Council defers vote on transferring city parcels for Oklo nuclear recycling project amid calls for clawbacks

Oak Ridge City Council deferred action on a resolution that would authorize the transfer of city‑owned parcels to Oklo for development of an advanced nuclear fuel recycling facility at the Heritage Center.

Staff presented the proposal as a continuation of earlier efforts to support site assembly and coordination with state economic development partners. The project footprint mentioned at the hearing covers roughly 248 acres and includes a mix of city‑owned land and parcels still held by Heritage LLC and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Council members and residents pressed staff and Oklo representatives for stronger contractual protections. Mike McGill, a local development representative, said the city has insisted on recoverable “clawback” provisions in prior transfers to prevent idle or speculative ownership: “We're very specific, very strict that there is clawback language on all those transfers, so we don't go back and relive the negative impact that those circumstances had on the community,” he said.

An Oklo representative said the company would accept such protections. “If it's the council's view that that's very important to review the clawback language, then we will accommodate it,” the Oklo speaker said.

Council members also sought clarity about whether the proposed transfers would require payment; staff said transfers could be at no cost and that any parcels the city does not yet own would be transferred only after the city acquires them. The record notes that some deeds require further approvals; staff reported late‑day notice from the General Services Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration that a 30‑day notice period applies to a deed abrogation needed to remove an airport use restriction on a large parcel.

Given those outstanding items and the need for more finalized deed and clawback language (and state review where required), council voted to defer the item until the April meeting to allow staff, the city attorney, state partners and company counsel to finalize terms. Council also said it expected to have the full complement of council members present at the next consideration.

Next steps: staff will work with Oklo, the state, and federal agencies to draft transfer deeds with clawback provisions and return the matter for council consideration.