KENNEWICK, Wash. - Joined by EM officials, leaders from the advisory boards that work on behalf of their local populations convened at the Hanford Site for a semi-annual meeting Oct. 17-19.
The EM Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) chairs’ meeting brought together the chair and vice-chair of each of the eight local boards of the EM SSAB.
“Sharing best practices is one of the keys of this meeting," said David Borak, the EM Designated Federal Officer who oversees and facilitates the operation of the advisory boards, located at the Savannah River Site, Hanford, Los Alamos, Paducah, Nevada National Security Site, Portsmouth, Oak Ridge, and Idaho National Laboratory.
The group toured the site and listened to overviews on its cleanup and history, including its role in the Manhattan Project National Historic Park.
“Each of your sites has that story," Stacy Charboneau, EM Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Field Operations, said to the group during keynote remarks. Charboneau provided an update on EM priorities and highlighted the importance of EM SSAB work.
The boards’ key function is developing recommendations for site managers and EM leaders to consider when making cleanup decisions. Members shared ideas on preparing good cleanup recommendations.
“I always find it very enlightening when we get together," said Susan Leckband, chair of the Hanford Advisory Board, speaking to the group as the meeting was nearing its close.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
