Staff Reports
WC Monitor
11/20/2015
The Department of Energy has not yet come up with the official CERCLA “proposed plan” for its second-generation waste landfill in Oak Ridge, Tenn., which will include a period for public comments on the proposal. But the City of Oak Ridge has already prepared comments – and they are not favorable.
The city of Oak Ridge previously expressed concerns about DOE’s preferred option, which would construct a new landfill for radioactive and hazardous wastes generated by cleanup operations — primarily now from the East Tennessee Technology Park, and later from the Y-12 site and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The city last year hired a consultant to review the DOE plans and make recommendations, and there were many issues about the DOE proposed landfill just across Pine Ridge from the city and some residential areas under development.
Earlier this week, the Oak Ridge City Council passed a resolution supporting critical comments submitted on DOE’s proposed landfill, and some of the council members reportedly have concerns the department may try to push its way forward without paying due attention to the city’s concerns, and those of Anderson County.
The comments prepared by the city indicated that one of the major concerns is that construction of another nuclear landfill in Oak Ridge will further damage the city’s image — into that of a radioactive dump site — and perhaps deter some people and companies from wanting to locate there.
The comments approved by Oak Ridge City Council will be submitted to DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The three are parties to the Oak Ridge Federal Facilities Agreement, which is the umbrella for CERCLA actions.
Contained in the city’s comments is a push for more financial assistance from DOE to help compensate for more hazardous wastes:
“As part of the hosting of this site, financial compensation to the community for this EMDF (Environmental Management Disposal Facility, the name of the proposed facility) should be substantially adjusted and increased representing a new value per acre for the City and Anderson County.
“Most private waste disposal sites, for example, provide direct financial benefits to the host communities and such should be provided for the EMDF site. Near-term jobs associated with on-site disposal could be offset by opportunity costs stemming from prospective employers not wanting to invest near a low-level nuclear waste landfill. Conversely, there are several existing Oak Ridge companies which would benefit by assisting DOE and its contractors with implementation of alternative waste disposal options, including off-site disposal at other federally owned or commercial sites where the climate is comparatively dry.”
DOE is still working with environmental regulators on their many differences in the remedial investigation/feasibility study for the EMDF.
Mike Koentop, the executive officer for DOE’s Office of Environmental Management in Oak Ridge, said the proposed plans for the landfill will likely be released publicly in the spring of 2016. After that, there will be a public comment period, he said.
