DOE: SRS aids in overall footprint cleanup

The Department of Energy is on track to reduce its overall cleanup footprint by approximately 90 percent by 2015, due in part to cleanup efforts at the Savannah River Site.

Through $6 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, DOE reduced its footprint by 415 square miles, removing 635 debris piles, decommissioning 38 radioactive and industrial structures and cleaning up contaminated soil, according to DOE.

"The Recovery Act has allowed us to invest in a clean energy future by creating jobs, training workers and making progress on important legacy cleanup work across the country," said Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu in a press release.

Footprint reduction lowers the cost related to site surveillance and maintenance, helps protect the environment and makes available areas to be reused, according to the press release.

SRS, using $1.6 billion in ARRA funding, has been able to reduce the site's footprint by approximately 67 percent, with a goal of achieving 75 percent reduction by September 2012, according to DOE spokesperson Jim Giusti.

ARRA-funded projects at the site that contributed to the footprint reduction have included the closure of M-Area operable unit, the decommissioning of the K-Area cooling tower and demolition of P-Reactor and R-Reactor discharge stacks, along with several other projects completed and more than a dozen in progress.

Contact Anna Dolianitis at adolianitis@aikenstandard.com.