At the Applied Research Center, respect for the environment is integral to our work. Our commitment to the environment spans a breadth of concerns, from local community projects to reduce childhood exposure to lead-based paint to national issues such as how to manage high-level radioactive waste that will present health hazards for hundreds of thousands of years. Engineers and scientists at the Applied Research Center work in the field and in specialized laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation. The Applied Research Center is a leader in developing practical solutions to complex environmental challenges while maintaining focus on achieving a sustainable society, now and in future generations.

Capabilities

• Environmental remediation
• Environmental analysis
• Decommissioning and dismantlement
• Brownfields redevelopment

Environmental Remediation and Facility Decommissioning.
From soil and groundwater cleanup to the treatment and disposition of hazardous wastes to the decontamination and decommissioning of surplus nuclear and industrial facilities, the Applied Research Center has pioneered innovative methods and technologies to ensure the protection of the public, workers, and the environment. The Center is assisting the U.S. Department of Energy in selecting and implementing strategies—such as phytoremediation and other forms of biodegradation—that rely on natural systems to clean up contaminants in soil and water. Researchers at the Center are exploring emerging technologies for managing mercury-contaminated materials, and they have developed a pilot system to destroy polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in waste streams as an alternative to incineration. Many of our expert staff were involved in the decontamination and decommissioning of a highly contaminated hot cell facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. They identified and resolved major regulatory and administrative impediments to deploying waste treatment technologies. In addition, our staff is assisting in the removal of subsurface aviation oil contamination through existing monitoring wells in Florida and Puerto Rico.

Environmental Management and Redevelopment.
Our expertise in environmental management programs has enabled local communities to achieve a healthy, sustainable environment while supporting growth, development, and redevelopment of contaminated or abandoned urban brownfields properties. For example, through community outreach to the city of Opa-locka, Florida, our team designed a community gymnasium to be located on a reclaimed brownfields site. And through the hands-on restoration of a polluted inner-city waterway, the Center mentored and trained minority university students to pursue environmental careers related to the mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Applied Research Center is also providing assistance to the U.S. Army in meeting its pollution prevention goals.

Engineering and Technology Development.
To expedite closure of several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities, the Center has integrated existing and new technologies to accomplish such tasks as real-time characterization and decontamination of pipes, floor, and wall surfaces during facility decontamination, thus achieving time and cost savings during cleanup operations. In addition, experts at the Applied Research Center designed and deployed remote monitoring systems that reduce worker presence in potentially hazardous environments. One such system under development will detect the biodegradation of contaminants in groundwater.