Materials and Chemistry Laboratory, Inc. (MCL) welcomes you as a reader of our newsletter. Despite icy roads throughout these past several weeks, the employees of MCL have continued to make it to the laboratory and to produce analysis reports on the delivery schedule that was promised. Their dedication and hard work assures you of quality work that keeps projects moving smoothly. Thank you, our customers, for the opportunity to provide these services.

Our guest article this month was written by John Eschenberg, Department of Energy-Oak Ridge Assistant Manager for Environmental Management. John brings a vast array of engineering management experience to his current DOE position where he is responsible for cleanup of radioactive sites at East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Y-12, and ORNL. He came to Oak Ridge after six and a half years at Hanford where he managed design and construction of the Hanford Vitrification Facility. Before Hanford, John was facility operations manager for DOE’s Los Alamos National Laboratory and previously for the Savannah River Plant. His pre-DOE experience includes the U.S. Navy, Brown and Root and Haliburton.

In this month’s article for the MCL Newsletter, John speaks to environmental management as an obligation to cleanup legacy waste, but also, as an opportunity to enable economic growth. MCL appreciates the opportunity to be a partner in both these endeavors.

Prior to commercialization, MCL was the support laboratory for DOE’s Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25, now known as ETTP). As such, this laboratory supported technologies to enrich uranium and to deal with the residuals and waste products from such processing. In 1998, the laboratory became fully commercial as MCL, with the ability to support both government and commercial entities. With core expertise in uranium chemistry, MCL offers analytical testing, as well as, applied research and development support to DOE activities as we describe in this month’s feature article.

We hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter and pass it along to anyone who might be interested in reading it. Visit us at our website http: www.mcl-inc.com and at our laboratory in Heritage Center at ETTP. Be sure to make your plans to have breakfast with us on February 15.

Barry Stephenson

President/CEO

DOE’s Environmental Management Program:

Resolving the Legacies of the Past While

Enabling the Future of Oak Ridge

By: John Eschenberg

For over 68 years the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation has been home to world class research and development, nuclear weapons manufacturing, and uranium enrichment. Today the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the nation’s leader in computational and neutron science, energy research and development, and technologies that improve America’s competiveness and economic security. The Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) is a cornerstone of our defense and national security programs, and plays a key role in non-proliferation (preventing the unauthorized movement or diversion of nuclear materials or weapons). The Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant was a major uranium enrichment facility that is now undergoing clean up for reindustrialization as the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). The DOE Environmental Management Program ensures the success of each of these missions and is charged with resolving the legacy of past nuclear operations to protect the public and the environment and to make clean land available for the future.

Decades of nuclear and chemical operations on the Oak Ridge Reservation created a complex legacy of radioactive and hazardous waste, excess contaminated facilities, and contaminated soils, groundwater, and surface water. Many DOE sites are large isolated sites in arid regions. At Oak Ridge, hundreds of thousands of people reside in the area directly around the site. High rainfall and rapid shallow groundwater movement has carried contaminates off of the Oak Ridge Reservation into local surface waters. The DOE Environmental Management (EM) Program has made tremendous strides removing excess nuclear materials and cleaning up to protect public health and to prevent the movement of contaminants off site. Today the Environmental Management Program is removing contaminated soils that are the sources of releases to local surface waters. The EM Program is also removing large contaminated buildings at the ETTP and cleaning up soils so that site can be reindustrialized (turned over to the private sector for reuse). Private sector firms are already moving on to the ETTP, creating new jobs and helping to build this region as a center for energy and technology.

Our nation is relying on the unique capabilities and the missions underway at ORNL and Y-12. Each year over $2.5 billion are invested in modernization and the ongoing missions. These missions are threatened by deteriorating contaminated cold war era facilities and subsurface contamination comingled with the new and active facilities carrying out vital mission work. Failure of an old contaminated facility could pose a serious threat to the site personnel, the environment, and the missions underway. The EM Program works with the Science, Security, and Energy missions to remove deteriorating contaminated facilities and environmental contamination to protect the work underway, protect the environment and workers, and meet regulatory commitments for clean up. It is essential that these old facilities are removed before structure failure releases contaminants and multiples the cost of cleanup. Removing high risk facilities and environmental contamination enables modernization and protects the personnel, vital missions, and the investment in Oak Ridge.

Thousands of highly trained and skilled local workers support the $700M per year cleanup effort. The Environmental Management Program is delivering the progress that will ensure an Oak Ridge Reservation that is remediated, modernized, reindustrialized and is a long term asset for our region and our nation.

MCL Supports DOE Operations

In April 1998, as part of the DOE reindustrialization initiative, this employee group commercialized the Materials and Chemistry Laboratory they had operated as a government support facility. Today, Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Incorporated (MCL) is an employee-owned applied research laboratory and consulting organization dedicated to providing services to commercial and government customers.

MCL’s support to DOE operations is focused in four areas: specialty environmental analysis – identification of unknowns and analysis of samples not amenable to standard or routine environmental techniques; bench scale testing of chemical processes including decontamination and waste stabilization; demonstration and deployment support – providing technical evaluation, problem solving, and process optimization; and technical support including troubleshooting, compatibility studies, and interpretation of analytical data to ensure continued optimal performance.

Laboratory Support

MCL’s resources include a 25,000-square-foot applied research facility at ETTP in Oak Ridge. MCL holds licenses and permits that allow the studies to include many forms of hazardous, radiological, or classified materials.

In addition to traditional analyses, MCL offers an experienced technical staff along with a unique and powerful collection of materials characterization and chemical analysis equipment. Advanced techniques include electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, infrared spectroscopy, ion chromatography, liquid chromatography, ICP/OES and ICP/MS for metals analysis and rapid determination of uranium enrichment levels, liquid scintillation and gas-proportional counters for radiochemical analysis, gas chromatography, well-equipped sample preparation and wet chemistry analysis laboratories, and equipment for explosivity testing.

This unique combination of experience and instrumentation enables MCL’s professional staff to address special analytical needs through method modification or the application of performance-based methods.

MCL’s QA Program was developed using principles of the ISO 17025 Standard. The laboratory maintains approval under the DOECAP Program and is accredited by AIHA for asbestos analysis, beryllium, metals, hexavalent chromium, and other analyses.

Bench Scale Testing

MCL professionals are experienced in constructing bench-scale systems to model chemical processes. Staff experience includes investigation of processes used in waste treatment, waste stabilization, and decontamination technologies. This experience has been gained in operation as a commercial business, as an operations support laboratory to the uranium enrichment operations at K-25, and as a DOE National Environmental User Facility prior to commercialization.

Bench-scale systems are subjected to a broad range of conditions to develop safe operating parameters for field application. This is a key component in accident prevention.

Technical Support

MCL’s access to sophisticated analytical equipment and experienced staff enables the group to meet the specialized requirements for providing technical support to DOE operations. Experience includes demonstration and field deployment of waste treatment and decontamination technologies, projects requiring knowledge of uranium chemistry and the safe handling of UF6, and chemical accident investigations.

MCL’s professional staff is experienced in problem solving, trouble shooting, process optimization, compatibility studies, and interpretation of analytical data to ensure safe, optimal performance of chemical processes. The MCL Team provides technical assistance to choose the best technique and field support to implement the technology.

Please contact us at (865) 576-4138 or visit our website www.MCL-inc.com for more information.

MCL Welcomes New Employees

MCL would like to welcome three new employees. Erin Alder, Tabitha Ledford, and Bonnie Zimmerman began working at MCL in recent months. Ms. Alder has joined us as an Accounting Clerk, providing administrative and clerical support to MCL’s Office Manager. Ms. Ledford is working as a Sample Custodian, responsible for sample log-in, tracking and reporting of analysis results. Ms. Zimmerman is our new Special Projects Coordinator, assisting with technical projects and business development.

Announcements:

2010 Muddy Boot Honoree

Congratulations to Mr. Bill Wilcox, recent recipient of the East Tennessee Economic Council’s latest “Muddy Boot” award. The award is “a tribute to the individuals who make East Tennessee a stronger region through their work and community activities.” Mr. Wilcox is widely recognized as an author, lecturer historian, and passionate advocate for preserving The Secret City’s past.

MCL‘s Recent Recognition

MCL was recently honored as the 2010 recipient of the Innovation Valley Technology Council’s Annual Navigator “Community Spirit of the Year” Award. MCL received this award as an exemplary corporate citizen for its participation in support of community activities.

Same Location; New Address

We have not moved, but MCL has a new address- 400 Heritage Center Boulevard, Oak Ridge TN 37830. Our mailing address is still Post Office Box 5808, Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Pancake Breakfast- Please Join Us

February 15, 2011

Visit MCL on February 15^th anytime between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. for a Customer Appreciation Breakfast. Pancakes will be cooked to order by MCL employees. Join us at the MCL Conference Facility at Heritage Center, Building K-1000, for this special event.