Gilbertson departs DOE after 25 years in EM, Mullis to lead as APDAS
EM Update + ECA Staff | 10/19/2021
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The following is a letter from the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM). ECA would like to thank Mark Gilbertson for his years of collaboration with our members and for his dedication to involving local communities and governments in cleanup issues. Mark is a big reason why local governments around the country have the ability and knowledge to engage on technical environmental
cleanup issues. He always advocated for EM to involve the most impacted communities in decision-making. His leadership in his many roles at EPA and DOE and his service to the country and to our communities is very much appreciated by the Energy Communities Alliance.
EM Colleagues,
We would like to thank Mark Gilbertson for his service as the Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (APDAS) for Regulatory and Policy Affairs. After more than 38 years of public and private sector experience, Mark will be retiring from federal service at the end of this month.
Many of you have worked with Mark during his more than 25 years in EM where he served in several key senior leadership positions, including as EM’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, National Laboratory Officer, and in various Deputy Assistant Secretary positions such as Site Restoration, Program and Site Support, Engineering and Technology, and Environmental Cleanup and Acceleration. Prior to EM, Mark served in key leadership positions in other DOE offices
such as Legacy Management and the former Environment, Safety and Health Office. Mark spent four years at the Environmental Protection Agency working on RCRA regulations and prior to that, as an engineering consultant.
Mark has been a cornerstone of the EM leadership team and key to many of EM’s successes over the years. His considerable knowledge of the program coupled with his extensive experience in environmental engineering and remediation have resulted in significant risk reduction, innovative technology enhancements, and improved integration with the field.
I am pleased to announce that Jay Mullis will serve as the acting APDAS for Regulatory and Policy Affairs, beginning November 1, 2021. Jay is the manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM). In this role, Jay is responsible for an annual budget of more than $650 million supporting environmental cleanup and stewardship, decontamination and decommissioning, waste processing and management, surveillance and maintenance programs, historic
preservation, and procurement and contract functions. Prior to working for DOE, he worked in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion program at Charleston Naval Shipyard, where he completed extensive training and was qualified as a Nuclear Engineer.
Laura Wilkerson has agreed to serve as the acting Oak Ridge manager while Jay is acting APDAS for Regulatory and Policy Affairs. Laura is the Deputy Manager of OREM and has held a variety of leadership positions supporting the Department’s cleanup activities at Oak Ridge. She has more than 30 years of experience directing and managing technical programs and projects for DOE.
Please join us in thanking Mark for his service and wishing him well in his retirement and congratulating Jay and Laura on their new assignments.
Sincerely,
William “Ike” White, Acting Assistant Secretary for EM
Todd Shrader, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for EM
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"CAPITALIZING ON A NEW ERA OF CLEANUP
SUCCESS"
December 7-9, 2021
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
Alexandria, Virginia
If you have already registered for the Workshop, you will not need to re-register. If you need to register, please click here. If you have questions, please contact Autumn Bogus at abogus@la-inc.com or (865)
300-1061.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT
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OCTOBER 19 & OCTOBER 21
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is inviting public comment on proposed revisions to the National Environmental Policy Act. Two public meetings on the proposed rule will be held online on October 19, 2021 from 1:00-4:00 pm ET and October 21 from 5:00-8:00 pm ET.
To learn more or register, please visit http://nepa.gov.
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DOE and EPA sign ROD for continued cleanup of Hanford's 100-BC Area
Hanford Site Update | 10/19/2021
The Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with concurrence from the Washington State Department of Ecology, have signed a record of decision (ROD) for continued cleanup work at Hanford’s 100-BC Area.
“This action marks an important milestone at Hanford,” said Michelle Pirzadeh, Acting Regional Administrator for EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle. “It represents more than two decades of hard work and the removal of over 3 million tons of contaminated soil from the 100 Area. It means we can now move on to the next cleanup action and continue to make progress protecting people and the environment.”
The ROD will provide for additional soil excavation and treatment from one waste site, monitored natural attenuation for contaminated groundwater, and institutional controls for soil and groundwater.
“A significant amount of work by the Department and EPA, along with robust involvement with the state, tribal nations and the public, facilitated this record of decision,” said Brian Vance, manager of the Office of River Protection and Richland Operations Office. “The Department is committed to continuing the Hanford Site cleanup mission in a way that protects the environment and is safe for site workers and the public.”
Located in the northwest portion of the 580-square-mile Hanford Site, the 100 BC Area covers 4.5 square miles and includes two deactivated nuclear reactors that produced plutonium from 1944 to 1969. The B Reactor has been preserved as part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and the C
Reactor is in Interim Safe Storage. The reactors and associated processing facilities generated large quantities of liquid and solid waste that contained radionuclides and chemicals. This waste contaminated the soil and groundwater beneath portions of the 100-BC Area.
Significant cleanup progress has been made in the 100-BC Area pursuant to three interim records of decisions issued by the EPA and DOE between 1995 and 2000.
Since 1996, 104 facilities used to support B and C Reactor operations were demolished and removed and approximately 3 million tons of soil and debris were removed, treated (as necessary), and disposed of in Hanford’s engineered landfill for low-level radioactive waste, the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. In 2019, the Department held a public comment period on the proposed plan for the current Record of Decision. The Department received input from tribal
nations, government agencies, advocacy groups, and members of the public.
The additional remediation work in the 100 B/C Area will begin as soon as a remedial action work plan is established and approved by the EPA.
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Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation
Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications
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Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World
Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.
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Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles
ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local governments.
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