As we approach our celebration event for completion of Vision 2024 (completion of field work and soil remediation at the East Tennessee Technology Park), we are showcasing some of the leaders who helped drive the project.  First up, meet Amanda Human, one of the project managers at ETTP. https://youtu.be/tuEC5UHwxO0

Meet Bradley Russell, UCOR’s new Sustainability Manager. Before coming to UCOR, Bradly oversaw the sustainability program for NNSA’s Y-12 and Pantex facilities.  Hear how this father of two small boys also pursues his passion for falconry.

At ORNL’s Isotope Row, our crews are making steady progress deactivating the buildings there. Recently, they removed four krypton tanks from Building 3093, a former storage facility. The 2,000-pound, 9-foot-long tanks stored krypton, which was used in thermal diffusion operations. Building 3093 was constructed in the 1950s as part of the Isotopes Program. The processing…

Being named a Top Workplace is a pretty big honor.  But the best part about it is that the award is the result of feedback from our employees.  In the spring, we conducted our third annual Top Workplaces survey through Energage. Employees have the opportunity to anonymously tell tell us how they feel about their…

UCOR teamed with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital for the 4th NAACP Oak Ridge/Anderson County Back to School Fair at the Scarboro Community Center in July. UCOR donated 200 backpacks containing a starter kit of school supplies along with water bottles and back to school stress management tips from East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.

One of many technologies UCOR is evaluating is spraying FerroBlack® on walls inside facilities where mercury vapors are present.  Our Technology Development team recently demonstrated the technique. Marketing materials from supplier Redox Solutions explain that FerroBlack® is a green chemistry that eliminates mercury vapors upon contact with contaminated surfaces and debris. It oxidizes and incorporates…

UCOR is continuing to deactivate the massive Alpha-2 building at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Before we can demolish the facility, workers have to fill the basement area with a concrete mixture, creating a slab that will allow heavy equipment to maneuver during demolition. Check out the video. https://youtu.be/l0N76iQ9uOI

For more than 30 years, the last of a long list of legacy wastes on the Oak Ridge Reservation has been awaiting a final solution for disposition. Twenty-five drums holding up to 55 gallons each of mixed low-level liquid chemical waste have been safely stored at ORNL. Until now, no treatment options were available, challenging…

A UCOR initiative diverted substantial amounts of construction materials from landfills by recycling asphalt from the decommissioned portion of Bear Creek Road. After removing the old road surface, 440 tons of asphalt was used at the Environmental Management Disposal Facility construction site. Additionally, 3,140 tons was transported to DuraCap Asphalt Company, who, in collaboration with…

UCOR’s intern program provides unique opportunities for non-traditional students like Jessica Ariks. After 15 years serving as the nurse for a local elementary school, Ariks was looking for a fresh start in a new career. A newly single mom, she sought the schedule stability of her former career but with an income to better provide…

UCOR’s Dr. Joshua Vajda has received the 2024 American Nuclear Society (ANS) Special Award. Vajda is a project engineer in UCOR’s site integration and cleanup engineering group. The ANS Special Award recognizes an individual for meritorious contributions in research and/or developing understanding in important areas of current activity. The ANS Board of Directors selects this…

Our interns are getting involved with technology development. Three interns completed LiDAR scanning at ORNL Building 3042, the Oak Ridge Research Reactor. LiDAR is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges. Using LiDAR, the team can develop data points and images to create a 3D…

Hear how UCOR is a family matter for senior industrial hygienist technician Cole Ayers. This avid scuba diver is a graduate of Tennessee Tech, majoring in cellular molecular biology. Check out his workforce spotlight.

UCOR continues to grow its commitment to behavioral and mental health.  After developing a wellness program focused on the issue, our Navigate program, we are making additional steps to help our workforce deal with issues that impact their behavioral and mental health.  You’ll be hearing more about those over the coming weeks. In our community,…

Workers at Y-12 are busy at Alpha-4 with mercury cleanup and containment throughout several floors. Critical safety measures are followed to prevent vapors from escaping into the air inside and outside of the building by covering ventilation louvers. The hazardous waste is captured and placed in glove boxes and inside the fume hoods to be…

Getting former nuclear facilities ready for demolition can involve a wide variety of activities, from removing asbestos lined pipes and tiles to decontaminating old equipment. We have workers right now preparing the ORNL Fission Production Development Lab (Building 3517) for eventual demo. They are investigating the facility’s hot cells by taking radiation measurements and gathering…

The East Tennessee Technology Park team celebrated with a cookout as they close in on completing soil remediation work at the site. Area Project Manager Jimmy Hughes congratulates this highly experienced team for their ongoing safe work and dedication to our cleanup mission. What a great way to head into the Memorial Day holiday weekend,…

  UCOR welcomed its summer intern class on May 20 and its our largest one to date. Our 2024 class has 42 students from 14 schools across 10 states. The students will work across a broad range of fields needed to complete our cleanup work for DOE, including supply chain, business analytics, engineering, human resources,…

Welcome to “The Future is Cleanup,” UCOR’s blog that will showcase the work we are doing on the Oak Ridge Reservation for the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management and the people who do that work. We’ll also share special events and achievements here. To kick off the blog, have a look at this…