B & W / Y-12 in Oak Ridge Recognized for Environmental Successes

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke will participate in an environmental recognition ceremony honoring the Babcock and Wilcox Company’s Y-12 operation in Oak Ridge, Tenn. on Tuesday, March 17, at 2 p.m. at Y-12’s New Hope Center on 602 Scarboro Road.   The ceremony will recognize B&W Y-12 for achieving Performer Level status in the Tennessee Pollution Prevention Partnership environmental leadership program. 

B&W Y-12 serves as the managing and operating contractor for the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Security Administration. 

Commissioner Fyke will present a framed certificate of recognition and a green Performer flag to B&W Y-12 President and General Manager Darrell Kohlhorst and Vice President of Environment, Safety and Health Michelle Reichert, recognizing the facility’s achievements in preventing pollution. B&W Y-12 is the 13th TP3 member to achieve the distinguished level of Performer, joining eight industrial facilities, three schools and a government agency. 

Other representatives will include Danny Nichols, manager of B&W Y-12 Waste Management; Ted Sherry, manager of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Y-12 site office; John Krueger, senior program director of Y-12’s Waste Management and Integrated Facilities Disposition program; and Jan Jackson, manager of the B&W Y-12 sustainability and stewardship program. 

“This is a great achievement for both B&W Y-12 and its employees,” said Fyke. “It demonstrates their commitment to seek out opportunities to eliminate and reduce waste, save natural resources and prevent pollution. We appreciate the leadership B&W Y-12 and all our TP3 performers provide to help protect our natural resources.”

To achieve Performer status, TP3 program participants are required to develop and complete a five-project plan to help prevent pollution of air, land and water, while reducing waste and conserving natural resources. Performers also implement community outreach and mentoring into their programs.

“We are proud to achieve the Tennessee Pollution Prevent Partnership Performer level and receive the green flag from Environment and Conservation,” added Kohlhorst. “This recognition shows we are serious about protecting our shared environment, and we will fly our flag proudly.” 

DOE / B&W Y-12 documented five environmental success stories to achieve Performer status, demonstrating measurable results in pollution prevention.  Notable results include reducing more than 436 metric tons of waste including low level and hazardous waste; reducing energy usage by more than 93 million kilowatt hours since fiscal year 2004 through modernization activities; eliminated more than 5,000 pounds or 70 percent of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) compared to 2005 levels; conserved more than 86,000 cubic yards of landfill space and established 3.5 acres of native grasses; and reduced gasoline consumption in fiscal year 2006 by 15,500 gallons while increasing E-85 usage by the flex fuel fleet to 100 percent. 

In FY 2008, Y-12 implemented 96 pollution prevention initiatives with a reduction of more than 66.5 million pounds of waste with a cost avoidance of more than 4.15 million dollars.  Since 1993, the Y-12 Complex has completed more than 802 pollution prevention projects including on-going recycling projects that resulted in the elimination of more than 1.87 billion pounds of waste at an estimated cost avoidance of more than $53 million dollars.

For more information about B&W Y-12’s pollution prevention projects, please visit: www.tn.gov/environment/ea/tp3/tp3_bwy12.shtml.

The Tennessee Pollution Prevention Partnership is a statewide network of households, schools, government agencies, organizations, businesses and industries working together to prevent pollution. The Tennessee Pollution Prevention Roundtable, with assistance from the Department of Environment and Conservation, developed many of the guidelines for TP3. For more information on the Tennessee Pollution Prevention Partnership, please visit www.tn.gov/environment/ea/tp3.

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