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UCOR
We are a new iteration of UCOR, a partnership of Amentum, Jacobs, and Honeywell, under a new contract with the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. Since 2011, UCOR has been DOE OREM’s lead cleanup contractor on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Prior to May 2022, UCOR was an Amentum-led partnership with Jacobs. UCOR’s work under both contracts has been cleaning up contaminated, unused facilities on the ORR.
In 2020, UCOR completed cleanup of the gaseous diffusion plant at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). Today, we are cleaning up Manhattan Project-era facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex and remediating soil and groundwater at ETTP. We also maintain ORR facilities that are waiting for disposition and provide critical, life-extending upgrades to active, aging facilities. As a DOE Voluntary Protection Star site—DOE’s highest safety designation—safety is a prerequisite to all that we do.
In 2020, UCOR completed cleanup of the gaseous diffusion plant at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). Today, we are cleaning up Manhattan Project-era facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex and remediating soil and groundwater at ETTP. We also maintain ORR facilities that are waiting for disposition and provide critical, life-extending upgrades to active, aging facilities. As a DOE Voluntary Protection Star site—DOE’s highest safety designation—safety is a prerequisite to all that we do.
Purpose
We are in the business of safely cleaning up contaminated and often dilapidated facilities for DOE. In other words, we are in the risk reduction business. As we clean up these old, World War II facilities, we remove both the industrial hazards from decaying structures as well as the potential for remaining contaminants (uranium, mercury, beryllium, asbestos, etc.) to leak into the environment.
Doing this work both safely and expediently is beneficial not only to our workforce and the community, it also is a tremendous savings to taxpayers. Our work goes one step further. Not only do we remove the facilities, we also prepare the land for reuse. At ETTP, our cleanup has enabled DOE to turn over 1,300 acres of land to the community for a variety of uses—economic development, conservation, and historic preservation. In fact, some of the remediated land is planned to be used for a new Oak Ridge airport.
As we remove old facilities at ORNL and Y-12, we are making space for them to modernize in support of their national science and defense missions.
Doing this work both safely and expediently is beneficial not only to our workforce and the community, it also is a tremendous savings to taxpayers. Our work goes one step further. Not only do we remove the facilities, we also prepare the land for reuse. At ETTP, our cleanup has enabled DOE to turn over 1,300 acres of land to the community for a variety of uses—economic development, conservation, and historic preservation. In fact, some of the remediated land is planned to be used for a new Oak Ridge airport.
As we remove old facilities at ORNL and Y-12, we are making space for them to modernize in support of their national science and defense missions.
Vision
To enable an Oak Ridge free of legacy contamination that creates an enduring environmental, social, and economic future.
Mission
Implement strategic and operational initiatives to complete major environmental cleanup on the Oak Ridge Reservation.
Additional Culture Details
Safety and workforce development are two key pieces of UCOR's culture. We have won numerous national safety awards, including being named to EHS Today's "Safest Companies in America" list. Our CEO has been included in the National Safety Council’s list of “CEOs Who ‘Get It’” and was selected to serve as a public director for the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).
We have a number of ongoing workforce development initiatives to ensure that there is a pipeline of future nuclear cleanup workers. We partnered with the University of Tennessee Nuclear Engineering Department to develop the nation's first minor in nuclear decommissioning and environmental management. We also partner with Roane State Community College in their chemical operators and environmental health and safety programs. And every summer, we host interns from across the U.S. who work in multiple departments across our organization.
We have a number of ongoing workforce development initiatives to ensure that there is a pipeline of future nuclear cleanup workers. We partnered with the University of Tennessee Nuclear Engineering Department to develop the nation's first minor in nuclear decommissioning and environmental management. We also partner with Roane State Community College in their chemical operators and environmental health and safety programs. And every summer, we host interns from across the U.S. who work in multiple departments across our organization.
Values
- Make safety a prerequisite to all work
- Because we do high hazard work, everyone from the top leadership team to the front line worker is focused on safety and ensuring that our workers are empowered to stop work if there are safety concerns or questions.