Speaker
Description
At the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), the DOE Office of Environmental Management’s (EM) vision is to transform a community liability into a safe and sustainable asset. EM is tasked with cleaning up the legacies of the Manhattan project, by demolishing contaminated facilities and remediating contaminated soils and groundwater. As a result, that work is altering the landscape and creating new opportunities for economic redevelopment, historic preservation, and conservation for future generations. After nearly two decades of work, employees have cleared away more than 500 buildings and are nearing completion on soil remediation. Land was returned to a natural state through native grass and wildflower reseeding projects. Environmental stewardship practices played an important role, including recycling and reuse initiatives, greenspace creation, and renewable energy generation. EM has also transferred nearly 1,300 acres to the community for industrial development. That land is now home to more than 20 businesses and multiple solar arrays producing more than 1.2 MWh of electricity annually. Areas at the site are also part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The completion of this first-of-a-kind cleanup project serves as a model for future sustainable and safe environmental cleanup projects.
