Environmental Cleanup Accomplishments

Stakeholder Involvement

Many community members have been following the cleanup process at BNL since the contamination was first discovered, and the Lab has encouraged extensive public participation and input as part of the cleanup process. Some of these individuals formed independent groups that focused on providing the Lab and DOE with a community perspective on the cleanup.

In 1996, the Lab formed a community working group in response to community requests. This citizens’ group consisted of civic leaders and others interested in learning more about the Lab’s activities and operations. In 1998, many individuals from this original group joined other interested stakeholders in forming the Community Advisory Council (CAC). Currently, the CAC includes representatives from 26 community, civic, employee, environmental, education, business, and health- related organizations.

For the past 10 years, the CAC has played a key role by participating in the decision-making processes and advising the Laboratory Director on cleanup issues and other topics important to the community. The group meets monthly and sets its own agenda; meetings are open to the public, and people who may be interested in serving on the Council are encouraged to attend.

Environmental Cleanup – Status

In October 2005, the U.S. Department of Energy and Brookhaven National Laboratory marked the completion of major environmental restoration projects on and near the Laboratory site. The high-priority cleanup work was defined in a 1992 agreement among DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). These agencies, along with the New York State Department of Health and Suffolk County Departments of Health Services and Parks, played key roles in all aspects of the investigation and cleanup process. The Lab also worked very closely with the community, soliciting input from the Community Advisory Council and from the general public through meetings, informational sessions, and comment periods on key cleanup proposals.

The cleanup at the Lab proceeded under the rigorous process set by the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, which is administered by the EPA. All groundwater clean-up systems are installed and will continue to operate until groundwater cleanup goals have been reached. The Peconic River, soil cleanup projects, and several decommissioning projects at the Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor (BGRR) are also complete. The remaining projects — final decommissioning of the BGRR and planning for the decommissioning of the High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) — are nearing completion.