Savannah River Site Hosts Educators at Environmental Justice Workshop

Local educators, community leaders and student interns visited the University of South Carolina Aiken for the Teaching Radiation, Energy and Technology Workshop held by the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Operations Office.

AIKEN, S.C. - Over 40 educators, community leaders and student interns recently visited the University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken) for the Teaching Radiation, Energy and Technology (TREAT) Workshop held annually by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Operations Office for nearly 30 years.

Through an environmental justice grant, DOE partners with Savannah State University (SSU) to educate area teachers and community leaders about environmental radiation, safety, education outreach programs, job training skills, environmental monitoring and emergency preparedness.

"Our goal with this longstanding environmental justice initiative is to educate attendees on radiation, DOE missions and the benefit of having a strong relationship with SRS," said James Tanner, DOE public accountability specialist. "Our hope is that attending educators take this information back into the classroom to inspire hundreds of students, year after year."

Attendees were welcomed by Melinda Downing, DOE headquarters environmental justice program manager; Mike Budney, DOE-Savannah River Operations Office manager; Daniel Heimmermann, USC Aiken chancellor; and Lessie B. Price, Aiken City Council member.

"TREAT workshops are a collaboration of academia, DOE and its contractors, and regulators who come together for the purpose of education and progress. DOE is proud to be on this team," Budney said to TREAT participants. "We are grateful for these knowledge-sharing exchanges that help open doors for career opportunities for students and future leaders."

Kim Mitchell, left, and Taylor Rice with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Education Outreach brief attendees during the Teaching Radiation, Energy and Technology Workshop.

SRS Environmental Monitoring Program Scientist Colleen Davis presented air and fish surveillance information and displayed equipment used to survey fish populations. The program is responsible for confirming compliance with applicable regulations and DOE orders as well as monitoring any effects of SRS operations on the environment.

"Presenting at the workshop allows for us to discuss environmental monitoring from the standpoint of how we measure the health of our environment and how this surveillance aids in determining dose and risk assessments to members of the surrounding community," said Davis. "We assured the public of their safety living near the site and the absence of increased radiation exposure risks from our operations."

Kim Mitchell, Taylor Rice and Cindy Hewitt with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Education Outreach provided an overview of their programs. SRNS is a DOE Office of Environmental Management contractor at SRS.

"This was a great way for teachers to learn about all the education opportunities offered by SRNS and how SRNS Education Outreach works to meet the needs of education communities in the Central Savannah River Area and Orangeburg County," said Rice.

In addition, experts from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, SRS Citizens Advisory Board and Aiken City Council came together to teach, answer questions and share potential career opportunities at the event.

"Our aim is for attendees to leave this workshop having a clearer understanding of SRS missions and feel confident in our commitment to safety, community engagement and environmental stewardship," Tanner said.

-Contributor: Mackenzie McNabb