The Environmental Journal of Southern Appalachia
Monday, 15 July 2024 11:43

DOE agrees to $42m in Oak Ridge environmental reparations

Written by Department of Energy

The Beginning of the End, the story of the atomic bomb and Oak Ridge plays at the Grove Center in Oak RidgeMoviegoers are seen outside a postwar screening of a film at Grove Theater chronicling Oak Ridge’s role in the development of nuclear weapons and energy.  Department of Energy Photograph Collection/Oak Ridge Public Library

Public/private grants will fund natural resource preservation and enhancement in East Tennessee

OAK RIDGE — The U.S. Department of Energy signed a $42 million agreement as part of the Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) process for impacts from its historic operations on the Oak Ridge Reservation. 

Contamination released from the Oak Ridge Reservation negatively impacted natural resources and services depending on those resources in the region. The goal of the NRDAR process is to restore natural resources and replace natural resource services equivalent to what was lost. 

A trustee council comprised of representatives from the state of Tennessee through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) as the lead state agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Valley Authority and DOE evaluated how natural resources were injured and developed a Restoration and Compensation Determination Plan. That document was finalized in December 2022 after accepting public comments.

All funds from the $42 million agreement will be deposited into an account held by the state to fund grants to organizations and public entities for a wide range of local projects that either enhance the area’s natural resources or provide nature and recreational opportunities. 

“This is one of the most notable days in our office’s history,” said Jay Mullis, manager of DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. “Through this agreement, DOE is accounting for past impacts and creating many new opportunities to enhance how residents can enjoy this beautiful region.”  

Local projects eligible for those grants must be in one of five categories: habitat creation, habitat restoration or enhancement, habitat preservation, groundwater, or recreation.

Grant applications do not have a minimum value and can go as high as millions of dollars for projects in Anderson and Roane counties and portions of Loudon and Knox counties. 

“TDEC is pleased to see this agreement finalized and we eagerly anticipate projects that will support these local communities,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “This funding will protect the natural resources in the area as well as go towards outdoor recreational opportunities for Tennesseans, creating a more balanced and healthy environment for all.”

Examples of applicable projects include clearing away abandoned parking lots to plant native vegetation; removing invasive species; land conservation; installing streets and parking lots with permeable pavements to improve rainwater infiltration; and septic conversions. It also includes projects that improve public use of natural resources such as building or improving boat launches and fishing piers; purchasing and restoring land with public access to water; creating public hiking and biking trails or wildlife viewing areas; and constructing, improving or maintaining public recreation area amenities, such as trash control, water fountains and restrooms.

More information about the grant application process is available in the Draft Final Restoration Project Selection Procedure available here. Public comments should be sent via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Aug. 12, 2024.

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Last modified on Friday, 19 July 2024 17:52