EM Update Vol. EM Assistant Secretary Dr. Monica Regalbuto speaks during the Waste Management Conference plenary session earlier this month. Monica Regalbuto praised the workers across the DOE complex who are helping EM make significant progress on its cleanup goals in her remarks at the annual Waste Management Conference held here earlier this month. In her first appearance at the conference as EM Assistant Secretary, Regalbuto highlighted workers helping EM wrap up work on significant near-term accomplishments, including:.
Among the workers Regalbuto highlighted in her remarks was Frank Hammitt, who has worked at Hanford for 17 years, the last four of which he has worked at the PFP. Watch the following videos to learn more about the cleanup workers:. Back to Top. Other members of the tour are pictured in the foreground.
The sand bags, which will eventually deteriorate on their own, were placed into the cut bank to stabilize it. Native Americans used the land for hunting and gathering of medicinal plants and herbs. Many of the plants on the site have spiritual importance to the Tribes. The group walked through the high sagebrush desert where they saw shards of obsidian, which were used as tools and weapons hundreds or thousands of years ago, along the trail.
As INL Historical Archaeologist Hollie Gilbert sifted through the site of a hearth once used for cooking, she found a trading bead that could date back to the s. Top EM officials have committed to visiting Indian Reservations and continuing to foster a dialogue with the Tribes. We will always accomplish more with strong partnerships, and Oak Ridge has some of the best in the complex. And with the community, we have advocates that understand the value of what we are trying to accomplish. OREM leaders explained how the organization strives to make progress despite obstacles at the 33,acre Oak Ridge Reservation.
OREM and its contractors designed new containers to encase the normal inner vessel and outer cask packaging for processed waste. These overpacks add more protection and enable safe and secure long-term storage until shipments resume, allowing OREM to maintain progress towards meeting its cleanup schedule. This year, OREM is using its portion of the funding to characterize and abate hazards and stabilize the condition of seven excess, contaminated facilities at the Y National Security Complex and Oak Ridge National Laboratory while they await demolition.
