Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management

Stored: Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management

Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management Type: Administrative and Support Agencies Parent organization: Department of Energy Top organization: Employees: 50 Executive: Manager Budget: $755,000,000 (FY 2024) Address: 200 Administration Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA Website: https://www.energy.gov/orem Creation Legislation: Wikipedia: Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management

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Mission The Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management leads the safe cleanup of environmental legacies from nuclear weapons development and energy research on the Oak Ridge Reservation. It aims to protect public health and the environment while enabling economic growth through land reuse.

Services Environmental cleanup; waste management; facility demolition; community engagement

Regulations

Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management (OREM) is a U.S. Department of Energy office established in 1989 to manage the cleanup of the 32,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, a Superfund site contaminated by decades of Manhattan Project and Cold War nuclear activities.

OREM oversees environmental restoration at three major sites—

• East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP)
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Y-12 National Security Complex

handling radioactive and hazardous waste, demolishing excess facilities, and transferring cleaned land for economic redevelopment, guided by a tri-party agreement with the EPA and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

Official Site

Mission

The Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management’s mission is to complete the safe remediation of environmental contamination from nuclear weapons production and research at Oak Ridge, reducing risks to the region’s health and environment. Through its 2022-2032 Strategic Vision, OREM prioritizes facility demolition, waste disposal, and land reuse to support national security missions at Y-12 and science advancements at ORNL while fostering economic opportunities.

Parent organization

The Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management operates under the Department of Energy, specifically within the Office of Environmental Management (EM), which oversees cleanup of DOE’s nuclear legacy sites nationwide.

Legislation

OREM was not created by specific legislation but was formed in 1989 following the Oak Ridge Reservation’s designation as a Superfund site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). Its operations are governed by a 1991 Federal Facility Agreement with the EPA and TDEC.

Partners

OREM collaborates with:

• Environmental Protection Agency for regulatory oversight
• Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for state compliance
• UCOR (cleanup contractor) for operational execution
• Local communities and the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board (ORSSAB)

Number of employees

OREM employs approximately 50 federal staff, overseeing a contractor workforce of about 2,000 through UCOR and other partners managing cleanup activities.

Organization structure

OREM is structured to manage cleanup across three sites:

• ETTP Division handles reindustrialization and waste disposal.
• ORNL Division focuses on excess facility demolition and uranium-233 disposition.
• Y-12 Division oversees mercury cleanup and high-risk structure removal.

Leader

The Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management is headed by a Manager, currently John Arthur (Jay) Mullis II since November 2017.

Divisions

The divisions include:

• East Tennessee Technology Park for site closure and land reuse.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory for facility stabilization and research support.
• Y-12 National Security Complex for mercury treatment and demolition.

List of programs

OREM oversees:

• Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF) Project - https://www.energy.gov/orem/articles/oak-ridge-begins-groundwater-demonstration-disposal-facility-project
• Uranium-233 Disposition Program
• Mercury Treatment Facility Construction
• Excess Facility Demolition Program

Last total enacted budget

OREM’s budget for FY 2024 was $755,000,000, supporting cleanup, waste management, and infrastructure projects across the reservation.

Staff

OREM’s 50 federal employees manage policy and oversight, while contractors like UCOR employ around 2,000 workers for fieldwork, including demolition, waste processing, and environmental monitoring.

Funding

OREM is funded through annual DOE appropriations, with FY 2024 at $755 million, supplemented by contractor contributions and past stimulus funds, supporting cleanup since 1989.

Services provided

OREM manages environmental cleanup, including radioactive and hazardous waste disposal, demolition of contaminated facilities, groundwater monitoring, and land transfer for economic development, such as at ETTP.

Regulations overseen

OREM does not oversee regulations but operates under CERCLA and the 1991 Federal Facility Agreement, managing compliance with EPA and TDEC standards.

Headquarters address

The headquarters address, as listed on Google Maps, is 200 Administration Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA.

History

Established in 1989 after the Oak Ridge Reservation was listed as a CERCLA Superfund site, OREM emerged to address contamination from the 1940s Manhattan Project and subsequent nuclear activities. It has completed ETTP cleanup, demolished over 500 facilities, and continues tackling high-risk structures at ORNL and Y-12, with milestones like the 2024 EMDF groundwater study.

External links

• Official Website
• wikipedia:Oak_Ridge_National_Laboratory#Environmental_management
• TDEC Cleanup Overview