Secretary Bodman Celebrates Closure of Three Ohio Cleanup Sites
January 2007

Friday, January 19, 2007, was a day of celebration and “family” reunions on
a massive scale at the former Fernald Closure Project site near Cincinnati, when U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman recognized the successful completion and closure of Environmental Management activities at three Ohio former weapons material production and research site created during the Cold War.

The gathering marked a long-awaited celebration of the successful completion of environmental restoration at three of Ohio’s former nuclear research and materials production sites.  Projects being honored included the Fernald Closure Project, Battelle Memorial Institute’s Columbus Closure Project and the RMI Titanium Company’s Ashtabula Closure Project.

Following remarks by Fluor Corporation’s Chairman and CEO, Alan Boeckmann, Secretary Bodman, Administrator Johnson and Senator Voinovich, commemorative plaques were presented to the three communities where the former DOE activities were located, recognizing the three sites’ contributions to the winning of the Cold War and the required collaboration between DOE, the EPA, the State of Ohio and the communities in the clean up and closure of the sites.   

For many of the assembled former employees and participants, the ceremony highlighted a new beginning for these sites that were once estimated to take more than 25 years to clean up the legacy of the Cold War.  There was also a realization that these former Ohio Field Office sites had finally reached an “end in sight.” 

“Today we honor the rich past of these sites and also celebrate the work done to restore their environmental health without erasing their past.  Here in Ohio we have returned the land as a living tribute to all that has occurred here.  This is a legacy of which we can be proud,” Secretary Bodman said.

More photos available at: http://www.energy.gov/news/4859.htm