EM Update | September 24, 2024
Read EM Update coverage of the National Cleanup Workshop addresses by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and EM Senior Advisor Candice Robertson, who spoke of the importance of public service and partnerships in EM's cleanup:
What’s Next? Cleanup Sites Lay Out Plans for Future Success A National Cleanup Workshop panel focused on the next phase of successes in the U.S. Department of Energy cleanup program shared exciting updates. Moderated by Jeff Avery, DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) principal deputy assistant secretary, the panel of EM and contractor leadership from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, delivered presentations on what’s next at their cleanup sites. Jay Mullis, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management manager, and Ken Rueter, UCOR president and CEO, discussed the recent completion of Vision 2024, the culmination of 20 years of cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park, and how those accomplishments represent what is possible in the realm of reindustrialization and
beneficial reuse for local communities. They pointed to strong partnerships and high performing teams as key drivers behind successes in this area and noted the same will be true for executing plans for new partnerships with the community and industry surrounding the site. Matt Irwin, acting assistant manager for Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Project, and Brian Hartman, WTP project director, detailed the work that has gotten the plant to where it is today. Irwin noted it takes all parts of the site working in
close partnership to achieve success in such a complicated mission. Hartman shared a video that walked the audience through the process for getting the plant’s two melters up to operational temperature and outlined some next steps as the site begins to shift to vitrification of liquid tank
waste. Jessica Kunkle, manager of the Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office, and Brad Smith, president and general manager for legacy cleanup contractor Newport News Nuclear BWXT, highlighted a new technology aimed at
improving the accuracy of waste classification processes. The Universal Drum Assay and Segregation System was developed in the United Kingdom and is now being tested at Los Alamos National Laboratory with exciting potential applications at other
sites across the complex.
Transparency, Public Engagement Central to Economic Development, Panelists Say Transparency and the importance of community participation were the top themes during the economic development discussion with industry and U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) leaders at the 2024 National Cleanup Workshop. Taking place shortly after Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s keynote address, the panel explored how the private sector can reuse EM sites to support clean energy initiatives and generate economic growth — two priorities Granholm highlighted in her remarks. Throughout
the hourlong conversation, panelists emphasized the need for community-driven ideas and processes to ensure a successful outcome for all parties involved. “Having a shared community vision for reusing EM sites and surrounding land is critical,” said Diahann Howard, executive director for the Port of Benton and administrator for the VERTical innovation cluster. “The Northwest Clean Energy Park is our community’s collective
vision.” Howard cited the Northwest Clean Energy Park as a positive example of how the local community and businesses can transform a former DOE site into an advanced clean energy manufacturing and industrial hub. The park, which sits on Port of Benton property within the city of Richland and on Energy Northwest land, was formerly part of DOE’s Hanford Site. The park is now home to leading research, technology and manufacturing industries with a global impact. Nearly 200 individuals and 60 companies came together to champion the park. To date, there are about $4.5 billion in
projects with more than a thousand jobs under contract or pending at the Northwest Clean Energy Park. To replicate the success of projects like the Northwest Clean Energy Park in other areas, panelists agreed that open dialogue between communities, DOE and industry is crucial. Joel Bradburne, manager of EM’s Portsmouth Paducah Project Office, spoke about the possibilities for DOE site reuse. “A lot of this stuff is site centric and that’s why the communities are so focused,” he said. “When it comes to energy alternatives, it’s not one size fits all.” Several panelists commended EM for its commitment to community engagement. “The bottom line is that EM has been very open and honest and transparent and tried very hard to make sure that at any of these sites, that people understand what is happening, and if they don’t, that there is a pathway to get there,” said Kirt Marlow, executive director, Idaho
Advanced Energy Consortium, and senior vice president, Boston Government Services. Wiley Rhodes, CEO of Newpoint Gas LLC, echoed Marlow’s sentiment: “From my standpoint, I have been extremely impressed with what the Department of Energy and the whole team have done.”
Workshop Taps EM, Industry Experts for Insight on Reuse of DOE Materials WASHINGTON, D.C. — Kristen Ellis, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) associate principal deputy assistant secretary for regulatory and policy affairs, joined five industry experts for a panel discussion of the potential for the beneficial reuse of DOE materials. Jennifer Chandler, a member of the Village Council for Piketon, Ohio, near EM’s Portsmouth Site, served as moderator, guiding the panelists through discussions on how EM, its contractors and local communities can work together to help local communities near EM sites achieve maximum economic benefits. Pictured from left: Scott Claunch, president of TerraPower Isotopes; Harsh Desai, chief commercialization officer for Zeno
Power; Ellis; Chandler; Kirt Marlow, executive director of the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium and senior vice president of Boston Government Services; Marcie Haber, director of Federal Affairs for Oklo; and Ashley Saunders, chief program and sustainability officer for UCOR. Photo by Matt Roberts
Panelists Consider How AI, Other Technologies Can Move Cleanup Mission Forward Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a dominant topic in recent years with platforms like Meta AI, Apple Intelligence and Google AI gaining attention for their advancements in virtual
assistants. The rise of ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI, further propelled the AI boom by demonstrating its capability to understand and generate human-like text. ChatGPT can produce content, answer questions and engage in conversations with a high degree of fluency. Beyond text, newer AI technologies now enable users to create images and videos with minimal input, expanding AI’s creative
applications. In a Sept. 18 session at the National Cleanup Workshop, experts from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM), Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Savannah River Mission Completion, UCOR, and Amazon Web Services gathered to discuss how AI, machine learning and data analytics can revolutionize the environmental cleanup mission. The central theme of their discussion? Data. “We work in an industry that’s extremely data-rich, and we’re figuring out how to use machine learning, data analytics and AI in practical ways to make that data work for us,” said Vahid Majidi, director of SRNL. “What is most important for us is to improve worker safety and secondly improving productivity.” While generative AI tools like ChatGPT can deliver quality content
such as code or music, the complex and vast datasets produced by EM’s operations offer a broader, largely untapped potential for AI applications. “Part of this journey is understanding how to implement these technologies,” said Ken Rueter, president and CEO of UCOR. “People will remain the decision-makers, but AI can expand our range of options and improve decision-making processes. It all starts with data.” The panelists expressed optimism about AI and machine learning’s potential to enhance the EM mission, but they acknowledged that it’s too early to fully harness these technologies. “We have so much data, but I don’t know that we always know what that data means,” said Angela Watmore, deputy assistant secretary for acquisition and project management for EM.
“We have to get to a place where we can crunch that data and create new information that we can use to make better, more informed decisions.”
Panelists Note Importance of Collaboration as Hanford Prepares for 24/7 Operations Brian Vance, manager of the Office of River Protection and Richland Operations Office, moderated a panel titled, “A New Phase for Hanford Cleanup,” at the National Cleanup Workshop on Sept. 18. The
panel highlighted the complex integration taking place among six cleanup contractors at Hanford while they focus on achieving safe cleanup on their respective projects. The One Hanford leadership team, which includes U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management and contractor leaders, explained how their work on tank waste treatment, risk reduction and base operations continues to benefit from their close working relationships and their adoption of a sitewide governance model. The leaders explained current efforts in preparing to treat
low-activity waste and plans for the future of high-level tank waste, as Hanford prepares in earnest for the site to be in a 24/7 operations posture. Vance is pictured with Mat Irwin, acting assistant manager for the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, at right
EM Update | September 24, 2024
ARLINGTON, Va. — The 2024 National Cleanup Workshop kicked off its 10th year with an event dedicated to early career professionals, offering them insights
into how to grow and succeed in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cleanup program. The pre-conference workshop began with remarks from Kristen Ellis, DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) associate principal
deputy assistant secretary for regulatory and policy affairs, and Martin Schneider, president of Longenecker & Associates. They reminded participants that qualification for the session is not determined by age, but by years of involvement in the EM program. The session was geared to people involved in the cleanup program for less than five years.
In a conversation with attendees, EM Senior Advisor Candice Robertson reflected on her professional journey, sharing lessons, stories and advice. Robertson discussed her career path leading to her current position as head of EM, from dreaming of becoming a dolphin trainer to serving as a Nye County
commissioner in Nevada at age 23, and the diverse staff and leadership roles she has held at DOE, including EM. “I learned so much in each of those positions,” Robertson said, “but especially the ones that were outside my comfort zone.” She didn’t work to a particular career plan, she said, but instead found success by working hard on the job at hand, being strategic in solving problems, and being willing to go where DOE
leadership needed her most. “That allowed me to gain broad experience and build a network across DOE that continues to be important to me today.”
In a panel that encouraged the audience to focus on supplementary career experiences they can bring back to their work in the EM cleanup, six panelists highlighted different roles they’ve held that strengthened their careers. They include a congressional fellowship, business development rotation and chief of staff position. The panelists also cited running for local public
office, moving between headquarters and field assignments, and serving in the Army Reserve and National Guard. Joe Aylor, director of Critical Projects for Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) contractor UCOR, reflected on
his former experience as a business development director at Amentum. He said working in a different field helps give you a broader, deeper understanding of the overall mission for the agency where you work. Erik Olds, OREM deputy manager, discussed how he moved between headquarters and field assignments. The former EM communications director said that switching positions in his career has opened a lot of doors for him,
echoing the advice Robertson gave earlier in the event.
Participants also heard from other early career professionals, including Ellen Howe, project engineer, Longenecker & Associates; Natalie Lackey, capture manager, Fluor Corporation; Mireya Martinez, project controls specialist, Waste Treatment Plant; Camryn Mikesell, nuclear engineer, HII; Samina Mondal, program analyst, EM; and Faith Sanchez, program director, Energy
Communities Alliance. Panelist Samina Mondal, an EM program analyst, reflected on her experience with the EM Pathways Program, which led to her current role in EM’s Office of Workforce Management. The program also provided training and mentorship, and eased Mondal’s transition to the workforce.
ENSURING LONG TERM SUCCESS: ECA TRANSITION PAPER FOR DOE-EM
ECA released a new transition paper that calls for DOE to undertake a comprehensive review of EM titled “Ensuring Long-Term Success: Recommendations for the Next Administration on the
U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Mission”. EM has achieved great success through the program, and a transitioning administration provides EM with the opportunity to review what is working and what is not – not just in EM but all of DOE as it relates to EM. This will help ensure EM is well positioned for future long-term success. In the paper, ECA outlines the issues that the cleanup program
faces, many of which we will be discussing at the Cleanup Workshop, and suggests a series of concrete recommendations for the next Administration to utilize with EM and other DOE offices to re-establish a firm foundation for continued cleanup success. Our recommendations include reconsidering how EM works with local communities on cleanup decision-making, establishing disposal pathways for every type of nuclear waste (such
as GTCC LLW), creating a clear policy for long-term stewardship, considering what capabilities may be required to address current and anticipated wastes, utilizing cleanup as a vehicle for economic development (such as the Cleanup to Clean Energy program), planning for future development, and many more. Read the paper by clicking its cover above or the button below!
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