(208f) Ucor’s Practices Accelerate Progress Towards a Sustainable and Resilient Future

United Cleanup Oak Ridge, LLC. (UCOR), is committed to incorporating sound environmental management, protection and sustainability practices in all its work processes and activities that are part of its U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) contract. UCOR is committed to accelerating sustainable practices into daily activities. Addressing sustainability, carbon neutrality, and a circular economy are important aspects of Executive Order (EO) 14057, as well as DOE Order 436.1A which must be met through UCOR’s contract with the DOE.

The UCOR environmental policy provides a framework for setting environmental objectives and includes a commitment to continually improve the environmental performance of operations. UCOR’s commitment to protect and sustain human, natural, and cultural resources is inherent in its mission to complete environmental cleanup safely with reduced risks to the public, workers and the environment.

UCOR's Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization program is a comprehensive and continuous effort to promote sustainable environmental stewardship by reducing the quantity and toxicity of all waste types and environmental releases, promoting environmentally preferable purchasing and resource conservation for UCOR activities across the Oak Ridge Reservation. Affirmative procurement, and specifically the purchase of recycled products, leads to a reduction in the environmental impacts of mining, harvesting, and other extraction processes and helps divert large amounts of materials from valuable landfill space while promoting a circular economy.

The UCOR Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Fleet Program Management Team has worked with a variety of internal and external stakeholders and partners to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Accelerated ZEV initiatives resulted in the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at UCOR’s main campus and an off-site shipping &
receiving/central records storage facility.

Continued ZEV charging station expansion is an essential element in meeting the EO 14057 mandates for all light-duty vehicle acquisitions to be ZEVs by 2027. To accelerate ZEV fleet growth, in fiscal year (FY) 2024, UCOR’s Fleet Management Team ordered ZEVs for all replacement eligible, light-duty vehicles. This includes 100 percent of all additional light-duty vehicles added to UCOR’s fleet and an order for a medium-duty electric vehicle to expand the ZEV cleanup mission support capabilities. With UCOR’s forward-looking ZEV plan, the designs for the new ZEV charging station were equipped with infrastructure to expand the capacity for additional chargers as new ZEV arrivals begin to outpace current charging capabilities. Additionally, given the nature of UCOR’s cleanup work at various sites which frequently change location, the strategy includes the acquisition of a mobile electric vehicle charging station to promote ZEV program implementation at remote field locations to meet operational needs.

Partnerships with external stakeholders such as suppliers, community members, and the DOE enable access to resources, expertise, and broader networks, which fosters innovation, contributes to a circular economy, and increases UCOR’s impact within the Oak Ridge Reservation and surrounding communities. Concurrently, engaging employees as active participants in sustainability efforts not only enhances corporate social responsibility but also cultivates a sense of ownership and commitment across the workforce. This is achieved through various on-site, sustainability centered events, educational opportunities, and internal newsletter articles. Through effective and meaningful employee engagement and external partnerships, UCOR’s collaboration and internal mobilization drives meaningful progress towards environmental and social sustainability objectives.

With support from DOE and utilizing a top-down leadership approach for sustainability initiatives, UCOR uses strategies and frameworks aimed at fostering active participation and commitment from stakeholders across sectors. UCOR emphasizes the importance of inclusive and collaborative approaches to drive meaningful change, highlighting key initiatives that illustrate successful implementation. Collaboration between various stakeholders to advance workforce development and understanding of sustainability initiatives is imperative for the overall success of implementation. UCOR’s practices aim to inspire action and innovation in accelerating progress towards a more sustainable and resilient future.