Registration and Continental Breakfast

This session will discuss the EM updates to Biden Administration’s strong commitment to advancing the cleanup mission and preparing for sustained success, maintaining national security priorities, and supporting communities most impacted by the environmental legacy of the past.

J. Kent FortenberryChief Operating OfficerUCORModerator Jay MullisManager, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental ManagementU.S. Department of Energy

Networking Break

The vital missions conducted by NNSA- national defense/weapons programs and EM – cleanup/nuclear facility operations utilize shared waste management resources such as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).  Collaboration is key to efficient, effective, and non-disruptive utilization of WIPP and other treatment and disposal outlets.

David CampbellExecutive Vice President, Business Development & GrowthEnergySolutionsModerator Ahmad Al-DaoukAssociate Administrator for the Office of Environment, Safety, and HealthNational Nuclear Security Administration Reinhard KnerrDeputy ManagerPaducah/Portsmouth, DOE

INL is the nation’s laboratory for nuclear energy research and development.  INL works in each of the strategic goal areas of DOE including energy, national security, science and environment.  As the Site Spotlight, INL managers will discuss the collaborative partnership between DOE EM cleanup activities and the DOE NE enduring science and security missions.

Tammy MondayChief Growth OfficerAVANTech LLCModerator Ty BlackfordProgram Manager & Chief Executive OfficerIdaho Environmental Coalition Connie FlohrManagerIdaho Cleanup Project Robert MiklosDirector of Production Facilities: Fuel Recycling, Nuclear Fuels Management, Waste ManagementIdaho National Laboratory

Networking Luncheon

Laura Wilkerson and Kevin Ironside will provide an update on the Reindustrialization Program at the East Tennessee Technology Park. They will discuss recent successes at the former uranium enrichment site as well as future economic development, historic preservation and conservation activities.

Kevin IronsideBeneficial Reuse and End State ManagerUCORModerator Laura WilkersonActing ManagerOak Ridge Office of Environmental Management

Joel Bradburne will provide an update for the Portsmouth Paducah Project Office that manages EM decommissioning and demolition activities at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion site and the deactivation and remediation activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion site. In addition an update will be provided on the conversion of ~65,000 cylinders of Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DUF6) from historical uranium enrichment operations and the disposal of oxide from conversion operations at the DUF6 plants in Portsmouth and Paducah.

Joel BradburneField ManagerPaducah/Portsmouth Project Office

Per and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) have emerged as a pervasive contaminant that EPA and the Biden Administration have pledged to focus efforts on research and to identify mitigation solutions.  Federal agencies are working with industry to understand the extent of PFAS contamination and determine health impacts of these substances.  This panel focuses on DOE and DOD efforts to address PFAS starting with firefighting foams and groundwater contamination.   

Jim BlankenhornSenior Vice President and Manager, Environment & Security Business LineAmentumModerator Michael ReedDirector, Business DevelopmentAVANTech LLC Michael (Josh) Silverman PhDDirector, Office of Environmental Protection and ES&H ReportingDepartment of Energy

This panel will explore new technologies and how their application is changing and improving the way that the nuclear industry performs high hazard work, classified surveillance, and cleanup missions.  

Renee EcholsPresidentFirewater LLCModerator Kevin BumpusBusiness Development ManagerUniTech Services Group Inc. Matt ChandlerFederal ManagerSkydio Joshua Handley, M.Sc.Chief Architect of Applied SolutionsMirion Technologies Luke LaymanChief Executive OfficerVector Solutions Alexandre MeldemManaging Director, North AmericaFlyability

In this session, officials will speak on the need for greater leadership stability within EM and the need for independently verified corrective actions when projects breach cost or schedule baselines. The agency’s reports from the spring of 2022 address these themes, including how frequent turnover among leadership has affected the pace of cleanup and how the root cause analyses associated with the cost increases and delays at WIPP provide an opportunity for DOE to modify its requirements for corrective actions.

Nancy BerlinProgram ManagerExchange Monitor Forums and PublicationsModerator Nathan AndersonDirectorGovernment Accountability Office (GAO) Dae ChungAssociate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Corporate ServicesOffice of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy

Registration and Continental Breakfast

Leaders from government, industry, academia and labor will discuss challenges related to an aging workforce and its resulting resource gaps. The group will share programs and partnerships in their respective sectors that are contributing to a resource pipeline to ensure development, placement, and retention of DOE’s next generation of workers.

Rod McCullumSenior Director, Fuel and Decommissioning ProgramsNuclear Energy InstituteModerator Kristen EllisActing Director of Regulatory, Intergovernmental, and Stakeholder Engagement Senior Advisor for STEM &Talent AcquisitionU.S. Department of Energy

With two private consolidated interim storage (CIS) initiatives continuing to make progress and the federal government actively expressing an interest in moving forward with CIS the prospect of large-scale movement of used fuel in the US is becoming increasingly more likely. This session will explore  what this means, both in terms of assuring the readiness of transportation infrastructure as well as well as providing for storage at both ends. 

Eric K. KnoxVice President, Strategic Development, National Security GroupAmentumModerator Mark BollingerManager, Carlsbad Field OfficeOffice of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy Myron KaczmarskyVice PresidentHOLTEC Government Services Jimmy ToliuszisProject ManagerNAC International Inc.

Networking Break

With 15 active DOE Environmental Management (EM) Cleanup Sites located in 10 states, partnering with local communities has always been critical to achieving the mission. This panel of experts will share their history, perspectives, and approach to excellence in community relations. They will discuss challenges and opportunities that have emerged over the decades of partnership from the federal, contractor and stakeholder points of view.

Corhyn ParrChief Executive OfficerNuclear Waste ServicesModerator Jesse SleezerStrategic Communications ManagerNavarro Research and Engineering, Inc. Stephan TetreaultStrategic Communications SpecialistOffice of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy R. Keith WoodVice President, Marketing and Communications, Nuclear & Environment Strategic Business UnitAmentum

With the demolition of the X-326 process building started, major building will continue to be torn down in the coming years at Portsmouth. In parallel, Paducah will focus on the remediation of the C-400 city block project, an effort to remove the primary source of TCE contributing to groundwater plume contamination.  Presenters will provide updates on these projects and others in support of the EM cleanup at both sites.

Tammy MondayChief Growth OfficerAVANTech LLCModerator Jason CasperChief Operating Officer & Deputy Program ManagerFour Rivers Nuclear Partnership, LLC Greg WilkettSite Deputy Director/Chief Operating OfficerFluor

Networking Luncheon

DOE EM has utilized the new End State contract model to procure large multi-billion dollar cleanup projects at Hanford, Idaho, and Oak Ridge to start.  This panel will be led by the DOE procurement manager leading implementation of this new contract model and the panelists will focus on how waste management efforts will change under ID/IQ task-based contracting. 

Renee EcholsPresidentFirewater LLCModerator Andrew DromWaste Projects and Operations DirectorCentral Plateau Cleanup Company Angela WatmoreActing Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition & Project Management/Head of Contracting ActivityOffice of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy John WrappProgram ManagerNavarro, Nevada National Security Site, Environmental Program Services

This session will discuss the current state for the end of the budget year as well as the expectations and outlook for FY2023.  Additionally, the session will update the audience on current legislation approved and pending before this Congress.  

Dylan KamaProgram DirectorEnergy Communities Alliance

Countries across the world are faced with the highly complex mission of cleaning up nuclear sites safely, securely and cost-effectively.  This panel will provide an opportunity for international government and industry leaders to provide their Country’s perspective on nuclear clean-up including lessons learned, successes, challenges, and path forward for decommissioning, waste treatment and disposal.  

Eric K. KnoxVice President, Strategic Development, National Security GroupAmentumModerator Rupert CowenSolicitor and DirectorVectLAW Joceline NahigianDirector, Office of Intergovernmental & Stakeholder ProgramsOffice of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy Corhyn ParrChief Executive OfficerNuclear Waste Services Frederick (Fritz) RoeggePresidentHoltec International

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) remains a focus for the Office of Environmental Management to maintain competitiveness for the U.S. research and scientific innovation enterprise.  Stewardship and promotion of diverse and inclusive workplaces that value and celebrate a diversity of people, ideas, cultures, and educational backgrounds is foundational to delivering on mission.  This session will discuss the priorities of headquarters as well as contractor sites and their commitment to this initiative.

Rod McCullumSenior Director, Fuel and Decommissioning ProgramsNuclear Energy InstituteModerator Sonya JohnsonCommunications, Community, Diversity & Workforce Development Programs ManagerUCOR Lessie PriceManager, Government Affairs and Community RelationsAmentum