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Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board Receives 2006 Citizen Excellence in Community Involvement Award

Release Date: 06/23/2006
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – June 23, 2006) On June 29, 2006, the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board - Stewardship Committee will receive the 2006 Citizen Excellence in Community Involvement Award during EPA’s annual Community Involvement Conference in Milwaukee, Wis. The conference will be held from June 26 - 30.

“Through this award, EPA is recognizing the accomplishments and active participation of the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board which is playing an integral role in the cleanup at Oak Ridge,” said Jimmy Palmer, EPA Regional Administrator in Atlanta.

The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board (ORSSAB) is a federally chartered organization which provides recommendations to the Department of Energy in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The group was nominated for the award because of its efforts to identify and educate the community on stewardship or legacy concerns due to decades of contamination at the site as a result of the production of nuclear material during the cold war.

“The board, over the last 20 years has worked hard to ensure public participation in the clean up process,” said Kerry Trammell, ORSSAB Chair. “The board has been an innovator in ensuring that long-term stewardship is an intricate part of that process. By educating our youth, we will ensure that the cleanup story remains an important part of the Oak Ridge legacy.”

The Citizen Excellence in Community Involvement Award is an annual award given by EPA to recognize individuals and/or a community group working with a Superfund team for outstanding achievements in the field of environmental protection. To be eligible for the award, individuals and/or communities must have made outstanding contributions which have shown the following: constructive participation in the community involvement process; identified community concerns; compassion; leadership skills; a risk taker; results-driven; creative and/or innovative skills in implementing ways to accomplish a cleaner/safer environment.