Granholm, Robertson Highlight Importance of Public Service, Partnerships in Cleanup

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm provides an overview of the Department of Energy's Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative In the keynote address at the 2024 National Cleanup Workshop. Photo by Matt Roberts

ARLINGTON, Va. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear cleanup program has worked with local economic development leaders to reindustrialize land and create new jobs, formed partnerships to strengthen STEM education and create workforce opportunities, and engaged in meaningful consultations with tribal leaders about access to and protection of sacred sites and natural resources, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told the audience at the 2024 National Cleanup Workshop in the keynote address today.

It's all part of the efforts of the employees, contractors and intergovernmental groups who form the cleanup family, and they represent the very best argument Granholm can make for why public service matters.

"You take on the problems that no one else wants to get near - literally and figuratively," Granholm said. "Like at Hanford, where you cracked the code on how to treat radioactive tank waste. Or in Idaho, where you discovered a clever new way to turn liquids to solids for safe disposal. And Brookhaven, where you've officially completed DOE's 92nd cleanup site. Now, there are 15 more to go."

Hosted by Energy Communities Alliance with the cooperation of the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) and the Energy Facility Contractors Group, the workshop is the premier annual gathering to discuss progress in environmental cleanup of former government weapons sites and nuclear research facilities. The event marks its 10th anniversary this year.

Granholm pointed to DOE's sacred obligations at each cleanup site: To ensure the surrounding air, water, and lands are safe, and to invite communities and tribes to the table to decide their own futures.

Two years ago, Granholm met some of the tribal leaders when she visited with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Nez Perce Tribal Nation, Yakama Tribal Nation and Wanapum Band of Indians.

"I came away from those meetings even more convinced that the success of our mission cannot be measured merely in cubic feet of soil discarded, or gallons of tank waste treated," she said. "Our mission also has to be measured by the trust that we build and the promises that we keep to those who are most affected by our nuclear programs."

Granholm noted that public service isn't just about fixing problems. It's also about creating new opportunities.

For example, just last week, Orano announced its plans to build one of North America's largest uranium enrichment plants on remediated Oak Ridge land.

"This massive investment in the future of civil nuclear is only possible because of your cleanup efforts," Granholm told the audience.

DOE's Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative is also creating new opportunities. The initiative will help achieve President Joe Biden's ambitious climate goals and an executive order directive for agencies to use their properties for the development of new clean electricity generation.

DOE is partnering with developers to build some of the largest clean energy projects in the world, Granholm noted.

"As of this morning, we've selected the developers for the first five sites - in Washington state, South Carolina, Nevada, Idaho and New Mexico," she said. "Each of these are going to build massive, utility-scale solar projects."

Granholm stressed that DOE will need all hands on deck for the initiative.

"We're going to need unions. I'm thrilled that EM inked its first-ever project labor agreement with North America's Building Trades Unions at Oak Ridge this year. Let's build on that. We need, also, a deep and diverse bench of experts in science, technology, engineering, and math. We need an EM workforce that looks like America, because diversity of experiences always means better results," Granholm said.

She added: "I'm here to encourage folks to join the EM workforce, to push contractors to keep recruiting, to welcome communities and tribes to the table, to invite startups to bring us your ideas for what comes next."

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Senior Advisor Candice Robertson speaks at the 2024 National Cleanup Workshop, focusing on partnerships that lead to progress as the cleanup program marks its 35th year. Photo by Matt Roberts

Robertson Reflects on Workshop Theme: "EM at 35 Years: Partnering for Progress"

In her remarks at the workshop earlier Tuesday, EM Senior Advisor Candice Robertson spoke about partnerships that have led to critical cleanup progress as well as important lessons learned.

"The value of strong partnerships and the work it takes to maintain them is perhaps one of the most important lessons EM has learned over the past 35 years," Robertson said.

The EM team at Hanford did a tremendous job after many years of work in negotiating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State of Washington on a breakthrough agreement charting a path forward for the Hanford tank waste mission, she said.

"We were able to work through tough issues because DOE, EPA and the State of Washington share an unwavering commitment to advancing the tank waste mission at Hanford," Robertson said. "And, in the end, we are in a place where we can get down to the business of more fully executing the tank waste mission resulting in benefits for the environment and the people of Washington state."

At Oak Ridge, EM has been able to move forward with the new Environmental Management Disposal Facility thanks in large part to leadership in Congress from U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann and the commitment demonstrated by the Oak Ridge community, the State of Tennessee and EPA.

"It's a prime example of what is possible when EM and our cleanup partners remain focused on the long term goals and achieve alignment on key priorities," Robertson said.

Partnerships that fuel progress are also on clear display at the Savannah River Site, where the EM team is closing in on 10 million gallons of tank waste treated at the Salt Waste Processing Facility. Robertson also noted progress at the site's Defense Waste Processing Facility and Saltstone Production Facility.

"The maturity of the tank waste mission there is a testament to the longstanding collaborative partnership among Mike Budney's EM team, the State of South Carolina and Dave Olson's Savannah River Mission Completion team," Robertson said.

Robertson emphasized that such achievements all come down to effective partnerships among all people of EM, including the federal and contractor workforce, labor unions, regulators, the best of American industry, congressional cleanup champions, tribal nations, pueblos, states, intergovernmental groups, and local communities near EM sites.

"As a former local elected official myself, I know how important it is to have that kind of local leadership and engagement," she added.

New Mexico plays such an important role in EM's mission, both from the past and into the future, Robertson said.

"It's home to two national labs and of course, one of our jewels of the cleanup, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a facility that is marking its 25th anniversary this year and is making some real headway in preparing for the years to come by completing construction of the new ventilation system out there," she said.

Robertson recently traveled to Northern New Mexico to view EM's Los Alamos legacy cleanup mission and heard from the Los Alamos workforce, pueblo representatives, local government leaders, environmental nongovernmental organizations and the public. And in a recent visit to the WIPP site and community, Robertson engaged with the workforce as well as local leaders in the community and labor union.

"I heard firsthand the concerns and priorities of these pueblos, communities, labor unions, workers, which all reinforced the need to foster partnerships built on trust, collaboration and progress as EM maintains cleanup momentum, solves remaining challenges and plans for the future," Robertson said.

She also focused on EM's No. 1 priority of safety, the need for innovative solutions to get the job done safer, sooner, and more efficiently, and the importance of building EM's workforce.

"From investments in STEM, intern and apprenticeship opportunities, partnerships with academia and EM's first-ever agreement with a national labor union, I appreciate the creativity embodied by industry in helping us build a pipeline of future talent," she said.

While EM has made a lot of progress, there's still a lot to go, and some of the cleanup program's toughest challenges lay ahead, Robertson noted.

"At the end of the day, it's about a shared cleanup mission, a shared sense of community and a shared vision for the future," she said. "I look forward to focusing on that shared vision this week and to hearing your thoughts on what comes next."

-Contributor: David Sheeley