TDEC officials outline cleanup priorities at Oak Ridge reservation; groundwater, landfill and soil work highlighted

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation officials on Monday briefed the Oak Ridge City Council on cleanup priorities at the Oak Ridge Reservation under the Federal Facilities Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Dana Casey, DOE oversight advisor to the Bureau of Environment at TDEC, said the state office on Emery Valley Road “serves as the representatives for the FFA for the state and work[s] solely to clean up to help oversee clean up on [the] reservation.”

Why it matters: The reservation cleanup affects property reuse, economic development and long‑term environmental risk for Oak Ridge and surrounding counties. TDEC described near‑term priorities and some of the technical and scheduling challenges that could affect redevelopment plans and public expectations.

Casey and Randy Young, project manager in TDEC’s Oak Ridge Federal Facilities Agreement field office, said recent interim records of decision (IRODs) have moved groundwater cleanup forward at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) and that land transfer reviews and covenant deferrals…