With the completion of this report, the End Use Working Group achieved its original objectives and much more. In addition to making end use recommendations and providing Community Guidelines for the end use of contaminated lands, groundwater and surface water on the Oak Ridge Reservation, the EUWG:

• established a model for conducting open, informed, and focused public involvement;
• developed a conceptual model for a long-term stewardship program for the Oak Ridge Reservation;
• paved the way for a balanced approach to remediation through the use of limited and responsible on-site disposal of radiological and chemically hazardous wastes; and
• left a comprehensive compilation of high-quality technical information on each watershed as well as key technical information related to environmental remediation.

One of the most important aspects of the End Use Working Group is the impact it had on public involvement in Oak Ridge. Stakeholders responded positively to the open process that was used and found that cooperative relationships are possible between the public and DOE. The EUWG hopes the following principles that were essential to the success of the EUWG will continue to be used by DOE:

• stakeholder participation in identification of issues and determination of priorities to establish common goals and focus for DOE activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation;
• broad-based open participation for all interested stakeholders;
• a cooperative approach to assessment of past activities and environmental impacts in order to understand current conditions, proposed activities, and reasonable uses for all areas of the Oak Ridge Reservation;
• a focus on information and education to allow for informed public input to Reservation issues;
• open access to subject area experts and program managers to help stakeholders find answers to their questions;
• independent technical facilitation to ensure stakeholders work together and focus on relevant issues; and
• an informal process that includes DOE, TDEC DOE-O, and EPA participation to enhance stakeholder understanding of issues.

Effective public participation is expensive. However, these expenses can be viewed as an investment in the community, and a contribution to stakeholder acceptance of DOE activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation.

EUWG members appreciate the dedication of DOE and its contractors in meeting our informational needs and desires. The countless hours spent by technical presenters in preparing materials and working with the EUWG were essential to the Group’s success. Doug Sarno of Phoenix Environmental provided effective facilitation and technical assistance, and the role played by Karen Bowdle in organizing end use activities and coordinating among the many parties involved in making the process work was indispensable.

The EUWG effort would have been impossible without the unflagging support and attention of Margaret Wilson, leader of the local DOE Federal Facilities Agreement Program and her staff; they provided many hours of detailed discussions with EUWG members. The encouragement and support of Rod Nelson, Assistant Manager for Environmental Management at DOE, Oak Ridge Offices is also greatly appreciated. The DOE Oak Ridge Offices Environmental Management Program financed the support to the EUWG.