Two advisory boards have provided 2,019 recommendations to EM since their inception, and the majority of them have been fully or partially implemented, demonstrating the boards’ critical role in shaping cleanup efforts, policies and practices.
Office of Environmental Management
December 12, 2023
minute read time
Representatives from all eight local Site-Specific Advisory Boards (SSAB) and staff who attended the most recent EM SSAB National Chairs Meeting in April 2023 gather for a photo at the DOE headquarters James Forrestal Building. EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Avery is also pictured at center.
Guidance throughout decades demonstrates boards' enduring influence
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two advisory boards have provided 2,019 recommendations to EM since their inception, and the majority of them have been fully or partially implemented, demonstrating the boards’ critical role in shaping cleanup efforts, policies and practices.
Advice from the EM Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) and Environmental Management Advisory Board (EMAB) has been reflective of community perspectives and strategic insights.
“When citizens actively engage in EM’s cleanup activities as volunteers through the advisory board programs and share diverse expertise and perspectives, it enables EM to effectively advance our mission through transparency and accountability,” says Joceline Nahigian, director for the EM Office of Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Programs. “We look forward to continued collaboration and input from our EM SSABs and EMAB partners to help inform decision making across the complex.”
Nahigian highlighted an array of initiatives the boards have been a part of over the years.
“From teaming up to produce video documentaries on cleanup, to working with EM and its contractors to create educational and community programs, to providing recommendations on the Hanford Tank Waste Roadmap, the EM advisory board programs are home to some of the most active stakeholders surrounding the EM mission,” she said.
As of the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, EM SSAB has offered 1,782 recommendations, showcasing its active engagement and dedication to effective environmental management. Of those, 67% have been fully implemented, and 17% have seen partial implementation, indicating EM's commitment to community-led guidance.
Established in 1994, the EM SSAB represents a key component of community-based environmental management as the board is populated with community members who live and work near EM sites. This board was formed to provide site-specific advice and recommendations from the communities’ perspective, reflecting the unique challenges and conditions of EM sites located in Idaho, Kentucky, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington state. Over the years, it has become a vital forum for local community involvement in cleanup decisions.
With its strategic focus, EMAB has provided 237 recommendations over its lifetime, including 31 in the previous fiscal year. This continuous involvement demonstrates the board’s integral role in guiding the EM program. The rate at which EM implemented EMAB’s advice is a testament to the board’s impact: 78% of these recommendations have been fully implemented, and 18% have been partially implemented.
Founded in 1992, EMAB has been pivotal in offering strategic and policy advice to the EM program. With subject matter experts and stakeholder representatives making up the board’s membership, its role has been crucial to shaping overarching strategies and ensuring EM's efforts align with broader environmental and public health perspectives.
Click here to learn more about the EM SSAB and here to learn about the EMAB.
-Contributor: Charles Love
To receive the latest news and updates about the Office of Environment Management, submit your e-mail address.