Nuclear work during the Manhattan Project resulted in contamination that still remains, decades later. For cleanup work to continue, the Department of Energy (DOE) proposed, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) approved a new landfill, the Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF). Cleanup of legacy contamination is urgent and necessary. Sadly, the selected approach may result yet again in future generations having to deal with today’s problems, as the discharge criteria for EMDF have not been set and may not even be subject to public input. This article summarizes the status and suggests actions the public can take to improve the outcome.
