New SRNL agreement expands support for DOE long-term stewardship

(L-R) Dr. Terry A. Michalske, Director of Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Under Secretary Paul Dabbar, and Michael Budney, Manager of the Savannah River Operations Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing SRNL as the lead national laboratory providing technical support to remediated cleanup sites around the United States.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formally establishing Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) as the lead national laboratory providing technical support to DOE’s management of remediated cleanup sites around the United States.

According to the agreement, the DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) will gain formal access to SRNL technical expertise and assistance. Since the mid-1990s, the lab has lent targeted assistance to address critical technical issues for LM, which provides management and surveillance of more than 90 sites in the former nuclear weapons complex where environmental cleanup has been completed.

SRNL is the lead national laboratory supporting ongoing cleanup by the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) at former weapons sites and government-sponsored nuclear research facilities. The Memorandum of Understanding designates the laboratory as lead for DOE-LM as well.

The Office of Legacy Management mission is sustainable, post-closure management of legacy sites where active remediation is complete, but where there is a need to ensure that sites remain protective, sometimes for thousands of years. Responsibilities include effective and efficient long-term surveillance and maintenance, operation of cleanup systems for surface and groundwater, and the management of land and assets by emphasizing safety, reuse, and disposition.

The Office of Environmental Management mission is the safe cleanup and closure of 107 contaminated nuclear weapons manufacturing and testing sites across the U.S., making it the largest environmental cleanup program in the world.  To date, cleanup has been completed at 91 sites.

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is a multi-program national laboratory. SRNL puts science to work providing practical, cost-effective solutions for the nation’s environmental, nuclear security, energy and manufacturing challenges.