Oak Ridge Reservation (USDOE)

Overview

Oak Ridge Reservation is a nearly 35,000-acre U.S. Department of Energy facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, about 20 miles west of Knoxville. It was established during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project and includes three main areas: the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), a closed uranium enrichment plant being cleaned up for private redevelopment; Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), an active federal research facility; and Y-12, an active facility for nuclear weapons parts and enriched uranium. The site has been on the National Priorities List since November 1989, and cleanup is divided into 56 separate operable units addressing different areas and contamination problems.

Decades of nuclear and chemical processing left contamination in soil, groundwater, surface water, sediments, and fish tissue. EPA has identified more than 200 contaminants of concern. These include radioactive substances such as plutonium, uranium, cesium-137, strontium-90, and americium-241. Chemical contaminants include volatile organic compounds like trichloroethene and benzene, heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides. Contamination has spread beyond the reservation boundary, affecting 82 river miles of the Clinch River and the Clinch River arm of Watts Bar Reservoir, mostly in bottom sediments.

The DOE is the lead responsible party. EPA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) oversee cleanup under a Federal Facility Agreement signed in 1992. Cleanup began with investigations in 1986. Work at ETTP is furthest along: soil remediation in Zone 1 is complete, Zone 2 is nearing completion, and more than 1,000 acres have been transferred to private owners. Building demolition is ongoing at ORNL and Y-12. Some operable units finished remedial action in the 1990s, while others have active work estimated to run through 2027 or 2028. Since 2009, EPA and TDEC have assessed more than $800,000 in penalties for missed cleanup milestones. The most recent five-year review was completed in March 2022.

EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control, meaning no unacceptable human exposure pathways exist at this time. However, groundwater migration is not yet stabilized. Physical construction of the cleanup is not complete across the full site. Land use is restricted to industrial purposes, with limits on digging and groundwater use, and vapor intrusion controls are required.

Community members can get involved through the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board (ORSSAB), a federally appointed citizens' panel that meets most months and is open to the public. Meetings are broadcast on local television, Facebook, and YouTube. The board publishes a quarterly newsletter called "The Advocate." CERCLA documents are available at the DOE Information Center at 1 Science.Gov Way in Oak Ridge, open weekdays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, or by phone at 865-241-4780. EPA staff in Atlanta also handle community involvement and remedial project questions.