Oak Ridge Manager Speaks to Advisory Board About EM’s Cleanup Plans

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Leadership at the Oak Ridge Site met with the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board (ORSSAB) recently to educate members about the federal budget process, EM’s near-term plans, and the path for the site’s future cleanup.

Oak Ridge Office of EM (OREM) Manager Jay Mullis and Planning and Execution Division Director Alan Stokes gave presentations and answered questions at the board’s budget workshop, which was open to the public. The board members will use insight and information from the session to provide feedback on OREM's fiscal 2021 budget request, as part of OREM’s community outreach efforts.

Through ORSSAB, a federally chartered citizens’ advisory board, the community can learn more about EM’s current and planned work across the Oak Ridge Reservation. This advisory board meeting also enables board members to share feedback and perspectives with decision-makers in the local cleanup program.

During the meeting, Mullis shared his organization’s four main near-term cleanup goals;

• Completing cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park;
• Finishing disposition of the uranium-233 inventory stored at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory;
• Completing processing and shipping of Oak Ridge’s transuranic waste inventory; and
• Addressing mercury contamination at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

Mullis directed the board members to his organization’s 10-Year Program Plan, which lists those goals along with objectives and performance measures for each. OREM released the document in 2014, and it provides a roadmap through 2024.

“Our program plan ensures everyone within the organization is unified and pursuing the same targets,” said Mullis. “It also informs stakeholders about what we see as our top priorities needed to advance the cleanup mission in Oak Ridge.”

The planning required for achieving those goals is closely linked with the budget process, according to Stokes, who joined Mullis to explain the budget process and discuss the site’s budget history and planning for future appropriations from Congress.

“Oak Ridge’s budget development is an extension of our planning process,” Stokes said.

He said employees in his division have conducted extensive planning to sequence work effectively, develop sound budget requests, and help Oak Ridge successfully conduct its mission. Those efforts involve coordinating and planning for 147 subprojects and 20,000 activities.

Through this workshop, the board members gained insight into OREM’s budget priorities and considerations. Next, they will prepare recommendations for the fiscal 2021 OREM budget. OREM will consider those recommendations as it develops its budget request.

ORSSAB recommendations have played a major role in OREM’s operations since the board was formed in 1995.The board conducts active member recruitment every fall, but accepts applications year round. Applications can be found here.

“They are an incredibly valuable asset to our program” Mullis said of ORSSAB.