The board was formed in 1995 and is composed of up to 22 members, chosen to reflect the diversity of gender, race, occupation, views, and interests of persons living near the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation. Members are appointed by DOE and serve on a voluntary basis, without compensation. Non-voting liaisons include representatives from DOE-Oak Ridge, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Non-voting student participants also serve on the board to represent the viewpoints and concerns of area youth.

The board's mission is to provide meaningful opportunities for collaborative dialogue among the communities surrounding the Oak Ridge Reservation, EM, and DOE-ORO. The board is chartered under the EM SSAB charter. At the request of the Assistant Secretary, the ORO Manager, or the ORO Assistant Manager for EM, the board may provide informed advice and recommendations concerning the following EM site-specific issues: cleanup standards and environmental restoration, waste management and disposition, stabilization and disposition of non-stockpile nuclear materials, excess facilities, future land use and long-term stewardship, risk assessment and management, and cleanup science and technology activities. The board may also be asked to provide advice and recommendations any other EM project or issue. The board ensures early, ongoing community access to information (and its interpretation and implications) and dialogue that improves the quality of the decision-making process of EM and ORO.

ORSSAB provides a number of avenues for the public to learn and express views about DOE-ORO EM program work. All board and committee meetings are open to the public and are announced in newspaper advertisements and the Federal Register. Board meetings are video recorded, and copies are available for public review. Meetings are held at the DOE Information Center, located at 1 Science.gov Way in Oak Ridge. Information about the board is available by calling the ORSSAB support offices at (865) 241-4583 or 241-4584, or 1-800-382-6938.