Ike White Talks 2021 Priorities with Key Advisory Board

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management William “Ike” White outlined 2021 priorities and highlighted opportunities for success when the broader cleanup community is aligned during an Environmental Management Advisory Board (EMAB) meeting last week.

“EM has demonstrated an ability to execute well when we have alignment among DOE, communities, states, and other regulators,” White said. Among the examples he cited were the successful startup of the Savannah River Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), construction of facilities needed to begin treating tank waste at Hanford via the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) approach, and completion of demolition work at the East Tennessee Technology Park.

White discussed the importance of achieving and maintaining proper alignment between EM and cleanup supporters on shared goals that are both effective and achievable as EM plans for the future and works toward key 2021 priorities, including:

• Accelerating the tank waste mission at Savannah River by processing 6 million gallons of waste through SWPF
• Completing a tank-side treatment system at Hanford and advancing DFLAW startup and commissioning activities
• Starting up the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit at Idaho
• Completing demolition of the Biology Complex at Oak Ridge
• Shifting to full-scale demolition of X-326 at Portsmouth
• Bringing down the last DOE-owned buildings at the former Energy Technology Engineering Center

In looking to the future, White emphasized his commitment to the communities that he views as EM’s “customers” — a commitment that includes both tackling the environmental legacy of today and preparing for the economy of tomorrow. The new standalone contract for EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory, the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative in Aiken, South Carolina, as well as the transfer of land and resources no longer required for cleanup at sites such as Oak Ridge and Portsmouth all serve as tools to empower local economic development.

The EMAB provides DOE with information, advice, and recommendations on issues affecting the environmental cleanup mission. EMAB meetings are one component of a robust strategy to ensure that the new era for EM is informed by a broad and diverse set of experts and stakeholders.