EM is proud to invest in our planet! We’ve been working diligently for over 15 years to reduce our carbon footprint, embrace renewable energy and energy efficiencies, and support recycling that reinforces America’s sustainability mission. The flyer below highlights some of the accomplishments we have made in these areas, including the addition of over 300 zero emissions vehicles to EM’s fleet. Conserving resources and preserving our environment is essential to investing in our planet and ensuring future generations can enjoy all it has to offer!
For more information on EM's sustainability efforts contact Kyle Hendrix at [email protected].
Earth Week Photo Gallery
EM is making a positive impact in communities on land re-use, revegetation, and protecting natural habitats. We are focused not only on getting the job done, but on conducting cleanup in a sustainable manner that protects the local wildlife. Checkout some of our favorite shots of creatures that call some of our sites home.
Earth Week Photo Gallery
Savannah River Site
Department of Energy
February 11, 2025
EM Clean Energy Land Reuse
In a June 30, 2023 Federal Register Notice, DOE announced a new initiative to increase energy production by making DOE land available for potential development of Carbon Free Energy (CFE) electricity generation through leases. The department’s goal is to identify and prioritize opportunities where there is potential for onsite energy projects and to solicit feedback from tribes, industry and communities. The Office of Environmental Management (EM) identified about 40,000 acres of potentially available lands for consideration for development for CFE generation and storage projects.
Learn more about EM's progress with the new initiatives by visiting our EM Clean Energy Land Reuse page.
Recent Clean Energy News
A Track Record of Success
Want an idea of what a completed project looks like for the world's largest environmental cleanup program? Use the slider on the picture below to get a before and after look at the Rocky Flats site. The former Rocky Flats Plant was part of the nationwide nuclear weapons complex that manufactured nuclear weapons components. After nuclear weapons components production ended, the facility’s mission changed to cleanup and closure, and it was renamed the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site.
In October 2005, DOE and its contractor completed an accelerated 10-year, $7 billion cleanup of chemical and radiological contamination in production buildings and limited areas across the site after nearly 50 years of production activities. For more information about Rocky Flats, click here. For information about the 92 sites EM has completed cleanup, visit our Completed Cleanup Sites page here.
Progress By The Numbers
Interested in seeing the world's largest environmental cleanup program broken down by the numbers? Visit our By the Numbers page to view infographics showing major accomplishments for each of our active cleanup sites! We’ve done the math and are excited to show our work!
Earth Day 2024 Across the Complex
Hydrogeologist Jeff Wurtz of the Environmental Management Nevada program speaks with residents of rural Nye County during an Earth Day event on April 20. The event was held at the Bob Ruud Community Center in Pahrump, Nevada. Wurtz showed area residents an “ant farm” display, demonstrating a groundwater flow model concept and other concepts such as hydraulic gradient, water transport and the effects of pumping wells.
In celebration of Earth Day, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) employees and contractors submitted their best photos depicting the beauty and magnificence of the world for a contest. Photos fall under one of four categories: wildlife, scenery, foliage, and sustainability projects or activities. The submitted photos are displayed onsite and at the Ashford Office Complex for team members to view and vote for their favorite photo. West Valley will award a trophy to the winner in each category following the voting period, which ends April 30.
The One Hanford team is all about cleanup. In honor of Earth Day, a group of employee volunteers recently spent their free time giving back to the community and cleaning up a local park. The team expressed pride for its contribution to cleanup progress at the Hanford Site and surrounding community.
In honor of Earth Day, members of the Green Team for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Paducah Site infrastructure contractor Swift & Staley Inc. set up collection points across the site to recycle plastic. The group collected approximately 50 pounds of plastic items for recycling. Those who brought items were rewarded with reusable bags for their efforts and to educate others on further recycling opportunities.
Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC), the Savannah River Site (SRS) liquid waste contractor, celebrated Earth Day by participating in a local Earth Day event. Several SRMC employees from the Environmental Compliance and Operational & Informational Technology groups participated in the city of Aiken, South Carolina, Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 20. The SRMC exhibit appealed to all audiences from K-12 to adults and featured an interactive robot, games, and information about the meaningful cleanup work that SRMC performs to achieve its tank waste cleanup mission for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management.
SRNL volunteers helped students create clouds in a bottle by mimicking the part of Earth’s water cycle in which evaporated water, or water vapor, cools and condenses, forming clouds as they connect with dust. In the experiment, alcohol acts like the dust, providing something cool for water droplets to attach to. When students pressurized the soda bottle by pumping air in, the air molecules collided with each other and warmed the bottle. Releasing the pressure causes the water vapor to condense quickly, forming a cloud.