Clean-up program is matter of give and take

Clean-up program is matter of give and take

The environmental cleanup program in Oak Ridge has been in the news a lot lately, particularly as the U.S. Department of Energy tries to compress the work into a single decade.

Here are some items of interest:

When in town last week, Al Alm, DOE's assistant secretary for environmental management, talked about the "exciting possibilities" for success as DOE sites around the nation work cooperatively to solve problems.

A concern among some East Tennesseans is the amount of toxic and radioactive waste that will be shipped to Oak Ridge to be burned in the incinerator at the K-25 Site. DOE wants the incinerator to become a national resource.

When asked to address community concerns, Alm replied, "I think if you take a look at the possibilities, there's more leaving (Oak Ridge) than coming."

He was referring to DOE plans to ship much of the waste generated at Oak Ridge nuclear facilities to other locations, particularly a landfill in Utah.

Not all of Oak Ridge's nuclear waste, of course, will be sent elsewhere.

As part of its new 10-year plan, DOE wants to construct an "on-site disposal cell" to deal with radioactive wastes - including those generated during cleanup activities.

Federal officials said this Oak Ridge operation could save taxpayers up to $700 million by reducing costs associated with transporting and disposing of wastes at other sites.

So, what is an on-site disposal cell? It sounds like a hole in the ground.

Bruce Kimmel, Lockheed Martin's director of environmental restoration in Oak Ridge, corrected that description. "It's a lined hole in the ground," he said.

Who says there's no drama in environmental cleanup?

Alm told an Oak Ridge crowd if DOE doesn't meet its goal for opening the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) - the controversial tomb for transuranic wastes - "I'm going to slit my wrist."

DOE's plan calls for the New Mexico facility to begin receiving Oak Ridge wastes in 2002.

There's a new concern, however, because some of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's hottest wastes - those containing radioactive californium and curium - reportedly have been ruled ineligible for disposal at WIPP. The matter is still under discussion.

The Department of Energy is concerned about Lockheed Martin draining talent from its Oak Ridge workforce, particularly the staff that conducts environmental cleanup for DOE.

"I would say it's an issue we need to work," said Rod Nelson, an assistant manager at DOE's Oak Ridge office. Nelson declined to specify the level of concern, but said it would be discussed with Al Narath, who heads Lockheed Martin's Energy & Environment Sector.

In the past couple of years, Lockheed Martin has transferred some of its environmental leadership at Oak Ridge-based Energy Systems to M4 Environmental - a limited partnership of Lockheed Martin and Molten Metal.

Now, three more members of Lockheed Martin's "green team" in Oak Ridge have been tapped for positions at the company's new subsidiary at Hanford, Wash.

Linc Hall, a vice president at Energy Systems, is the new president of Lockheed Martin Hanford, and two of his Vice Presidents will be Fran DeLozier, former environmental cleanup chief at Oak Ridge-based Energy Systems, and Harry Boston, another top environmental officer.

The Oak Ridge situation is in the spotlight. Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary recently announced the environmental management portion of Lockheed Martin's Oak Ridge contract will be put up for competition next year.

"Obviously, what we need is a smooth transition here, particularly with three people going to Hanford," Nelson said.

Fred Mynatt, senior vice president at Energy Systems, said Lockheed Martin is aware of DOE's concerns. He emphasized, however, that it's a normal process whereby top people leave for promotions elsewhere and talented people come to Oak Ridge to take their place. Mynatt said the traffic isn't one way.