ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Acting EM Assistant Secretary Jim Owendoff pledged a sense of timeliness and urgency necessary to tackle decisions within the cleanup program during an address at this year’s National Cleanup Workshop, held here earlier this month.
Owendoff, who assumed EM leadership in June, told the more than 600 people in attendance he is focused on paths to closure on potential issues that have languished or might ripen in the next year or so, and might benefit from added timely emphasis.
An aim is to build on a “can-do" atmosphere.
“What is the ability to say, ‘How can we get timely decisions?’" Owendoff said. “How do we collectively come together and say, ‘You know what? We can get together to make that decision.’"
“I believe we have the ability to put in place a sense of urgency," he said.
Owendoff said a recent 45-day review he initiated had directed EM site managers and headquarters staff to pinpoint potential issues for additional analyses and identify paths for potential decisions.
“I wanted the team to take a first look at what are the decisions that we have out there that are coming up, in the next year, year and a half or so, that we need to ensure we get those decisions made," he said.
“All this was, was a mechanism to energize site managers and the federal staff, and say, ‘You know what? Some of these decisions that are the tough decisions, we are willing to take those on.’"
Owendoff said the effort adds to the focus Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette have brought to cleanup issues.
“How do we use the juice that they have today?" Owendoff said. “We are blessed with both of them. Having been on trips with both of them, I feel [Brouillette’s] thumb on my chest and the Secretary’s thumb on my chest to (say) let’s get on with it."
“I will try to do my best to ensure that decisions get teed up," he said.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
