 6

page 12

Contents
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TWPC continues waste processing, shipments ......................................................................................28

Progress continues on sludge buildout facility.......................................................................................28

Oak Ridge Reservation ....................................................................................................................29

Groundwater strategy projects implemented........................................................................................30

Public Involvement...........................................................................................................................31

Tribal working group visits Oak Ridge.....................................................................................................32

Grand opening held for AMSE................................................................................................................32

Public Involvement Plan issued ..............................................................................................................32

OREM emphasizes STEM education in local schools..............................................................................32

Advisory board provides public input on DOE cleanup activities...........................................................33

DOE Information Center in Oak Ridge....................................................................................................35

Websites for Additional Information...........................................................................................36

Commonly Used Acronyms............................................................................................................36

Commonly Used Terms....................................................................................................................37

This report was produced by UCOR, DOE’s Environmental Management 

contractor for the Oak Ridge Reservation.

page 21

page 26

page 33
44

Introduction

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) made great progress 

toward achieving Vision 2020—the goal to complete major cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park 

(ETTP) in 2020. The cleanup work at the former gaseous diffusion plant is making parcels of land available 

for private sector development that can economically benefit the region. OREM also continued significant 

risk reduction activities at the Y-12 National Security Complex and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, including 

construction of a new Mercury Treatment Facility and stabilization of excess contaminated facilities awaiting 

eventual demolition.

The 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 portions of the land and facilities contaminated and 

in need of environmental cleanup. 

The contaminated areas of the reservation are on the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency’s (EPA’s) National Priorities List (NPL), which includes sites across the 

nation that require cleanup under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). These areas on the Oak Ridge 

Reservation have been clearly defined, and OREM is working to clean and restore 

them under a partnership with the EPA and the Tennessee Department of 

Environment and Conservation (TDEC). 

Together, through the support provided by contractors, unions, Congress, and elected officials, OREM is 

enhancing safety, removing barriers to economic development, and enabling vital missions in science, energy, 

and national security.

Sampling activity on the 

Oak Ridge Reservation

East Tennessee 

Technology Park

Y-12 National 

Security Complex

Oak Ridge National 

Laboratory

DOE’s Oak Ridge

Reservation City of Oak Ridge
5

The former K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant 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 shut down 

permanently in 1987 and is undergoing cleanup 

for ultimate conversion to a multi-use industrial 

park. Major activities at the site include 

environmental restoration, facility deactivation 

and demolition, waste disposition, and land 

transfers.

East Tennessee

Technology Park

5
6

Former barrier production facility demolished

Cleanup of ETTP took another major step forward as 

workers completed demolition of the K-1037 Building, 

which was the largest and one of the most challenging 

facilities still standing at the site.

Workers began tearing down the building in February 

2019 and safely completed the project almost four 

months ahead of schedule. Most of the demolition 

debris was disposed of at onsite waste disposal 

facilities.

Built in 1945, the structure grew through the years 

with additions that brought its square footage to 

approximately 380,000 square feet. As one of the 

earliest structures at the site, K-1037 was originally a 

warehouse, but it was later used to produce barrier 

material used in the gaseous diffusion process until 

1982.

DOE cleanup contractor UCOR, an AECOM-led 

partnership with Jacobs, spent almost two years 

before demolition preparing the facility to be safely 

torn down. The building posed a unique challenge 

because of the classified material that first had 

to be removed before the building itself could be 

declassified and demolition could begin. 

Coordinating with DOE, UCOR successfully removed 

these classified components, as well as other 

equipment and waste. Other work performed to 

prepare the facility for demolition included asbestos 

abatement and utility disconnections. 

Crews began removing transite paneling from the 

building before demolition began and continued 

simultaneously removing the panels from portions 

of the building while other sections were being 

demolished.

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7

K-1037 before 

and after 

demolition

K-1037 site after demolition and slab removal
88

Demolition of Poplar Creek facilities completed

Some of the latest cleanup progress at ETTP has 

brought the end of an era at the site. The demolition 

of K-131 and K-631 marks the first time since 1943 

that there are no buildings that conducted or 

supported gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment 

operations on the ETTP site.

At maximum operation, ETTP housed five massive 

uranium enrichment buildings and numerous support 

facilities. Eleven of those facilities, along with smaller 

supporting structures, were housed in a swath of land 

adjacent to Poplar Creek. 

The final two process buildings in the Poplar Creek 

area that were demolished—K-131 and K-631—were 

two of the oldest facilities remaining at ETTP and 

were physically connected to one another. 

Originally, workers in Building K-131 provided purified 

uranium hexafluoride to the uranium enrichment 

cascade. Through the years, the building was used for 

a variety of other purposes until uranium enrichment 

operations ceased at the site in 1985. 

Workers in the companion Building K-631 withdrew 

gaseous depleted uranium hexafluoride from the 

cascade, converted it to liquid, and transferred it into 

transport cylinders. The five-story K-131 and twostory K-631 had a combined floor space of more than 

83,000 square feet. 

8

The Poplar Creek 

area before and 

after the process 

buildings were 

demolished
9

The Poplar Creek facilities, many of which were 

radioactively contaminated, constituted some of the 

most contaminated facilities remaining at ETTP. Other 

notable demolitions in the area include a cooling 

tower, cooling water pump house, and a test loop 

facility that was used to evaluate gaseous diffusion 

equipment performance. 

With demolition completed, the Poplar Creek 

area and the adjacent footprint of the previously 

demolished K-29 gaseous diffusion building will begin 

undergoing a regulatory approval process. That will 

continue ETTP’s transformation and enable its next 

chapter as a privately-owned, multi-use industrial 

park.

Transportation personnel haul debris from K-131/K-631 demolition for disposal. Each truck is inspected and the load 

covered to ensure safe transport.
1010

Demolition of the K-1232 

Chemical Recovery Facility, 

another of the major 

Poplar Creek facilities, was 

completed in FY 2019. 

The 140-ft by 60-ft, two-story 

facility was built in the early 

1970s to recover chemicals 

resulting from site operations. 

Recovery operations were 

shut down in 1982, and the 

facility was then used to treat 

wastewater from the Y-12 

National Security Complex 

during the 1980s and early 

1990s.

Workers demolish Chemical Recovery Facility

K-1232 Chemical Recovery Facility during and after demolition

Workers sample the K-1232 slab 

after demolition

ETTP FY 2019 progress by the numbers

540,000

square feet

demolished

716,668

safe miles

traveled hauling waste

29

facilities

 demolished
10 1111

Toll Enrichment Facility demolished

Workers finished demolition and debris removal of the 

30,817-square-foot K-1423 Toll Enrichment Facility. It 

was used to transfer liquefied uranium hexafluoride, 

which was used in the former gaseous diffusion 

plant’s uranium enrichment process, into cylinders. 

It operated for that purpose from 1969 until 1986. 

The building was later used for a variety of purposes, 

including addressing radiologically contaminated 

drums, washing chemically contaminated drums, and 

storing waste.

K-1423 

Building as 

demolition 

begins and 

after it is 

completed
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ETTP’s longest operating facility, the K-1414 Garage, 

was demolished in FY 2019.

The structure was built in 1949 and operated until 

early 2018—long after the site’s uranium enrichment 

operations ceased in the mid-1980s. The building 

covered more than 12,000 square feet and served 

as the maintenance hub and fueling station for 

vehicles used to support the site’s enrichment and, 

later, cleanup missions. 

The slab of the former K-29 uranium enrichment 

facility was removed in FY 2019.

 

The K-29 Building was the first of the five massive 

gaseous diffusion facilities that was demolished at 

ETTP. The facilities were used to enrich uranium for 

defense and commercial purposes until the plant shut 

down in the mid-1980s. The other four buildings have 

since come down in a historic, first-ever cleanup of 

a gaseous diffusion complex. The 291,000-squarefoot K-29 Building was demolished in 2006, and the 

slab left behind was paved over with asphalt. Trailers 

were placed on the asphalt pad to house cleanup 

personnel. Cleanup contractor UCOR removed the 

trailers, asphalt, and slab. 

Completion of this project, combined with the 

adjacent Poplar Creek area, furthers the mission 

of making property area available for economic 

development.

ETTP garage demolished

Slab left from K-29 Building demolition removed

K-1414 Garage demolition

The slab removal at the K-29 site opens up more land for industrial development
13

Artist’s rendering of the K-25 History Center, Equipment Building, and Viewing Tower

Soil remediation efforts at ETTP are helping to 

eliminate hazards at the site and pave the way for its 

future industrial use. ETTP is divided into two cleanup 

regions: Zone 1, a 1,400-acre area outside the main 

plant, and Zone 2, an 800-acre area that comprises 

the main plant area. The areas in these zones are 

divided into varying-sized exposure units (EUs) for the 

purpose of remediation. 

Zone 1

The Interim Record of Decision (ROD), which 

documents the cleanup method for Zone 1, requires 

OREM to remediate soil for the protection of 

groundwater and a future industrial workforce and 

includes land use controls. The ROD divides Zone 1 

into 80 EUs that range in size from 4 to 66 acres.

In FY 2019, OREM and UCOR initiated characterization 

to identify areas that require remediation to eliminate 

ecological risk to wildlife, particularly in the K-901 

Drainage Ditch. Additionally, planning started for the 

remediation of two subsurface vaults associated with 

the abandoned underground utility system in the 

Powerhouse Area. 

Zone 2

The Zone 2 ROD requires OREM to remediate soil for 

the protection of groundwater and a future industrial 

workforce and includes land use controls. It divides 

Zone 2 into 44 EUs that range in size from 6 to 38 

acres. 

In FY 2019, OREM and UCOR completed 

characterization and remediation of EUs Z2-11, 

-14, -15, and -37. The slabs for Buildings K-27 and 

K-29 were removed in EU Z2-14. As part of a major 

remediation action, crews continued to excavate and 

remove soil contaminated with concentrations of 

technetium-99 (Tc-99) to meet regulatory standards.

Soil remediation preparing site for future use

Soil sampling at Duct Island Excavation of Tc-99 contaminated soil
14

Oak Ridge’s Reindustrialization Program entered its 

23rd year as the model DOE asset reuse program. 

During that time, OREM has been transforming 

ETTP from a former government-owned uranium 

enrichment complex into a multi-use industrial 

business park. OREM has successfully transferred 

almost 1,300 acres at ETTP for beneficial reuse and 

is working to complete transfer of the remaining 

acreage at the site.

As OREM completes the final phases of environmental 

cleanup at ETTP, the site continues toward its future 

as a multi-use industrial park, national historical park, 

and conservation area. A closure plan was developed 

in 2017 and updated in 2019 to address the necessary 

transfers for all of the site assets, including facilities, 

land, and utility infrastructure. 

Additionally, UCOR and the Community Reuse 

Organization of East Tennessee re-evaluated and 

ETTP transforming into multi-use industrial park

After an extensive renovation 

project, the K-25 History Center is 

nearly complete for the community. 

This commemorative facility 

was commissioned through a 

Memorandum of Agreement 

to enable OREM to complete 

decontamination, decommissioning, 

and demolition of historic structures 

at ETTP. As construction nears 

completion, exhibits are arriving 

on site and being moved into the 

building. The K-25 History Center 

will feature exhibits, artifacts, and 

audio-visual displays to interpret the 

significant role of the K-25 site in the 

Manhattan Project and Cold War, and 

to commemorate the people who 

worked there. 

Future phases of the project include constructing an Equipment Building and Viewing Tower. The Equipment 

Building will be a showcase for representative gaseous diffusion technology contained in the K-25 Building. An 

enclosed observation deck at the top of the Viewing Tower, standing 70-ft tall, will overlook the K-25 Building 

footprint and provide a 360-degree view of the site.

Construction begins on commemorative facilities

Workers are preparing walkways for the History Center

modernized the existing revitalization plan for 

ETTP. The approach accounted for recent cleanup 

accomplishments and new developments, such as a 

proposed regional general aviation airport. 

A proposed plan to build an airport on the ETTP site 

reached a major milestone in FY 2019 with the Federal 

Aviation Administration’s (FAA) conditional approval 

of the airport layout plan. The Metropolitan Knoxville 

Airport Authority is now proceeding with final design 

work. 

Another interesting development at ETTP in 

FY 2019 was a new focus on the beneficial reuse of 

greenspace. In areas where redevelopment is more 

challenging due to terrain or wetlands, UCOR is 

facilitating opportunities to enrich the community 

through potential conservation and greenspace 

initiatives that will be integrated into the industrial 

park and the national historical park. 

 
15

Oak Ridge

National Laboratory

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory is DOE’s 

largest multi-program national laboratory that 

conducts cutting-edge research in energy, 

materials and chemical sciences, nuclear 

science, and supercomputing. However, 

there are large contaminated areas from past 

operations and waste disposal practices among 

its world class facilities and vital research. 

OREM has divided ORNL into two major 

cleanup areas: Bethel Valley and Melton Valley. 

The Bethel Valley area includes reactors and 

former research facilities, and the Melton 

Valley area includes reactors and waste 

management areas, such as burial grounds.

15
16

In FY 2019, work started on the characterization and 

deactivation of Buildings 3009, 3010, 3010-A, 3080, 

3083, 3107, and 3026-D. The Building 3010 Reactor 

Pool was characterized for waste disposal, and 

asbestos and universal waste were removed.

Building 3026-D was a hot cell facility constructed 

in 1946 that housed the East Cell Bank, the West 

Cell Bank, and an underground concrete transfer 

tunnel where a rail-mounted transfer cart was used 

to transfer material between cell banks. The transfer 

Excess contaminated facilities stabilized

tunnel was grouted in place in 2019 to prevent any 

potential pathway for contaminant migration and 

provide structural stability. The 47-foot-long tunnel 

was used to load radioactive material into the hot cell 

for research and analysis. It is contaminated and will 

be removed at a future date as a remedial action.

Deactivating these facilities paves the way for future 

demolition, which will remove a significant risk from 

the heart of ORNL and open land for future research 

and science missions.

Workers grout the transfer tunnel at the 3026-D hot cell
17

Waste characterization and disposal were completed 

for waste items from the Molten Salt Reactor 

Experiment (MSRE) facility—a test reactor that 

operated at ORNL from June 1965 until December 

1969. Since the reactor’s shutdown, OREM has 

performed several studies and removal actions to 

stabilize the facility, including removing uranium 

MSRE waste items characterized, dispositioned

Oak Ridge has a significant 

inventory of uranium-233 (U-233) 

in Building 3019 at ORNL. DOE has 

declared the inventory excess to 

its needs and in 2006, was directed 

by Congress to disposition the 

inventory. OREM responded by 

initiating the U-233 Disposition 

Project to safely disposition the 

material, eliminate safety and 

nuclear criticality concerns, and 

downgrade the security demands 

at ORNL.

The U-233 Disposition Project 

involved two phases—the Direct 

Disposition Campaign and the 

Processing Campaign. The Direct 

Disposition Campaign transferred 

U-233 material suitable for 

beneficial reuse to other programs 

and directly disposed materials that 

did not require further processing. 

OREM successfully completed that campaign in FY 

2017. The Processing Campaign will convert the 

remaining U-233 inventory into a form that is ready 

for disposal. In FY 2019, OREM approved final design 

to upgrade Building 2026 hot cells so employees can 

process and solidify the remaining U-233 material for 

disposal. 

Processing operations were originally scheduled to 

begin in October 2020 when crews are set to finish 

upgrading hot cells in an ORNL facility. The upgraded 

cells will be designed to handle larger amounts of 

U-233, providing more shielding for workers equipped 

with mechanical arm manipulators.

However, rather than wait for the hot cells to be 

completed for larger-scale processing, Isotek arranged 

for workers to begin processing the portions of 

the uranium-233 inventory with lower levels of 

radioactivity in glove boxes in Fall 2019. Glove boxes 

are structures with ports containing gloves that 

allow waste handlers to safely work with radioactive 

material.

This modified approach allowed OREM to begin a year 

ahead of schedule, and it will enable employees to 

process approximately 11 percent of the Oak Ridge 

Oxide as other crews finish upgrading the hot cells. 

Processing operations are expected to continue 

through 2024.

Uranium-233 processing begins ahead of schedule 

Fissionable material handlers working in a glove box in Building 2026

deposits and defueling the reactor salts. Employees 

are characterizing and disposing of legacy defueling 

equipment, such as the fuel salt probes and fuel 

salt probe glove box. OREM is continuing its routine 

surveillance and maintenance activities to manage the 

remaining hazards, including periodically removing 

reactive gas generated by the defueled salts.
18 5

Zeolite treatment process at LGWO being moved

At the Liquid and Gaseous 

Waste Operations (LGWO), 

which processes wastes from 

ORNL and other sources, the 

Zeolite treatment process 

is planned to be moved 

out of Building 3544 (the 

radiological wastewater 

treatment facility), which has 

exceeded its design life and 

is scheduled for demolition. 

The new treatment system 

will be housed at Building 

3608 (formerly, the nonradiological wastewater 

treatment facility). Workers 

are demolishing existing 

equipment at 3608 to make 

room for the new equipment. 

These infrastructure upgrade 

projects are vital for a system 

that helps one of the nation’s 

most important research sites, 

ORNL, remain operational.

OREM began a $4.7 million project in FY 2019 that will 

reduce maintenance and operations costs at ORNL’s 

Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE).

The project, expected to result in cost savings of 

nearly $25 million, will enhance the facility’s electrical 

distribution, sump pump, fire suppression, and 

monitoring systems. 

Although it was shut down 50 years ago, certain 

systems within the reactor building have continued 

to operate to keep the facility safe and stable until 

it can be demolished. OREM defueled the reactor in 

2007, and it is working to identify the best approach 

to address remaining fuel salts in the building. Crews 

are replacing existing electrical systems with a new 

conduit-based one to power essential systems. This 

change will minimize maintenance costs, reduce risk 

of injury to workers, and provide reliable electrical 

service.

The new sump pump system, which removes 

groundwater from the building’s basement and 

foundation, will provide more reliable operations, 

improve safety, and reduce risks during maintenance 

activities.

Workers are also designing and installing the new dry 

fire suppression system, which will eliminate costs 

associated with purchasing and providing steam from 

the laboratory.

Project enhancing safety and reducing costs at MSRE 

Workers are demolishing equipment at 3608 to make room for new equipment
19

Y-12 National

Security Complex

The Y-12 National Security Complex is a 

premier manufacturing facility dedicated to 

protecting our nation. Y-12 helps ensure a 

safe and reliable nuclear weapons deterrent. 

The site also retrieves and stores nuclear 

materials from around the world, fuels 

the nation’s naval reactors, and performs 

highly skilled, specialized manufacturing for 

government agencies and private-sector 

entities.

19
20

At the Alpha-4 Building, workers removed more than 

a ton of mercury from the building’s east Column 

Exchange (COLEX) equipment. Combined with the 

mercury previously removed from the West COLEX 

equipment, more than 4.6 tons of mercury have been 

removed. 

The four-story, 500,000-square-foot Alpha-4 facility 

was used for uranium separation from 1944 to 1945. 

Workers finished installing the COLEX equipment in 

1955 for lithium separation, a process that required 

large amounts of mercury. A significant amount of the 

element was lost into the equipment, buildings, and 

surrounding soils, and its cleanup is one of OREM’s top 

priorities.

Workers have completed the East COLEX risk reduction 

project, including activities to tap and drain the East 

COLEX piping and inspect, clean, and characterize 

22 tanks. The COLEX mercury removal project is part 

of a broader initiative to address large quantities of 

mercury resulting from decades of Y-12 operations. 

More than 4.6 tons of mercury removed at COLEX

The West COLEX 

equipment before and 

after demolition. Below 

a worker is tapping and 

draining a pipe.
21

Workers perform characterization and asbestos abatement inside the Biology Complex to prepare the structures for 

demolition in 2020

Mercury being 

drained from COLEX 

equipment

OREM is preparing to remove five high-risk excess 

contaminated facilities, known as the Biology Complex, 

at Y-12. The 350,000-square-foot area poses asbestos 

hazards as well as structural deterioration risks. 

Demolition of these facilities is part of an effort to 

eliminate excess contaminated facilities throughout 

Biology Complex deactivation underway

the DOE complex. Asbestos abatement and material 

removal were initiated in FY 2019.

Originally constructed in the 1940s to recover uranium 

from process streams, the complex later housed 

DOE’s research on the genetic effects of radiation. The 

facilities once housed more individuals with doctorates 

than anywhere in the world. 

The complex originally consisted of 11 buildings until 

OREM demolished four of them in 2010 as part of the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. 

Buildings 9743-2 and 9770-2 were demolished in FY 

2018, and mobilization started for the demolition of 

the remaining buildings. The completion of this project 

will clear land for important future national security 

Biology Complex missions.
22 5

Excavation underway at the headworks facility area

Construction is underway on the Outfall 200 Mercury 

Treatment Facility. It will reduce mercury in water 

exiting the site through the East Fork Poplar Creek. 

Outfall 200 is the point where the west end of the 

Y-12 storm drain system creates the headwaters of the 

Upper East Fork Poplar Creek. 

 

The mercury treatment facility will help OREM achieve 

compliance with regulatory criteria for the East Fork 

Poplar Creek. It also facilitates large-scale facility 

demolition to begin at Y-12 by helping to control 

potential mercury releases that could occur when 

disturbing the mercury-contaminated buildings 

and soil. 

In FY 2019, OREM completed early site preparation 

activities ahead of the treatment facility construction. 

Early site preparation activities began in 2018 and 

included construction of utilities necessary for the 

treatment facility, installation of secant pile walls near 

East Fork Poplar Creek, and relocation and demolition 

of existing infrastructure and structures to prepare the 

site for construction of the mercury treatment facility. 

Construction begins on Mercury Treatment Facility 

Excavation underway at the treatment facility area
23

Workers disposed of 4,071 cubic yards of soil that had 

been in storage since 1989, resulting from the closure 

of oil retention ponds. The ponds were constructed 

decades earlier to collect oils, preventing them from 

seeping from below-ground waste sites to nearby 

surface streams.

The project was completed for $1.2 million—nearly 

$75 million under its original estimated budget.

During the closure project in 1989, the soil from the 

oil retention ponds was labeled as containing solvents 

based on the contents of the below-ground waste 

sites near the soil retrieval location. The presence of 

solvents would require treatment and disposal offsite, 

a significant cost reflected in the original budget.

Years later, reviews of the original sampling data 

revealed the need for new samples and analysis 

to determine the appropriate path to address the 

soil. The DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental 

Management (OREM) contracted with small business 

Alliant Corporation to conduct that work. Results of 

the sampling revealed that the soil, spanning a facility 

the size of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, did not 

contain solvents.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and 

the Tennessee Department of Environment and 

Conservation agreed with OREM’s technical basis for 

eliminating the previous requirements to treat the 

soil, and allowed OREM to safely dispose of most of 

it onsite. With the change, OREM awarded a contract 

to small business Cherokee National Environmental 

Solutions to complete the soil disposal project.

The removal of soil paves the way for OREM to reuse 

the building where the soil was stored. Workers 

conducted sampling to confirm the facility is safe for 

future projects. OREM expects to use the facility for 

research on waste treatment and cleanup at the Y-12 

National Security Complex.

Major soil disposition project completed

Workers dispose soil resulting from the closure of oil retention ponds
24 5

Mercury remediation is OREM’s highest priority at 

the Y-12 National Security Complex due to the large 

historical losses of the element in buildings, soils, 

and surface waters. Mercury contamination in the 

environment poses significant technical and regulatory 

challenges and can benefit from development of new 

tools and approaches that might be more effective, 

reduce costs, and accelerate cleanup schedules. 

The importance of technology development was 

highlighted by Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and 

Undersecretary Paul Dabbar during a visit to ORNL’s 

Aquatic Ecology Lab on May 6, 2019. OREM is making 

significant investments into the development of new 

remediation technologies to help address the complex 

mercury challenge in Oak Ridge. In the near-term, 

mercury technology development activities will 

support the successful completion of the demolition 

of Y-12’s mercury-contaminated facilities and soils 

remediation, waste disposition, and reduction of 

mercury-related ecological risks in East Fork Poplar 

Creek. 

In the downstream environment, field characterization 

and research during the 2015-2020 time period 

will support an evaluation of potential remediation 

Workers construct housing for large tanks at the ORNL Aquatic Ecology Lab

Mercury treatment technologies explored

alternatives for the creek in the mid-2020s. Activities 

to modernize ORNL’s Aquatic Ecology Lab will 

allow for mesocosm testing of various remediation 

technologies, more closely simulating creek conditions 

in the laboratory. With a better understanding of 

mercury transport processes in the watershed system, 

specific technologies and strategies can be assessed 

and implemented to aid future cleanup. Quantitative 

modeling was initiated in FY 2018-2019 to simulate 

various remediation and technology development 

scenarios and better inform future remedial decisionmaking. 

Studies have been conducted to evaluate alternative 

treatment chemicals on mercury flux, the effect 

of sorbents on mercury and methylmercury 

concentrations in the presence of dissolved organic 

matter, and the use of mussels as a tool for reducing 

particle-associated mercury in the water column. 

ORNL scientists have prepared a report titled 

“Mercury Remediation Technology Development for 

Lower East Fork Poplar Creek—FY 2019 Update.” This 

report provides a detailed description of each of the 

study areas and findings from studies performed in 

FY 2019.
25

Waste

Management

Wastes generated from cleanup activities 

on the Oak Ridge Reservation are addressed 

in a variety of ways. Most of the volume 

is disposed onsite in the Environmental 

Management Waste Management Facility 

(EMWMF) or the Oak Ridge Reservation 

Landfills. However, the highly contaminated 

material is shipped offsite. Wastewater is 

treated at various facilities on the Oak Ridge 

Reservation.

25
26

Most of the waste generated 

during FY 2019 cleanup 

activities in Oak Ridge went to 

disposal facilities on the Oak 

Ridge Reservation. 

EMWMF received 10,555 

waste shipments, totaling 

75,074 cubic yards, from 

cleanup projects at ETTP, 

ORNL, and Y-12. This 

engineered landfill consists 

of six disposal cells that only 

accept low-level radioactive 

and hazardous waste meeting 

specific criteria. These wastes 

include soil, dried sludge and 

sediment, building debris, 

and personal protective 

equipment. 

This disposal facility, which 

accepts the larger volume of 

waste that does not contain 

highly hazardous materials, 

has been vital to Oak Ridge’s 

cleanup progress and success. 

It has enabled OREM to 

accomplish more cleanup 

by being able to focus its 

resources on projects that 

eliminate risks across with 

site.

EMWMF operations 

shipped approximately 4.5 

million gallons of leachate 

for disposal at the ORNL 

Liquid and Gaseous Waste 

Operations facility. Contact 

water, which comes in contact with waste but does not 

enter the leachate collection system, did not require 

treatment in FY 2019. That water is only released after 

laboratory analysis verifies it meets all regulatory 

limits and discharge standards. 

DOE also operates and maintains solid waste disposal 

facilities, the Oak Ridge Reservation Landfills. In 

FY 2019, these three active landfills received 11,100 

Onsite disposal aids site’s cleanup

waste shipments, totaling 123,376 cubic yards of 

waste.

In FY 2019, OREM also completed improvements to 

the sediment control ponds and erosion controls at 

the Oak Ridge Reservation Landfills. These actions 

significantly reduce the amount of sediment released 

from these landfills.

26

EMWMF

Receipt of oversized item at EMWMF

Erosion controls put in place at the Oak Ridge Reservation Landfills
27

EMWMF will reach capacity in the near term before 

OREM completes its cleanup at Y-12 and ORNL. 

Planning continued in FY 2019 for another disposal 

facility that will provide the capacity required to 

complete Oak Ridge’s cleanup. The new facility will 

be called the Environmental Management Disposal 

Facility (EMDF). 

OREM monitored a total of 31 wells (measuring and 

recording water levels and groundwater characteristic 

data) for the entire year. The results of the yearlong monitoring were documented in a technical 

memorandum and provided to the Federal Facility 

Agreement regulators for comment. Test pits and 

borings were also installed on two potential borrow 

Data gathered for proposed waste disposal facility

Each year, activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation 

generate millions of gallons of wastewater that must 

be treated to remove oil, chemicals, radiological 

constituents, and other contaminants. 

The Y-12 National Security Complex treats wastewater 

and groundwater generated from production and 

environmental cleanup activities. The site provided 

safe and compliant treatment of 128 million gallons of 

wastewater and groundwater during FY 2019.

At ORNL, the Process Waste Treatment Complex 

treated approximately 85 million gallons of wastewater 

in FY 2019. 

In addition, the liquid low-level waste system at ORNL 

received approximately 77,000 gallons for treatment. 

The ORNL 3039 Stack Facility treated 1.63 billion cubic 

meters of gaseous waste. These waste treatment 

activities supported both OREM and DOE Office of 

Science mission activities safely and compliantly.

Millions of gallons of wastewater treated

areas to evaluate the potential quality and quantity of 

borrow soil for berms and liner construction. 

Preliminary design of the facility, as well as a detailed 

evaluation of its long-term performance, continued 

using site-specific characterization results to ensure 

that the disposal facility can be protective in the longterm.

OREM concluded a four-month public comment period 

for the proposed new facility in January 2019, and 

the cleanup program is working with Environmental 

Protection Agency and Tennessee Department of 

Environment and Conservation to move forward on 

planning documents related to the project.

Proposed EMDF site

EMWMF
28 5

North Wind Solutions, LLC, operator of the Transuranic 

Waste Processing Center (TWPC), continued 

processing waste in FY 2019. TWPC is responsible for 

processing and packaging transuranic (TRU) waste 

from the Oak Ridge Reservation for shipment to DOE’s 

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), near Carlsbad, New 

Mexico. This form of waste consists of materials and 

debris that are contaminated with elements that have 

a higher atomic mass and are listed after uranium 

on the periodic table. The majority of Oak Ridge’s 

inventory originated from previous research and 

isotope production missions at ORNL.

Two TRU waste streams are processed at the facility—

contact-handled (CH) and remote-handled (RH) waste. 

CH waste can be safely handled without remote 

equipment, although workers never actually touch 

the waste without protective barriers, such as special 

clothing or equipment. 

Higher energy radioactive waste is processed by 

remote control equipment in special protective rooms 

called “hot cells.” Workers who process this form of 

waste are protected by barriers, such as thick concrete 

walls and leaded-glass viewing windows. TWPC has 

processed approximately 98 percent of the CH TRU 

waste and 98 percent of the RH TRU and completed 

key regulatory Site Treatment Plan milestones on 

schedule. 

In FY 2019, North Wind Solutions completed 85 CH 

TRU waste shipments containing 2,739 drums to 

WIPP. As a result, OREM has been able to disposition 

approximately 76 percent of the CH TRU waste and 

56 percent of the RH TRU waste. 

TWPC continues waste processing, shipments

Once TRU debris processing is completed, OREM 

must process and dispose of the large inventory 

of remaining TRU sludge waste. TWPC is not 

designed for sludge processing, so new facilities 

must be constructed to mobilize and transfer the 

sludge from the ORNL tanks to processing systems 

that will enable the solidification, packaging, and 

disposing of the waste offsite. 

OREM will conduct initial testing through the 

design and construction of a mock test facility 

and offsite testing at vendor facilities. Once the 

technologies are matured, the design of the 

final processing facilities and systems can be 

completed and construction can begin. In FY 

2019, workers continued to make progress on 

the Sludge Mobilization System, Slurry Mixing 

and Characterization Tank, and Mobilization 

Measurement Instrumentation, as well as design 

documents for the Sludge Test Area to support 

technology maturation and compliance with a Site 

Treatment Plan milestone.

Progress continues on

sludge buildout facility

TWPC operators using manipulators to process highly 

radioactive transuranic waste inside the hot cell
29

Oak Ridge

Reservation

The DOE Oak Ridge Reservation is home 

to ETTP, ORNL, and Y-12. It contains 

approximately 32,400 acres that are 

predominantly undeveloped, forested 

areas. In addition to cleanup projects 

at the three sites on the reservation, 

OREM is taking measures to address 

reservation-wide issues.

29
30

In FY 2019, OREM continued to implement projects 

under the Oak Ridge Reservation Groundwater 

Strategy. The Melton Valley/Bethel Valley Exit Pathway 

Remedial Investigation Work Plan was approved by the 

regulators, and OREM initiated plans to install three 

new onsite wells west of ORNL near the Clinch River. 

Exit pathways are areas where contaminants have the 

potential to exit the Oak Ridge Reservation to offsite 

areas. 

Monitoring of the new wells will supplement current 

exit pathway monitoring in Bethel Valley near the 

Oak Ridge Reservation boundary. A groundwater flow 

model was also completed using a computer modeling 

program. The groundwater flow model will be further 

refined with the results from the new wells that 

will be used to help simulate and better understand 

groundwater movement.

Also in FY 2019, work continued on the Bethel Valley 

Final Record of Decision Remedial Investigation Work 

Plan. A meeting with the regulators was completed 

that addressed the objectives and focus areas of 

the work plan. This plan will outline an investigation 

strategy to support a future, final groundwater 

decision for Bethel Valley.

Offsite detection monitoring was completed in 

FY 2019. The study provides additional confirmation 

that there were no offsite health risks related to 

groundwater. 

The Oak Ridge Reservation has an extensive network of monitoring wells that provide valuable groundwater data

Groundwater strategy projects implemented
31

Public

Involvement

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 tours, meetings, briefings, 

conferences, media outreach, fact sheets, 

public notices, websites, social media, 

and various publications.

31
32

Tribal working group

visits Oak Ridge

DOE hosted the State and Tribal Government 

Working Group (STGWG) on a visit and tour of the 

Oak Ridge Reservation during its spring meeting 

in Knoxville, Tenn., on May 14-16, 2019. STGWG 

states and tribes were joined by officials from the 

DOE headquarters and field offices.

Dave Adler conducts an STGWG tour at the ORNL 

Graphite Reactor

OREM issued the 

2019 update of the 

Public Involvement 

Plan (PIP) for 

Oak Ridge. The 

document, which 

describes public 

involvement 

activities for Oak 

Ridge cleanup, 

is updated and 

reissued every three 

years.

PIP issued

Grand opening 

held for AMSE

Local elected officials, including Rep. Chuck 

Fleischmann, below, joined DOE and others at the 

grand opening of the new American Museum of 

Science and Energy (AMSE). AMSE showcases Oak 

Ridge’s leadership in environmental cleanup, scientific 

and technical innovation, and national security since 

the Secret City’s start in the Manhattan Project.

In FY 2019, OREM employees visited numerous 

local schools to highlight the career opportunities in 

science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). 

They also shared the ins and outs of the local cleanup 

program and how it is helping transform the region. 

 

Employees visited Linden Elementary, Coalfield 

Middle, Robertsville Middle, Jefferson Middle, Hardin 

Valley Academy, and Oak Ridge High School in their 

efforts to share the importance and value of STEM. 

One such event at Jefferson Middle School attracted 

more than 800 students and their family members. 

The event provided the students and families the 

opportunity to learn and have fun. Organizers 

designed activities to share ideas, resources, and 

opportunities in the STEM fields. Those fields are 

central to the technical work occurring in Oak Ridge.

Many local organizations partnered with the school 

for the STEM night to enable the students to explore 

different aspects of STEM, including 3-D printing, laser 

scanning, radiation detection, virtual reality, drones, 

and CO2-powered race cars.

OREM emphasizes STEM education in local schools
33

Advisory board provides public 

input on DOE cleanup activities

The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board (ORSSAB) 

is a federally chartered volunteer citizens panel that 

provides independent advice and recommendations 

to the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental 

Management (OREM). ORSSAB provides DOE 

and regulators at EPA and TDEC with a forum for 

understanding stakeholder perspectives. It also serves 

as a venue for members of the community to express 

their views or ask questions.

Since 1995, ORSSAB has provided 245 

recommendations to OREM on important aspects 

of the cleanup program, such as land use and 

reindustrialization; stewardship; cleanup standards, 

activities, and budgets; and waste management. Every 

major record of decision (ROD) developed under 

Environmental Management (EM) has had heavy 

SSAB involvement, and none of the final RODs have 

been at odds with majority SSAB opinions. 

ORSSAB meets the second Wednesday of most 

months at 6 p.m. at the DOE Information Center 

located at 1 Science.gov Way in Oak Ridge. The 

board held eight regular meetings in FY 2019 and 

participated in five tours of OREM projects. It also 

has two standing committees that meet separately. 

Meetings are always open to the public and include 

time for public comment. More information about 

ORSSAB is available at www.energy.gov/orssab.

OREM employees gave students an entertaining 

hands-on lesson on building lava lamps using 

vegetable oil, water, food coloring, and effervescent 

antacid. 

Others participated in the DOE Career Café, where 

students shared interests, learned about careers, and 

asked questions of OREM’s scientists, engineers, and 

technicians.

“Community involvement is incredibly important to us 

as an organization, and we are continuously looking 

for opportunities for our employees to interact with 

students in local schools,” OREM Manager Jay Mullis 

said. “This event provided an excellent environment 

for students to have some fun and learn how diverse 

and exciting STEM careers can be.”

Alex Goldberg, the school’s STEM coach, emphasized 

the importance of having major STEM employers 

engage young people in the community.

“We are proud to represent Oak Ridge and bring the 

community together to further the STEM possibilities 

for our students, and the Department of Energy plays 

a vital role in this endeavor,” Goldberg said.

Oak Ridge was the second school district in the U.S. to 

DOE’s Elizabeth Phillips promoting STEM at a local school

have each of its elementary, middle, and high schools 

fully STEM-accredited and certified.

Mullis appreciated the opportunity to engage with the 

students at this stage of their education at the STEM 

event.

“We work to introduce them to new, exciting ideas 

and make them aware of the options available to 

them,” he said. “It is an investment in our future. One 

day, some of these kids may be responsible for leading 

our program and achieving Oak Ridge’s cleanup 

mission.”
34

45

In September, OREM Manager Jay Mullis briefed the board 

on OREM’s FY 2021 budget request and asked for its input 

on projects and priorities. Like all ORSSAB meetings, it was 

open to the public and included time for public comments.

Following are some of the board’s major contributions 

and activities for FY 2019. 

FY 2019 recommendations support increased 

communication and investment in new technologies

In FY 2019, the board passed four recommendations. 

Three of those recommendations were in partnership 

with the Environmental Management Site-Specific 

Advisory Board (EM SSAB), which consists of officers 

from other SSAB groups around the country. The EM 

SSAB meets twice annually to discuss topics with 

impact across all EM sites. The fourth gave input on 

OREM’s FY 2021 budget request.

• Recommendation 242—EM SSAB Recommendation 

Regarding Site-Specific Advisory Board 

Involvement in Enhancing Stakeholder and 

Public Engagement: The leadership of the boards 

encouraged DOE to consider additional forms of 

community, public, and stakeholder engagement. 

They noted that individual site-specific advisory 

boards are in the perfect position to help develop 

and recommend implementation strategies. 

• Recommendation 243—EM SSAB Recommendation 

on EM’s Review of Cleanup Milestones: This 

recommendation was made in response to a recent 

report from the U.S. Government Accountability 

Office concerning improving oversight of cleanup 

milestones. Tracking milestones is one of the ways 

local boards become informed about cleanup 

actions at their sites. Milestone achievements, 

delays or changes in information should be shared 

regularly. SSAB members also recommended that 

EM create a complex-wide data dictionary for 

milestone terminology to reduce confusion. 

• Recommendation 244—EM SSAB Recommendation 

on Improving EM’s Science and Technology 

Program: The EM SSAB Chairs wrote this 

recommendation in response to the National 

Academies of Sciences’ report, “Independent 

Assessment of Science and Technology for the 

Department of Energy’s Defense Environmental 

Cleanup Program.” The chairs agreed with the 

report’s focus on a formal, open, transparent, 

quantifiable, and integrated science and 

technology program that is accessible to everyone 

– scientists, regulators and the public. They also 

supported the need for an aggressive program 

to verify the success of selected remediation 

pathways and risk-informed cleanup decisions. 

ORSSAB increases community awareness of ongoing 

cleanup 

ORSSAB offers additional opportunities outside of its 

meetings for the public to learn about and express 

views on OREM’s cleanup mission. The board regularly 

issues news releases, advertises in local media in 

print and online, broadcasts a portion of its monthly 

meetings on local cable stations, and archives the 

video to its YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/

user/ORSSAB. Staff maintain an active social media 

presence at www.facebook.com/ORSSAB and offer 

several mailing lists to distribute news and meeting 

materials (users can sign up by emailing orssab@

orem.doe.gov). Board members and staff are also 

available on request to educate community groups 

and organizations about the board’s function. 

The board completed a number of activities this year 

in its continuing mission to inform and involve the 

public in the EM decision-making process. 

ORSSAB continued its long-standing tradition of 

appointing two student representatives to the board 

as part of its interest in long-term stewardship of 

the Oak Ridge Reservation. Educating and engaging 

students about OREM’s work ensures the next 

generation of stewards are prepared for their role in 

making sure cleanup is completed and stewardship of 

the site continues.
35

FY 2019 Stats

Number of public meetings held 45

Total citizen inquiries 629

Total number of documents at the center 48,948

 Total number of documents online 17,738

The DOE Information Center is located at the 

Office of Scientific and Technical Information, 

Building 1916 – T1,

1 Science.gov Way, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831

E-mail: doeic@science.doe.gov

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

http://doeic.science.energy.gov

Phone: (865) 241-4780

The DOE Information Center is a one-stop information facility that maintains a collection of more than 48,000 

documents regarding environmental activities in Oak Ridge. 

The center hosts various meetings, including some of the ORSSAB meetings, relevant to cleanup activities in 

Oak Ridge. Staff is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to assist with information needs. Users can 

consult the following website for information available from the Center.

DOE Information Center in Oak Ridge

Members pursue continuing education as part of 

advisory role

Since board members are not required to be experts, 

DOE supports ongoing education for members, 

including regular site tours and travel to select 

cleanup-related conferences such as the National 

Cleanup Workshop, the Waste Management 

Symposium, and the National Environmental Justice 

Conference.

Member reports and materials from offsite events are 

included in board meeting packets and archived at the 

DOE Information Center. In FY 2019, board members 

participated in the following local activities:

• Mercury remediation: Members toured ORNL’s 

Aquatic Ecology Laboratory and learned about 

EM-funded research and upcoming expansion of 

the facility. Previous board recommendations had 

encouraged and supported additional funding 

for the Aquatics Lab’s research and technology 

development. Construction of the expansion is 

underway and will be operational in 2020.

• Efforts for waste disposal: Members toured the 

Environmental Management Waste Management 

Facility, viewed the proposed site for the 

Environmental Management Disposal Facility, and 

attended public meetings about the project.

• Groundwater remediation: Members toured 

Bill McMillan and UCOR’s Chuck Curtis led members on 

a tour of ORNL’s Liquid and Gaseous Waste Operations. 

The facility has been undergoing repairs and upgrades to 

extend its useful lifespan.

sites where groundwater decisions are needed 

or underway. A major component of current and 

upcoming recommendation topics involve areas 

at ETTP, where OREM is working to complete 

cleanup.

• Excess contaminated facilities: Several 

recommendations have focused on Oak Ridge’s 

old, contaminated structures that are no longer 

supporting DOE missions and related issues 

that need to be addressed prior to large-scale 

demolition.
36

DOE OREM Public Information

(865) 574-4912

www.energy.gov/orem

Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board

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

1-800-382-6938

www.energy.gov/orssab

Websites for Additional Information

AMSE American Museum of Science and Energy

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act of 1980

COLEX Column Exchange

CROET Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee

DOE U.S. Department of Energy

DOEIC DOE Information Center

EM Environmental Management

EMDF Environmental Management Disposal Facility

EMWMF Environmental Management Waste Management Facility

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

ETTP East Tennessee Technology Park

EU Exposure Unit

FY Fiscal year

LGWO Liquid and Gaseous Waste Operations

MSRE Molten Salt Reactor Experiment

NPL National Priorities List

OREM Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management

ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORRL Oak Ridge Reservation Landfills

ORSSAB Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board

PIP Public Involvement Plan

ROD Record of Decision

STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

STGWG State and Tribal Government Working Group

TDEC Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

Commonly Used Acronyms

Tennessee Department of Environment

and Conservation–DOE Oversight Office

(865) 481-0995

www.state.tn.us/environment/

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Region 4

1-800-241-1754

www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-epa-region-4-

southeast
37

CERCLA: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) 

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, which governs cleanup operations on 

the Oak Ridge Reservation, authorizes two kinds of response actions: short-term removal actions, 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 U.S. 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. 

Federal Facility Agreement: CERCLA requires an agreement between state and federal entities to guide cleanup 

work at CERCLA sites. For the DOE Oak Ridge Office, the parties of this agreement, called a Federal Facility 

Agreement, is DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Tennessee Department of Environment 

and Conservation. The Federal Facility Agreement for Oak Ridge was initiated in January 1992.

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.

Remedial Actions: Remedial actions are long-term response actions that seek to permanently and significantly 

reduce the risks associated with the release or threat of release of hazardous substances. 

Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study: The purpose of the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) is 

to assess site conditions and evaluate alternatives to the extent necessary to select a remedy. Developing and 

conducting an RI/FS generally includes the following activities: project scoping, data collection, risk assessments, 

treatability studies, and analysis of alternatives. The scope and timing of these activities should be tailored to the 

nature and complexity of the problem and the response alternatives being considered.

Record of Decision: Under the CERCLA process, a Record of Decision formally documents the selection of 

a preferred cleanup method after a series of steps, including a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study. A 

preferred cleanup alternative is selected and presented to the public for comment in a Proposed Plan. The U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, the state, and the lead agency then select a remedy and document it in the 

Record of Decision. 

Fiscal Year: The 2019 fiscal year spans from Oct. 1, 2018, to Sept. 30, 2019.

Commonly Used Terms

TRU Transuranic

TWPC Transuranic Waste Processing Center

WIPP Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
38

For more information, please contact 

the DOE Oak Ridge Public Affairs Office at (865) 574-4912.