Tennessee

‘Novel’ deal puts $42M into Tennessee accounts for Manhattan Project cleanup projects

Published

5 months ago

July 12, 2024

‘Novel’ deal puts M into Tennessee accounts for Manhattan Project cleanup projects

After 15 years of negotiations between the state of Tennessee and the U.S. Department of Energy over the price tag of environmental damages stemming from the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, the two have signed a $42 million agreement to pay for restoration projects.

The money, set to be deposited by the Department of Energy into a Tennessee state account over the next several years, will be given to nonprofits and public entities to fund projects like building public trails and planting native species.

“The city is putting together a list of projects and will be applying for funding,” Oak Ridge City Manager Randy Hemann said. “We have no shortage of projects.”

The projects, which could receive millions of dollars each, must fall into one of five categories: habitat creation, habitat restoration or enhancement, habitat preservation, groundwater or recreation. Eligible projects cover Anderson and Roane counties, as well as parts of Loudon and Knox counties.

The agreement is part of a process to restore Oak Ridge and surrounding waterways to the state there were in before the Department of Energy released contaminants, including radioactive waste, while enriching uranium for the first atomic bomb. The $42 million helps the federal government settle its liabilities.

Energy Department redirects Tennessee funds

The Oak Ridge Reservation, a federally owned tract of 32,260 acres that includes Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, was designated a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1989.

Trustees to negotiate the damages owed to the state are:

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
Tennessee Valley Authority
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on behalf of the U.S. Department of the Interior

Representatives of the trustees sit on a council that will select projects.

The council put together a novel plan to settle the disagreement between the state and the DOE shortly after Gov. Bill Lee took office.

What makes the plan unique is the source of the $42 million, said Jay Mullis, manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management.

Half of the money has already been given from the DOE to Tennessee through an agreement dating back to the 1990s. The DOE agreed to give the state $1 million each year in a perpetual care fund for the landfill it uses in Oak Ridge today. Typically, the state would use the fund to care for the landfill after it closes, Mullis said.

But the state will not bear the responsibility to care for the DOE’s landfill, set to be replaced in 2029, so the money has accrued with no clear purpose.

Now, it will be repurposed for restoration projects after the DOE agreed to match the funds.

“I had to put a decent amount of pressure on the DOE feds at headquarters to move this along, because it was so novel,” Mullis told Knox News. “Bureaucracies hate anything that’s novel. But if we’re going to get anything novel done, Oak Ridge is the place to do it.”

How Oak Ridge compares to other Manhattan Project sites

Between the 1940s and 1970s, the DOE buried around 6 million cubic feet of radioactive and other waste in shallow burial sites. It also discharged waste directly into the East Fork Poplar Creek. Since 1986, when remedial activities began, it has removed contaminated soil into landfills and cleaned up waterways.

Cleanup leaders in Oak Ridge, who direct part of the largest environmental cleanup project in the world, often tout their work as the most efficient, innovative and cost-effective of all Manhattan Project sites.

Other sites, particularly the quagmire of radioactive waste in Hanover, Washington, have spent tens of millions of dollars just assessing environmental damages.

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and its cleanup contractor UCOR tore down all buildings at the K-25 site, once home to the world’s largest building, and will finish cleaning its soil of radioactive material this year.

They also have found unique ways to reuse radioactive material, like giving a Cold War-era generator to a company that will reuse it to create power in the deep sea and space.

Mullis and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner David Salyers held a signing ceremony in Oak Ridge for the new agreement July 11.

“This funding will protect the natural resources in the area as well as go toward outdoor recreational opportunities for Tennesseans, creating a more balanced and healthy environment for all,” Salyers said in a press release.

DOE to host public meetings on the application process

The first phase of the restoration process focused on the Watts Bar Reservoir. To compensate for damage to the waterway, the DOE established the Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement in 2009, a 3,000-acre natural habitat and recreational area managed in partnership with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

The second phase, focused on other Oak Ridge land and the Clinch River, will be restored through community projects funded by the agreement. The projects are separate from the DOE’s risk-based cleanup, such as demolition of Manhattan Project-era nuclear reactors.

Nonprofits and public entities that want to apply for funding can find more information about the grant application process in a draft procedure document.

The state will receive public comments at ORRrestoration@tn.gov until Aug. 12.

The trustee council will post the final document online later this summer and will host public meetings in the community to help organizations understand the application process.

Oak Ridger news editor Donna Smith contributed to this reporting.

Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.

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Tennessee

Ohio State Shows Major Resolve in CFP Win Over Tennessee

Published

7 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Ohio State Shows Major Resolve in CFP Win Over Tennessee

The Ohio State Buckeyes’ loss to the Michigan Wolverines now feels like ages ago.

Ohio State went into its first-round College Football Playoff matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers with major question marks.

Will Howard was under fire. The play calling was in the crosshairs. Ryan Day’s job security had become a regular topic of discussion.

But then, the Buckeyes hammered Tennessee by a score of 42-17 to advance to the Rose Bowl for a chance for revenge against the Oregon Ducks.

Ohio State put together arguably its best performance of the season against a very tough Tennessee opponent. The Buckeyes scored 21 points in the first quarter, immediately sending a message to the Volunteers—and the country—that they meant business.

Howard, who looked like a deer in headlights in the regular-season finale against Michigan, stepped up with a significant performance. Yes, there was the red zone interception, but in the end, it was no harm, no foul (he probably shouldn’t do that against Oregon, though).

Jeremiah Smith looked every bit of the phenom we all thought he was heading into 2024. The defense was tremendous. Day? He coached a terrific game.

But the most impressive part of this showing by Ohio State was the resolve that it demonstrated, picking itself up off the mat after a soul-crushing defeat to the Wolverines earlier in the month.

I have to admit: I wasn’t sure if the Buckeyes had this in them. Not after they mustered just 10 points against a far inferior Michigan opponent, a game in which they were physically beaten up.

And considering that Tennessee’s defense was even stingier than Michigan’s this year, I certainly didn’t anticipate that Ohio State would drop 42 points.

Nevertheless, here we are.

A couple of weeks ago, it was beginning to look like the Buckeyes wouldn’t even have a chance against Oregon. Heck, there were some who felt that the Volunteers would beat them.

It wasn’t due to a lack of talent, either. It was more due to the thought that Ohio State lacked an identity and didn’t seem to have the mental fortitude required to win a national championship.

Remember: the Buckeyes also lost to the Ducks earlier in the season as a result of some mental erros and not being able to seal the deal.

So the concerns surrounding Ohio State heading into the College Football Playoff were legitimate.

But the Buckeyes appear to have flipped a switch, and it appears that their tenacity has finally matched their excessive talent.

Now, we’ll see if Ohio State can exact revenge on Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

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Tennessee

Tennessee-Ohio State live updates: How to watch, predictions, odds for CFP game

Published

15 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Tennessee-Ohio State live updates: How to watch, predictions, odds for CFP game

The first round of the College Football Playoff is nearly complete, with the final game of the slate featuring Ohio State vs. Tennessee in “The Shoe.”

Two of the most recognizable brands in college football, Tennessee and Ohio State arrive in the 12-team playoff with at-large bids, falling just short of reaching their respective conference championship games and snatching one of the top four byes in the bracket.

Tennessee will be making its first playoff after going 10-2, which included a win over Alabama that likely is the reason why the Volunteers are in the playoff. No strangers to the playoff, Ohio State arrives with a fan base that isn’t all too thrilled with head coach Ryan Day after losing a fourth consecutive year to Michigan. A national championship is still possible, but the pressure is on for Day to deliver a deep playoff run and possibly save his job. Will the Buckeyes get a much-needed win, or will Tennessee pull off the upset in front of more than 100,000 fans?

It’s the second time Tennessee and Ohio State have faced each other, and the winner of the first-round finale has a tough date ahead of them. The victor will head west to Pasadena to play No. 1 overall seed Oregon in the “Granddaddy of them all,” the Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day.

When is the College Football Playoff between Tennessee and Ohio State

The College Football Playoff first-round game between the No. 9-seed Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 8-seed Ohio State Buckeyes kicks off at 8 p.m. ET at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio

How to watch College Football Playoff between Tennessee and Ohio State

The College Football Playoff first-round game between the No. 9-seed Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 8-seed Ohio State Buckeyes will be televised nationally on ABC and ESPN.

Live streaming is also available on Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Catch Tennessee vs. Ohio State with a Fubo subscription which has a free trial

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the favorites to defeat the Tennessee Volunteers in this first-round College Football Playoff game, according to the BetMGM college football odds on Saturday.

Spread: Ohio State (-7)
Moneyline: Ohio State (-275); Tennessee (+220)
Over/under: 46.5

USA TODAY Sports: No. 8 Ohio State over No. 9 Tennessee

Paul Myerberg writes: “This is the premier pairing of the opening round and a nice barometer of how playoff games could unfold between the best of the best in the Big Ten and SEC. Given two evenly matched teams with similar traits, two factors will make the difference in Ohio State’s favor: homefield advantage and a more credible offense. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard has more experience and better skill options. But another big game from Volunteers signal caller Nico Iamaleava could easily shift this game in the opposite direction.”

ESPN: Ohio State has 65% chance to win

According to ESPN’s Matchup Predictor, the Ohio State Buckeyes have a 65.5% chance to beat the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

College Football Network: Ohio State 27, Tennessee 23

Will Helms writes: “To be clear, I think Ohio State’s offense is capable of moving the ball down the field through the air, but Tennessee’s defensive line could feast against a reshuffled Buckeyes O-line. But I also trust (offensive coordinator Chip) Kelly to find ways to scheme open elite playmakers like Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. If this becomes a close game, Ohio State’s experience can make a difference. However, I like the Volunteers as one of the best bets of the opening round. The Buckeyes’ experience and depth should help them close this out, but take the Volunteers to cover in a close one that ticks over.”

Sports Illustrated: Tennessee Volunteers

James Parks writes: “Tennessee +7.5 … We’re taking the Vols to win straight-up on the road given their outright advantage on a very dominant defensive front, which should overpower a Buckeyes offensive line down two key starters to injury, while Dylan Sampson and Tennessee’s gifted ground game do the rest.”

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Tennessee

NFL Change Doesn’t Bother Titans Legend Eddie George

Published

23 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

NFL Change Doesn’t Bother Titans Legend Eddie George

It has been a long time since Tennessee Titans fans were able to watch legendary running back Eddie George run the football. He was a fan favorite for years and was one of the best backs in the league during his era.

Now, he has become the head coach for Tennessee State in college.

With that being said, George still opens up about the NFL. He recently talked about his thoughts on the state of the league.

Touchdown Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. did an interview with George where he shared his opinion on where the league currently stands. He is clearly a fan of what he is seeing despite all of the changes that the NFL has made.

“Oh yeah, I mean, it’s (the NFL) changed over the years to become safer, and I get it,” George said. “But the quality of the game is still the same. I love it.”

In a time where so many former players are unhappy with how “soft” the league has become, George stands out as a big fan of the changes. While the NFL has changed a lot, the product being put on the field is still good football and entertaining to watch.

Throughout his NFL career, George was known as a bruising running back. He was a nightmare for opposing defenders to tackle.

He ended up playing in 141 career game, racking up 2,865 carries for 10,441 yards and 68 touchdowns. George averaged 3.6 yards per carry in a much tougher era to run the football.

George also ended up catching 268 passes for 2,227 yards and 10 more touchdowns.

As for the current state of the Titans, things do not look great. Will Levis has been benched ahead of Week 16 and there is expected to be a search for a new quarterback during the upcoming offseason.

So far this season, Tennessee has mustered up a brutal 3-11 record. There hasn’t been much for the fans to cheer about.

Hopefully, the Titans can figure things out and get back into playoff contention. George and the fans would then be able to enjoy football with their team winning again.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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