Partnership Highlights Transparency, Trust Through National Cleanup Dialogue

The National Cleanup Dialogue fosters constructive discussion among senior leaders from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state environmental agencies with equities in the EM cleanup mission to build a shared knowledge base, identify and resolve challenges and discuss emerging issues related to cleanup across the EM complex.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - Officials from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state environmental agencies recently held the annual National Cleanup Dialogue to focus on shared responsibilities, challenges and opportunities in EM's cleanup across the country.

"Bringing our state and federal regulatory partners together to build upon previous discussions, share lessons learned and discuss next steps for complex challenges is very important to EM as we continue to make cleanup progress," said Joceline Nahigian, director for the EM Office of Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Programs. "This partnership fosters transparency and trust as we share a common goal to protect the public and the environment."

Pete Johansen, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order supervisor, shares examples of successful stakeholder engagement and tribal coordination in Idaho during the "Idaho Highlight: Stakeholder Engagement and Tribal Coordination" session. The session provided lessons learned to demonstrate how this non-technical work of coordination and consultation can support the cleanup and ongoing mission at U.S Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management sites.

The meeting featured sessions on stakeholder engagement and tribal coordination, innovations in groundwater cleanup, waste disposal and chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Nick Balsmeier, Idaho Cleanup Project acting deputy manager, and Kristen Ellis, EM associate principal deputy assistant secretary for regulatory and policy affairs, provided updates on cleanup activities and priorities.

Representatives from EM headquarters and field sites, EPA headquarters and regions 4,6,8 and 10, and the states of Idaho, Kentucky, Ohio, Nevada, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Washington participated in the meeting. The state environmental agencies attended the event as part of the Environmental Council of the States Federal Facilities Forum.

The meeting provides a forum for EM, EPA and the states to:

• Work collaboratively to address common complex-wide issues;
• Improve communications among EM, EPA and states at all levels;
• Share best practices and lessons learned from around the complex; and
• Ensure the cleanup program is viewed by all parties in a complex-wide manner.