Stewardship Education
Resource Kit

File Name

Description

1-construction of a waste trench in the 1950s

In the 1950s, liquid wastes were disposed of by dumping them into trenches, such as this one in Melton Valley, not far from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

2-construction of Gunite tanks in 1943

The Gunite tanks were constructed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the early 1940s to hold radioactive waste and sludge residues from various laboratory activities.

3-covering shock-sensitive materials at Y-12

In the early 1980s, shock-sensitive explosives and pyrophoric uranium were interred in a landfill in an area outside the Y-12 Plant. The landfill was then covered with a concrete “blanket” to help isolate the materials from the environment.

4-dumping waste at Y-12

This photo shows typical waste disposal practices used in the 1950s through early 1970s.

5-East Tennessee Technology Park

The park was originally known as the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant or K-25. Site operations began in 1945. Surplus buildings are being demolished, and usable structures are being leased to private industry.

6-E-yard

During gaseous diffusion activities at the K-25 Site (now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park), a byproduct known as uranium hexafluoride was stored in cylinders located in six storage yards. More than 6000 cylinders were stored until 2002, when shipment of the cylinders to DOE’s Portsmouth, Ohio, facility began. All cylinders will eventually be shipped.

7-former S3 ponds at the Y-12 Plant

The S3 site consisted of four unlined ponds used to manage liquid waste. The ponds were constructed in 1951 and received various liquid wastes containing uranium and nitrates from Y-12 operations. The water was treated in 1983 and released. Coarse rock and gravel were added to the remaining sludge, and a cap was used to seal the contents. Asphalt was applied, and the area is now a parking lot.

8-groundwater profile in Bethel Valley

This figure shows how contamination moves through soil and rock into groundwater. It also shows that at times, some waste storage tanks (South Tank Farm) were below groundwater levels.

9-hazardous chemical storage area

An array of hazardous chemicals were used in various DOE facilities through the years, presenting a complex management problem.

10-hazardous material storage area

PCBs in electrical capacitors are a hazardous material that must be managed carefully to prevent contaminating humans or the environment.

11-Interim Waste Management Facility

This facility was used for operations related to near-surface disposal of low-level radioactive wastes from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

12-K-1066-K uranium hexafluoride cylinder yard

During gaseous diffusion activities at the K-25 Site (now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park), a byproduct known as uranium hexafluoride was stored in cylinders located in six storage yards. More than 6000 cylinders were stored until 2002, when shipment of the cylinders to DOE’s Portsmouth, Ohio, facility began. All cylinders will eventually be shipped.

13-K-1070-A Burial Ground

This burial ground is typical of those at the K-25 Site (now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park). Solvents, equipment, and wastes were interred here.

14-loading at Solid Waste Storage Area 4 in the 1950s

Solid Waste Storage Area 4 is located outside Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Laboratory wastes were often placed in concrete containers and interred in this area in the 1950s.

15-Conceptual model

This diagram shows an area of Melton Valley near Oak Ridge National Laboratory where several waste pits, trenches, and solid waste storage areas are located. It illustrates how rainwater and groundwater infiltrate the waste areas, leading to leeching of contaminants into the environment.

16-Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is an internationally renowned research facility with an ongoing mission of developing technologies and products for government and civilian use.

17-ORNL dump trucks

This photo shows typical waste disposal practices used in the 1950s through early 1970s.

18-ORNL waste dumping

Solid Waste Storage Area 4 during the 1950s

19-shipping waste containers from K-25 ponds

To clean up the East Tennessee Technology Park, some wastes are being containerized and shipped to other sites, where they can be disposed of in facilities better suited to their disposal.

20-storage area

Wastes are often temporarily stored in outdoor facilities such as this one, located on Chestnut Ridge at the Y-12 Plant.

21-waste containers from K-25 ponds

These drums contain waste sludges and liquids from cleanup of the K-25 ponds. The ponds were used for disposal of various wastes from gaseous diffusion activities. The ponds were eventually drained. The wastes and contaminated sediments were packaged in drums and shipped to an offsite facility for disposal.

22-waste disposal practices 1950s - 1970s - 2

This photo shows typical waste disposal practices used in the 1950s through early 1970s.

23-waste disposal practices 1950s - 1970s

This photo shows typical waste disposal practices used in the 1950s through early 1970s.

24-waste drum storage

Wastes are often temporarily stored in outdoor facilities such as this one.

25-waste drums

Wastes stored for extended periods of time are typically housed in facilities such as this one.

26-waste silos prior to filling

The waste silos were used as an experimental disposal method for Oak Ridge National Laboratory wastes. The silos, located in Melton Valley, were filled with solid wastes and then capped.

27-waste storage area

Wastes stored for extended periods of time are typically housed in facilities such as this one.

28-waste storage facility

The Disposal Area Remedial Actions Soils Storage Facility was built in 1989 to store contaminated sediments and excavation wastes generated during closure of the oil retention ponds in the Bear Creek burial grounds. The Soils Storage Facility is a below-ground vault and building located in Bear Creek Valley. The wastes contains PCBs and VOCs.

29-waste trench

A wench above a waste trench in Bear Creek Valley near the Y-12 Plant stands ready to lower wastes for disposal.

30-Y-12 National Security Complex

Y-12 is located just over a ridge from the commercial center of Oak Ridge. It was built in 1943 to process uranium for the first atomic bomb. Its current missions include uranium storage, weapons disassembly, and other manufacturing and development activities for the federal government.

31-Horizon Center sign

“Horizon Center” is the name given to the new industrial park being developed by the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee, which is responsible for leasing surplus Department of Energy buildings and land at the East Tennessee Technology Park. The Horizon Center is a good example of a “greenfield” site because the area has had no previous industrial activity.

32-Heritage Center sign

“Heritage Center” is the name given to the main plant area of the East Tennessee Technology Park by the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee, which is responsible for leasing surplus Department of Energy buildings and land at the site. The Heritage Center is a good example of a “brownfield” site because industrial activity has previously taken place there.

33-EFPC warning sign

Signs such as this are posted along portions of East Fork Poplar Creek because of residual contamination in the stream (principally mercury in sediments) caused by industrial processes at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The streams runs through the complex and continues through populated portions of the city of Oak Ridge.

34-ETTP gate and portal

Fences and gates such as these are used by the Department of Energy to limit access to its many of its sites in Oak Ridge.