Our View

The LOC keeps a close eye on DOE activities in Oak Ridge to ensure the best interests of nearby communities are protected and public funds are used wisely during cleanup, continued operations and reindustrialization at the Oak Ridge Reservation

Board members are concerned with human health and the environment as well as with their communities' economic and social well-being.

The LOC has found a variety of means to join the dialogue on DOE issues in Oak Ridge, both through the Board of Directors and the Citizens Advisory Panel:

Newsletters provide readers with vital information about the most important and most pressing issues facing the community. Articles are contributed by members of the Citizens Advisory Panel and LOC staff. The newsletters also provide a regular column by the LOC executive director and a calendar of upcoming meetings and other public events.
Comments on DOE proposals draw on the expertise and experience of the Board and CAP to lend an informed community voice to DOE deliberations.
Positions allow the community to step back and take a broader view of regional trends.

In addition, the LOC is responsible each year for producing the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation DOE Oversight Division's annual Status Report to the Public. This report presents an independent view of the safety and quality of the Oak Ridge environment. It also discusses activities of state regulators in Oak Ridge and explains key issues that must be addressed if the quality of the Oak Ridge environment is to be maintained and improved.