WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) today released its EM Program Plan, a 2022 priority outlining a decision roadmap the cleanup program will use as a guide over the next two decades.

Click here to access the EM Program Plan.

“Cleanup progress has now reached a level that lets us focus on clearing the decks and tackling remaining hurdles to sustained success,” EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White said at the National Cleanup Workshop today. “As the cleanup mission approaches a crossroads, we're down to some of the toughest and most difficult challenges.”

White noted that the EM Program Plan completes a trio of outward facing planning documents, joining EM's calendar year priorities list and its 10-year Strategic Vision.

“This new program plan provides us with a long-range planning baseline for the entire cleanup program that we’ll use to identify long-term opportunities and the challenges that we need to face well in advance,” White said.

The EM Program Plan describes the scope of remaining cleanup, identifies key opportunities to better address challenges and complete cleanup earlier, and outlines a decision roadmap that EM will use as a guide over the next two decades.

EM undertakes a variety of enabling activities to support successful completion of site cleanup across all mission areas. These multi-faceted activities, outlined in the EM Program Plan, include strategic planning; program and project management and acquisition strategies; technology development and innovation; workforce strategy; infrastructure management; and regulatory and legislative initiatives.

“The EM Program Plan is a new tool to guide continuous evaluation of the status quo against viable alternatives to accelerate cleanup in key mission areas like tank waste, spent nuclear fuel, and soil and groundwater remediation,” said EM Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Chung, who led development of the plan. “By adding another layer of discipline and transparency to EM decision making, the plan will help inform our work with communities, tribal nations, regulators and others to drive to completion.”

EM will work with local communities, tribal nations, regulators and other stakeholders to evaluate these opportunities and identify others to support the completion of the EM mission in a safe, effective manner.

The EM Program Plan's summary roadmap highlights decisions and associated timelines critical to reduce costs and accelerate schedules.

EM is committed to effectively minimize risks through the efficiencies and innovation generated by the strategies and opportunities described in the EM Program Plan.