Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management kicks off landfill expansion

The Oak Ridger
·2 min read

The U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management's (OREM) lead cleanup contractor, UCOR, has started constructing the final permitted cell in Landfill V.

Large machinery, known as a soil screener, removes rocks to ensure the construction of the Landfill V expansion meets clay liner requirements.
Large machinery, known as a soil screener, removes rocks to ensure the construction of the Landfill V expansion meets clay liner requirements.

The Oak Ridge Reservation landfills have seen a 170% increase in waste receipts over the last five years, according to a UCOR news release. That rise is due in large part to the amount of soil being received from OREM remediation projects at the East Tennessee Technology Park, which are all slated for completion next year.

The new landfill cell being constructed ensures on-site disposal availability. Expanding Landfill V’s disposal capacity also will extend the life of the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF), an on-site disposal facility for low-level waste.

OREM disposes of sanitary, industrial and construction waste in Landfill V, while sending low-level contaminated waste to EMWMF. These complimentary efforts ensure space at EMWMF is used efficiently, the release stated.

The Landfill V expansion project is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year.
The Landfill V expansion project is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year.

The expansion effort underway is being implemented under a UCOR-issued small business subcontract using a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation-approved design.

“This expansion is a critical step toward ensuring UCOR’s ability to support the current and future cleanup needs for years to come,” UCOR Landfill Operations Project Manager Josh Pemberton stated in the release. “A combined staff of 30 UCOR and CTI employees has proactively been planning and working to achieve this milestone for the past year and a half.”

CTI and Associates Inc. is a small business supporting the effort.

The landfill expansion is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year.

OREM is also nearing the start of early site preparations for its Environmental Management Disposal Facility. That facility, which is slated to begin operations in the late 2020s, will provide an additional 2.2 million cubic yards of waste disposal capacity for low-level contaminated waste.

The Landfill V expansion project is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year.
The Landfill V expansion project is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Oak Ridge Environmental Management kicks off landfill expansion