An environmental group expressed concern about the proposed landfill’s effect on fish.
The Environmental Management Disposal Facility, also known as the landfill, still has to be used before the U.S. Department of Energy will. Demolition debris of old contaminated federal buildingsY-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The Southern Environmental Law Center sent letters to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency informing them of their concerns about the future disposal of this landfill. They are also concerned about possible water pollution. This is something they believe has already happened with the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility, an on-site landfill.
According to DOE’s website, similar waste was held at the facility, including soil, sediment, building demolition, personal protection equipment and scrap equipment.
The existing landfill has been discharging radionuclide pollutant into Bear Creek for many decades. Unfortunately, there have not been any limits on these discharges. Amanda Garcia, director for the Tennessee office of theSouthern Environment Law Centertold The Oak Ridger.
DOE’s website contestsThis claim states that Oak Ridge employees have safely managed the current facility for more than 15 years without causing any harm to the environment or human health.
DOE claims that the waste that goes into this Environmental Management Waste Management Facility contains “low-level” waste. However, DOE has said that it is reviewing all comments received and will continue to reach out to more people this winter.
They are basically saying, “Were going to discharge lots of pollution largely untreated in Bear Creek,” Garcia stated about the future landfill standards. It will flow downstream and DOE doesn’t worry about it because it will be diluted.
Garcia stated that if a smaller fish is caught in Bear Creek and taken by larger fish in the Clinch River it could cause problems for those trying to catch and eat larger fish.
Eric Hilt is the SELC Tennessee communications manager. He stated in an email to The Oak Ridger, that theradionuclide pollutant chemicals include chemicals that are known for causing cancer and are bioaccumulative. They will continue to build up over time in waterways and fish, as well as other wildlife.
Hilt stated that this could have a significant impact on the communities that use, fish, and enjoy Bear Creek or the Clinch River.
Garcia stated that signs were installed in 2016 warning people not to eat fish in areas downstream of thelandfill. However, she suggested that a nearbygreenway could lead to fishing there.
Technology and ‘environmental justice.
The Oak Ridger was notified by the SELC of both its letters as well as the EPA’s response.
“EPA… does NOT expressly address whether DOE is required to comply technology-based effluent limit (TBELs), and State of Tennessee’s antidegradation strategy,” the SELC’sletter stated. TBELsRefer to the requirements to use best available technology to reduce water pollution. DOE is accused of pre-selecting Oak Ridge as a remedy in a pattern of “putting horses before people”. It warned of “high groundwater levels” at the proposed site for the EMDF, and stated that plans will need to account for how “wetweather conditions” will affect polluting from the site.
“It is worth noting, in this regard that the existing EMWMF contact water holding ponds have come close to failing in heavy rain events in the past. As a result, thousands gallons of untreated wastewater containing radionuclides or other hazardous pollutants have been discharged from EMWMF into Bear Creek,” stated the SELCletter, which was dated to last November.
Nevertheless, the SELC Letter complimentedthe EPA forasking DOEto better address “environmental justice.”
The SELC stated that EPA had requested a screening-level assessment of the preferred remedies potential impacts on and existing risk to indigenous, low-income, minority and other populations. These measures are important because of the proximity of Scarboro to DOEs preferred disposal site, as well the anecdotal information that Community Groups provided to EPA Region 4 about fishing practices in low-wealth Latino communities.
DOE stated that Scarboro Community lies 3.9 miles from proposed siteitPlansto be used in the Bear Creek Valley, Oak Ridge. DOE stated that all nearby communities are separated by Pine Ridge from the proposed EMDF site.
Along with Stephanie Biggs and Amanda Garcia, the SELC’s lawyers, the SELC sent a letter to several Oak Ridge and East Tennessee residents. The letter was signed by Jimmy Groton and Axel Ringe who are both presidents of Advocates for Oak Ridge Reservation and Sandra Goss, executive director at Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning and Virginia Dale who is land management chair for the Tennessee Chapter Sierra Club. The letter called for more public engagement.
EPA responds
Barry N. Breen, acting administrator at the EPA, responded to the SELC letter. He assured the senders that the EPA is investigating various issues.
“The EPA is working with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Tennessee Department ofEnvironment and Conservation (TDEC) to ensure that the selected remedy for the EMDF will beprotective of human health and the environment; meet applicable or relevant and appropriaterequirements (ARARs) unless a waiver is justified; and that the public has an opportunity to engagein and provide input on the cleanup decisions at the site, consistent with the ComprehensiveEnvironmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the National Oil and
Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). EPA continues to evaluate AdministratorWheelers Dec. 31, 2020decision on the formal dispute with DOE regarding the discharge tosurface water of wastewaters generated during a response action under CERCLA for the Oak RidgeReservation,” Breen’sletterstated.
James Pinkney, a public affairs specialistwith the EPA, told The Oak Ridgerthe EMDF “must protect impacted water bodies,” adding that the relevant Superfund Act requires any solution to waste cleanup to “protect human health and the environment”and”comply with applicable, or relevant and appropriate, requirements, which consist of both federal and state regulations.”
He said that the EPA is working with DOE and TDEC in order to ensure that the chosen remedy for the EMDF will protect human health, the environment, and meet applicable or relevant requirements (ARARs), unless a waiver has been justified.
The released Draft of the decisiondocument by DOE describes”construction of groundwater and surface water drainage features, as needed, to ensure long-term protection of human health and the environment,” a landfill wastewater treatment system and “a multilayer cover to reduce infiltration and permanently isolate the waste from human and environmental receptors,” among other features to try and protect from environmental effects.
Draft record of decision says that the EMDF will not contain elemental mercury. For any mercury that does make it into the EMDF, the draft sets out limits on how much can be released and states that the discharge water will meet the “most stringent” standards.
Why would you want to put your garbage in a landfill?
While current and future landfills have been controversial, there could be problems if older buildings of the Y-12 National Security Complex are allowed to remain.
J. Brad Stephenson (TDEC geologist, environmentalist).Anderson County CommissionStephenson stated that mercury seeping from buildings slated for demolition is a problem.
Denver Waddell (County Commissioner) of Norris asked Stephenson about the urgency in cleaning up the old buildings and not letting them remain. He said that he did not want to wait for mercury to seep (from the buildings) into the groundwater.
Waddell asked: Is it not advantageous to get this building demolished?
It is, I would say. Stephenson said it is better to place it in a suitable location. He also stated that DOE’s plans were not known as of 2019, as they were in 2019.
The EMWMF currently holds the types ofwastes that the EMDF is intended to hold. The current landfill was 78% full as of July 2013. A DOEdocument explains that future demolition and cleanup efforts will create “soil-like materials” as well as demolition debris. DOE will have to address this issue. The cleanup and demolition will be done at Y-12and ORNL. The landfill will not accept any waste from outside the state.
Oak Ridge Environmental Management’s communications specialist Ben Williams said that the EMWMF is a good idea. CurrentlyAt 75% capacity, there is enough space for waste from the Biology Complex Demolition, but not for future demolishment projects at Y-12/ORNL.
A recent news release DescriptionCleanup at Y-12, ORNL, addressing hazards, eliminating hazards, opening land for research, and national security missions. Ron Woody, Roane County Executive is addressing the priority of opening land.Recently thankedSimilar cleanup efforts were made at East Tennessee Technology Park (the former Y-12). (K-25???)site, in order to make the area available to the new Kairos test reactor.
There are however other options for how to dispose of debris after demolition. Dale suggested that the DOE ship the waste further west, to a drier location, rather than keeping it at Oak Ridge.
“Oak Ridge, Tennessee was promised that the federal government would clean the Oak Ridge Reservation of environmental contamination. But this proposal would only move a lot more waste and contamination into a part that was not previously polluted,” Dale said. “The existence this new landfill can be expected have a stigmatizing impact on the Oak Ridge community as well as its economy for many decades to come.”
There are still arguments for keeping the debris in Oak Ridge rather than shipping it. The DOE website lists some of them in relation to the current EMWMF.
“Onsite disposal to the EMWMF not only reduces costs but also minimizes uncertainty and transportation risks. On-site disposal uses a private, designated road on DOE property, known as the Haul Route. This eliminates the risks associated tens of thousands truckloads traveling across the country via public highways. The official website also states that onsite disposal is not affected by other states changing policies that could limit the relocation of waste.
U.S. U.S.
“It must be built. He said that he couldn’t stress the importance of this more in a telephone interview.
He said that the EMWMF’s first cell would fill up.”There’s so many material that needs to buried.”
Fleischmann stated that it would be financially prohibitive to ship the material to another site in the country. He predicted that if the EMDF was not built, other sites will have cheaper cleanups, such as Los Alamos, N.M. and the Savannah River Site, South Carolina.
What next steps?
To allow the landfill to proceed, additional approvals and steps must be taken.
Pinkney stated that these steps included groundwater studies and design. EPA will need to approve several documents during this process.
He stated that DOE plans to host a public meeting in order to share new information and solicit public comments on the landfill. Pinkney stated that DOE will soon announce the dates and the public comment period.
Ben Pounds is a staff journalist for The Oak Ridger. Call him at (865) 441-2317, email him at [email protected] follow him on Twitter @bpoundsjournal.
