Oak Ridge Begins Groundwater Demonstration for Disposal Facility Project

An aerial view of a geosynthetic cover system Oak Ridge crews installed for a groundwater field demonstration at the Environmental Management Disposal Facility site. Workers cleared and recontoured more than 30 acres of land as part of fieldwork that began in February.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and contractor UCOR have finished fieldwork and begun monitoring groundwater elevations for a study at the Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF) site.

This marks the second major phase for the EMDF project. This past summer, teams completed the first phase, early site preparation, five months ahead of schedule and $12.3 million under budget.

EMDF is a vital piece of infrastructure to provide the waste disposal capacity OREM needs to complete cleanup at the Y-12 National Security Complex and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. OREM’s current onsite waste disposal facility is more than 85% full.

“We’re extremely proud of UCOR and their subcontractor CTI and Associates, who’ve completed this important project on time despite being on a tight schedule,” EMDF Federal Project Director Dennis Mayton said. “We needed to complete fieldwork so we could begin gathering data when the wet season begins in December, and that’s exactly what they did.”

Fieldwork for the second phase of the EMDF project began in February. Workers cleared more than 30 acres of land and recontoured it. They also installed a geosynthetic cover system composed of three layers: the geomembrane, turf and sand infill.

The 1.3 million-square-foot geomembrane layer simulates the effect of lined disposal cells on groundwater elevations, creating an impermeable barrier over the site. The turf, much like grass, slows the flow of stormwater, providing improved stormwater controls. The final layer, sand infill, weighs down the turf and prevents damage from strong winds.

This work allows OREM and UCOR to gather information about how groundwater elevations change, providing valuable information for the landfill’s final design.

Gathering data during the wet seasons is important because that's when groundwater levels are highest. There is more rain, and plants without foliage absorb less water. In east Tennessee, the wet season typically runs from December through March.

“Completing the cover system was essential to the start of the groundwater field demonstration and continuing progress on this project,” UCOR EMDF Project Execution Manager Mary Magleby said. “The next two wet seasons of monitoring will support the EMDF design phase and move us closer to completion.”

UCOR and teaming partner RSI will monitor groundwater elevations over the course of the next two wet seasons through 2026. That data will be used to inform the final design and enable the final phase of the project, which includes EMDF’s construction.

EMDF is slated for completion in 2030.

-Contributor: Ella Stewart