Environment
Oak Ridge Associated Universities places a high value on ensuring that all programmatic and business functions operate in a way that is both safe and environmentally sound. ORAU's environmental management plan provides a comprehensive framework for making certain we fulfill our contract with the Department of Energy (DOE) in an environmentally responsible way.
ORAU's environmental management plan played a key role in ORAU earning ISO-14001 registration in 2005. ISO-14001 is an international standard that governs environmental management at all levels, from training to documentation to day-to-day activities. Only a very small number of DOE contractors have earned ISO-14001 registration. Achieving that standard allows ORAU to operate in any of the many countries that recognize this standard.
ORAU's Environment Safety & Health (ES&H) department created the policies that guide ORAU's environmental management efforts. In partnership with the entire ORAU staff, the ES&H Department oversees the company's efforts in recycling, minimizing waste, and ensuring that hazardous waste is handled properly.
Recycling plays a significant part in environmental management, and ORAU has developed a large-scale program for recycling used consumables and buying products made from recycled materials. Likewise, ORAU attempts to minimize waste sent to landfills. Those efforts have been so successful that the net weight of ORAU's recyclables exceeds the weight of its landfill waste.
Certain ORAU/ORISE programs also involve the handling of hazardous materials. Having sound plans for managing hazardous materials and disposing of them properly also falls within the realm of environmental management.
(l-r) DOE Oak Ridge Office Manager Gerald Boyd; ORAU Environment, Safety and Health Director Bob Kapolka; NSF International Strategic Registrations, Ltd., Account Executive Rick Gehrke; ORAU President Ron Townsend; ORAU Environmental/Hygiene Officer Tom Wantland; and DOE Environment, Safety and Health Assistant Secretary John Shaw pictured with the flag awarded to ORAU to honor their ISO 14001 registration.