  The annual National Cleanup Workshop saw record attendance this year.
This issue of the weekly EM Update focuses on the National Cleanup Workshop, held Sept. 11-13 in Arlington, Virginia. The annual event drew a record number of attendees this year. Hosted by Energy Communities Alliance with the cooperation of EM and the Energy Facility Contractors Group, it's the premier annual gathering to discuss progress in environmental cleanup of former government weapons sites and nuclear research facilities. (2023 National Cleanup Workshop photos by Matt Roberts)
 EMTV: Watch this brief highlight reel from the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop.
 U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk gives remarks during the keynote address at the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop.
As parts of DOE-owned lands are prepared for clean-energy projects under a new initiative, the Department will need more experts to join its workforce to help with the transition, U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk told the audience in a keynote address at the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop.
“We got to continually do our part to make sure we’re bringing in new parts of our workforce, representative of the entire strength of our country,” Turk said. “We need a deep bench in science, technology, engineering and math.”
Unveiled by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm earlier this summer, the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative will begin with five DOE sites, including the Hanford Site, Nevada National Security Sites, Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and Savannah River Site.
"What we're going to do with this program is take some of the lands that you've remediated that we've been working on for so many years, and for the first time ever, begin leasing them out so that developers, other partners can build some of the largest clean-energy projects in the world," Turk told the audience.
Under the initiative, thousands of acres of land could be used for solar, nuclear, geothermal, clean hydrogen, net-zero microgrids, battery storage and bioenergy — projects large enough to power entire cities while also reducing carbon emissions and creating good-paying jobs, Turk said.
“That is a big deal and at its core this is a marriage of so many things we try to do at the Department of Energy in a very, very exciting kind of way,” he said.
Turk also recognized EM’s cleanup progress. Since its inception in 1989, the program has completed cleanup at 92 sites, decontaminated and demolished thousands of facilities and permanently disposed of more than 179,000 containers of waste.
“And where the cleanup efforts are ongoing, we’re engaging with the communities most affected by this legacy of our nuclear programs and paving the way for future scientific discoveries,” he said.
Turk pointed to the INL Site, where DOE and its contractors found a new way to treat radioactive waste that “had, frankly, been stumping us for years.”
He noted that accomplishment could not have been achieved without the ongoing support and partnership from the State of Idaho, local community leaders and tribal leaders.
Turk also highlighted EM’s work at Oak Ridge to extract isotopes to advance next-generation cancer treatment — enough to create a half million doses every year.
“That is real world impact, real lives being impacted for the better,” Turk said.
He also noted that EM is slated to transfer more than 375 additional acres of Oak Ridge land to the state to attract new industry and bring new jobs to the region.
“The statistics are impressive, but I think those individual stories of what we’re actually doing with real communities, in partnership with real communities, mayors across the country, is even more impressive,” Turk said.
-Contributor: David Sheeley
 EM Senior Advisor William "Ike" White kicks off the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop with an address on EM's progress and priorities.
EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White highlighted recent cleanup progress and shared EM’s vision for the decades to come during his address kicking off the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop, which drew a record audience.
“While our mission is rooted in the environmental legacy of the past, we are also focused on possibilities for the future,” White said. “We are looking to the future of EM and our communities.”
EM’s successes this year include a full suite of tank-waste treatment capabilities in place at the Savannah River Site, where more tank waste is being treated than ever before; the successful launch of Integrated Waste Treatment Unit operations at the Idaho National Laboratory Site; progress toward immobilizing tank waste in glass at the Hanford Site; and demolition of four buildings at the Nevada National Security Sites that supported development and testing of nuclear rocket engines during the Cold War.
“Not only was this work completed safely, it was done ahead of schedule. That’s always a message that I like to deliver,” White said about the recent EM Nevada Program achievement, which met an EM 2023 priority ahead of schedule. “Some of the leaders who helped make this happen are here with us today. I want to say a special congratulations to the entire Nevada team for their help to make this happen.”
White took a cumulative look at EM’s cleanup progress across the DOE complex, noting that EM began with 107 sites and has 15 left to go where cleanup remains.
“The work that remains, though, is among our toughest work,” he said.
With those challenges in mind, White stressed the importance of building the next-generation workforce for EM. Early in the workshop, a special session aimed to help early career professionals learn more about EM and how to grow and succeed in the cleanup program.
“All of us are facing a hiring and labor environment unlike any we have seen before," White said. "We will need thousands of new workers over the next five years to achieve our cleanup goals."
The head of EM also discussed the future of EM sites and drew attention to the Department’s recent launch of the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, an effort to repurpose parts of DOE-owned lands into sites of clean-energy generation.
“We have a unique opportunity to lead by example to meet the challenges of today, including climate change, clean-energy production and energy resiliency,” White said. “We are focused not only on getting the job done, but conducting cleanup in a sustainable manner that benefits local communities, tribal nations and efforts around the globe to solve the climate crisis.”
In closing, White shared his appreciation for the audience at the workshop, the event’s largest to date. He emphasized that it’s that level of participation that will power EM through the decade to come.
"It is my hope that all of you come away this week with a better sense of the challenges we are facing, the opportunities we have to address them, and the important role that each of you plays in the success of our shared mission," White said.
-Contributor: Lee Tucker
 EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White welcomes participants to an early career pre-conference workshop at the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop. Kristen Ellis, EM acting associate principal deputy assistant secretary for regulatory and policy affairs, is at right.
Over 100 people attended a first-ever session of the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop offering early career professionals in-depth information about EM’s work and guidance on how to grow and succeed within the cleanup program.
The session began with remarks from EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White on the future of EM’s workforce. He also shared a personal account about the path that led to his current role as head of the cleanup program.
Ken Rueter, president and CEO of UCOR, EM’s cleanup contractor at Oak Ridge, led a session on leadership development principles. He highlighted curriculum from UCOR’s Rising Senior Leaders Program, which trains selected employees to advance to senior and executive leadership positions. Rueter also shared advice on progressing into leadership positions.
Lindsay Wallace, Los Alamos program manager with Longenecker & Associates, moderated a career case studies panel session with federal and industry representatives at various career stages who discussed personal experiences and workforce issues.
 Participants in the special early career pre-conference workshop at the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop.
Panelists included Tifany N. Albin, executive officer, Hanford Chief of Staff Office, DOE; JJ Chavez, council member, City of Carlsbad; Greg Meyer, senior vice president, Fluor Government Group; Jennie Stults, deputy project manager, Hanford Central Plateau Cleanup Company; Anna Summers, chemical operator, UCOR; and Jennifer Vollbrecht, president and CEO, J. Vollbrecht Consulting.
“Be yourself” was the top advice from the panelists, who answered questions from attendees on a wide range of topics, including finding your place at work, building a personal brand and networking.
Participants also focused on choosing a mentor.
“Picture yourself, and then picture someone else on the opposite side of the spectrum from you and pick that person,” Stults advised participants. “My best mentors were people that taught me a different style of working, way of communicating, or a different way to think about a problem.”
Albin advised attendees to seek out a mentor who will be honest with them and not sugarcoat feedback.
The session ended with an “EM 101” briefing from Christine Gelles, chief operating officer of Longenecker & Associates. Gelles shared her passion for nuclear cleanup while discussing the origins of EM, the nuclear fuel lifecycle, major scope elements of EM work and EM’s complex regulatory framework.
-Contributor: Carly Howard
EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White, pictured at top left, participated in the U.S. House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus presentation of DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy Program following last week’s 2023 National Cleanup Workshop. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, shown speaking at top right, shared remarks on the new initiative, which involves the use of federal land at DOE sites for clean-energy production. White and Fleischmann both spoke positively about the new program and the impact it will have. Members of a panel detailed the Cleanup to Clean Energy Program and answered questions about it. Shown at bottom right, they include, from left, Narayan Subramanian, advisor to the Secretary, Clean Energy Projects and Supply Chains; Jeremiah Baumann, senior advisor to the Under Secretary and director of Policy and Implementation; Candice Robertson, Cleanup to Clean Energy advisor, EM; and Joel Bradburne, manager, Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office.
 |
Members of the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce met with EM and DOE Office of Nuclear Energy representatives during their 20th annual meeting in Washington, D.C., last week. The chamber members make the annual trip to D.C. each year to meet with various federal officials and members of Congress. The group discussed the chamber’s priorities, including a reindustrialization study to explore potential future uses of the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Site.
Officials with EM and Canada’s Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) signed a bilateral agreement at the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop that opens doors to further collaboration and information sharing on nuclear management. Pictured from left are EM Senior Advisor William "Ike" White; Fred Dermarkar, president and CEO, AECL; and Jason Cameron, vice-president, Indigenous and Stakeholder Relations, AECL.
A National Cleanup Workshop panel of EM leaders and stakeholders discussed behind-the-scenes work for budget planning, factors to consider in the process and long-term support from communities near cleanup sites.
“We’re always working on three budgets at any one time. The current fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget is being executed today. The next fiscal year budget, FY 2024, is currently with Congress. The FY 2025 budget is being presented to the Office of Management and Budget this month,” said Steve Trischman, EM deputy assistant secretary for resource management. He also noted that FY 2026 budget planning will commence in the winter.
The Budget and Planning Office manages, integrates and coordinates planning and budget support for EM. The office also aims to reduce lifecycle costs of projects and accelerate the cleanup of the Cold War environmental legacy safely, efficiently and cost effectively.
EM’s budget planning processes and procedures are part of an intricate cycle ending with a 500-page budget volume.
According to Brian Vance, manager of EM’s Office of River Protection and Richland Operations Office, the Hanford Site’s work is challenging, so engagement and teamwork with the community is very important.
There are a host of challenges in budget planning. As of early September, a potential government shutdown loomed. A stopgap agreement is needed by the end of FY 2023 on Sept. 30 to avoid it.
Panelists discussed factors of cost drivers, such as inflation, infrastructure, high-level waste and excess facilities, including facilities of EM, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the DOE offices of Science and Nuclear Energy.
“They can’t do decommission and demolition (D&D) until their budget goes up,” said Trischman, referring to the former gaseous diffusion plant set for future D&D work at EM’s Paducah Site.
EM relies on stakeholder engagement for championing the budget.
Local governments meet with legislators and lobby and advocate certain activities, said Randall Ryti, councilor, Los Alamos County Council. One major area was alignment among stakeholders.
“When we have alignment, it’s really good and helps secure funding. When we don’t have alignment, we need to work that through,” he said.
Ryti praised the beneficial relationship with the National Association of Counties, which sends out statements so legislators can read about the priorities of communities.
Panelists agreed that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program engagement, introducing youth to EM, maintaining relationships with area high schools and encouraging people to visit sites all help EM in a positive way with its mission and workforce development.
Of the 300,000 people in the Tri-Cities communities in Washington state, 12,000 are employed at the Hanford Site.
Vance noted the importance of the Hanford Site’s workforce as a communication platform to open up community dialogue, allowing members of the workforce to tell their stories and share their impact on EM’s mission.
“EM will start to see the workforce challenges melt away,” said Vance.
-Contributor: Kim Kweder
EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Avery met with United Steelworkers (USW) members at their Fall 2023 Atomic Energy Workers Council Meeting in Arlington, Virginia last week. The EM leaders thanked the USW members for their contributions to EM’s cleanup mission at the Hanford, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Idaho National Laboratory, Portsmouth and Paducah sites. “The strong partnership with organized labor is critical to the success of our shared goal: accomplishing our cleanup mission safely, effectively and efficiently,” White said at the meeting. Pictured in the photo at right is Avery, from left, White and Atomic Energy Workers Council President Jim H. Key.
 EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Avery, far left, speaks during a National Cleanup Workshop panel session focused on how EM’s cleanup work supports other DOE missions and facilities.
Senior leaders from EM, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Science and industry came together for a National Cleanup Workshop panel focused on how EM’s cleanup work supports other DOE missions and facilities.
Panelists discussed how EM approaches and executes cleanup at other DOE sites. EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Avery explained different cleanup strategies and the benefits of EM’s expertise in decommissioning and demolition (D&D) as an integrated capability for the Department. He also offered several examples in which a fully integrated approach has led to successful outcomes for DOE and the communities surrounding project sites.
“Take a look at Oak Ridge and the transition from the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Y-12. The workforce that preformed the work at ETTP is transitioning over to preform similar work at other parts of the ORNL campus,” said Avery. “In terms of what makes us successful, it’s deliberate and close communication with the different programs across the entire lifecycle of the projects that we manage, from a planning, execution and disposition perspective.”
Chuck Hope, council member for the City of Oak Ridge and member of the Energy Communities Alliance Executive Board of Directors, later led the group in a discussion on how EM’s cleanup work has impacted the community of Oak Ridge.
“From a city’s point of view, it has allowed us to economically go out and market these areas. We have proved with several companies already that you can come into these areas. We have the space, expertise and ongoing missions,” he said. “It has allowed us to grow.”
Ken Harrawood, president and program manager for Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, the management and operations contractor for EM's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), offered a similar sentiment about Carlsbad, New Mexico, located 26 miles from the WIPP site.
“The Carlsbad community has really seen a difference as a result of the EM mission at both sites. It has completely changed the DNA of the town,” he said.
Harrawood also indicated that WIPP has encouraged the development of mining programs in the area and that the increased workforce associated with the EM mission is reinforcing a strong community commitment to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. He added that the community’s passion for STEM programs was further reinforced with the recent $11.7 million DOE awarded to the Southeast New Mexico Collage to support developing the next-generation workforce.
The panelists also talked about EM’s long-term future in addressing facility D&D and waste disposal needs at NNSA and Office of Science sites, and the benefits that approach brings compared to those entities performing their own cleanup work.
“Fundamentally it is a core part of what EM was set up to do. It is our responsibility to execute this cleanup work across the country and there are tremendous benefits in that model,” Avery said.
While Avery pointed out efficiency and cost-saving benefits associated with EM performing its core competencies, Jay Mullis, manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, emphasized the importance of retaining a highly skilled workforce to conduct this work in the future. Mullis highlighted EM’s investments in building a highly trained workforce and how that is paying dividends for other programs like NNSA and the Office of Science.
Hope noted that EM’s safe and efficient cleanup will allow NNSA and the Office of Science to expand operations.
“EM is critical to cleaning up the legacy areas that will allow us to have future expansion,” he said.
-Contributor: Kyle Hendrix
|
