1999 TDEC
report on the
Oak Ridge
environment
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Positions of the LOC
Mission Statement: The LOC's purpose is to ensure, in a manner consistent with a wise and effective use of public funds, that the best interests of those local communities adjacent to and downstream of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) are protected to the maximum extent possible during the cleanup and continued operation of the ORR facilities and associated off-site areas. These interests include human health, the environment, and the local economic and social well being.
The Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, Inc. advocates:
- Early and active public involvement in all new major DOE Oak Ridge Operations (ORO) initiatives.
- Effective reporting to the general public of our region on DOE's environmental cleanup progress.
- Adequate annual funding for DOE Environmental Management (EM) that ensures the Federal Facilities Agreement and Site Treatment Plan milestones will be met.
- The immediate implementation of a long-term stewardship program.
- The implementation of meaningful public involvement, modeled on EM's successful program, by the other DOE ORO programs and support organization.
- Increased and continued environmental monitoring of the residential areas of Oak Ridge.
- Fair payments-in-lieu-of-taxes or other forms of compensation by the DOE to the City of Oak Ridge, Anderson County, Roane County, and other impacted jurisdictions for costs and burdens of hosting the DOE facilities.
- Private-sector inducement clauses to offset DOE downsizing and facility closures and to allow diversification of the regional economic base should be included in all major DOE contracts
- Medical care and adequate compensation for past and current workers whose illnesses can be appropriately attributed to their past working environments.
- Timely response by DOE providing the correct information with verifiable data when misrepresentations and untruthful statements are made in meetings or in the press.
- That elected officials be considered primary stakeholders and that direct lines of communication be implemented between DOE ORO and local governments.
- Wise and effective use of public funds.
- Protection of human health, the environment, and the local economic and social well being of those local communities adjacent to and downstream of the DOE's Oak Ridge Reservation to the maximum extent possible during the cleanup and continued operation of the ORR facilities and associated off-site areas.
Approved by the Local Oversight Committee Board of Directors on July 27, 2000.