Waste Management under CERCLA on the Oak Ridge Reservation

Background:  Increasing public’s knowledge in the local community from individual facilities is critical for emergency planning in responding to chemical accidents and to facilitate cooperation between various stockholders. Current public notification and policies associated with pollution management on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) lacks clarity, which has created unnecessary barriers for efficient community engagement.   

Objectives: This project sought to discuss the shortcomings of the current policies related to pollution management and environmental cleanup process on the ORR.  The goal of the project was to identify and explore proper communing channels to better educate the public about complex regulatory issues and foster future community involvement.

Methods: An extensive literature review was conducted on government publications and with official authorities.

Results: CERCLA response actions are exempted by law to obtain federal or state permits in order to prevent lengthy delays and increased costs. The Environmental Management Waste Management Facility does not hold an NPDES permit from any state or federal agency since all activities should be performed with the same substantive requirements under CERCLA.   Additionally, the public is informed on waste management through government documents and participation in community meetings.

Conclusions: Despite the complexity of the legal regulations implemented on ORR, the responsible party, Department of Energy, should continue to collaborate with other organizations/citizen groups to improve political dialogue over onsite pollution management issues, create understandable terms to help the community better understand the process, and better communicate health effects and exposure level risks to the public.