Office of Environmental Management

Employee in protective gear uses pliers on the outside of a building

Created in 1989, the US Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management mission is to address the nation's environmental legacy from the Manhattan Project through the end of the Cold War. This legacy includes some of the world's most dangerous radioactive sites with large amounts of radioactive wastes, spent nuclear fuel, excess plutonium and uranium, and contaminated facilities, soil and groundwater.

About Us
Leadership
Organization Chart
Mission
Strategic Vision and Major Accomplishments
Cleanup Sites

Demolition taking place of a reactor building, fire and explosions occur at the bottom of the building

EM's mission is to clean up and protect communities that supported defense production programs and government-sponsored nuclear energy research. EM plays a key role in cleaning the environment, contributing to national security priorities, investing in the future and aiding community efforts to build strong economies.

Acquisition
Budget & Performance
Communication and Engagement
Program & Project Management
Safety, Security & Quality Assurance
Science & Technology

EM Priorities

Employees in hazmat gear inside a building that is being demolished

EM addresses the legacy of the past while contributing to a golden era of American energy dominance, strong national security and DOE efforts to lead the world in innovation.
EM transforms liabilities into opportunities to unleash American energy and innovation, fuel the global AI race, support national security and enable American jobs.
EM leverages the best of American industry to run the largest environmental cleanup program in the world - safely meeting DOE’s legal cleanup responsibilities to ensure American communities are safe and prosperous.
EM drives innovation and efficiency, focusing on priorities and reining in costs without sacrificing safety or effectiveness. In running the program more like a business, EM is working smarter, driving efficiency, implementing common sense solutions and maximizing opportunities to deliver more for American taxpayers.
EM empowers the American people by strengthening partnerships and ensuring they have a voice in cleanup and in the future of their communities.

Areas of Focus

Using an excavator with a hydraulic claw, an operator at the West Valley Demonstration Project removes the Chemical Process Cell Crane Room bridge crane as workers spray water to control dust.
Deactivation & Decommissioning
EM supports the deactivation and decontamination (D&D) of excess contaminated DOE buildings and facilities to support new end uses and future missions.
D&D
Excess Materials & Radioactive Waste Management
The safe management and disposition of waste is a critical component of EM's cleanup program. Learn about the types of waste being managed here.
Waste/Materials Management
A transuranic waste shipment consisting of three Transuranic Package Transporter Model-II casks safely arrives at Environmental Management’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
Packaging & Transportation
Safe packaging and transportation of materials is crucial to the success of DOE operations. EM transports about 5,000 shipments of radioactive, hazardous and non-hazardous materials annually.
Packaging & Transportation
During the April 6 Groundwater University site tour at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, Josh Mengers, EM’s federal project director for the Energy Technology Engineering Center, shows an educational model model.
Soil & Groundwater Remediation
EM manages one of the largest groundwater and soil remediation efforts in the world. The primary goal of EM's Office of Subsurface Closure is to expedite closure of major soil and groundwater sites and waste units. Learn more about this important part of the clean up mission.
Soil & Groundwater
Inside single-shell Tank AX-101 at the Hanford Site.
Tank Waste Processing & Tank Closure
EM manages and operates nuclear facilities to process and dispose of about 90 million gallons of liquid radioactive waste.
Tank Waste
Regulatory Compliance
EM cleanup sites are subject to federal environmental laws and state environmental regulations.
Regulatory Compliance