OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (EM) has named Bill McMillan as its new federal project director for cleanup at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

As federal project director, McMillan oversees all cleanup, decontamination, decommissioning, waste storage and disposal operations at the site. Cleanup at ORNL poses unique challenges not found at other EM sites since the national laboratory conducts other essential DOE missions and employs more than 4,500 non-EM employees. Ongoing cleanup actives at ORNL are essential to improve employee safety, protect substantial science investments, and provide space for future missions at DOE’s largest multi-program national laboratory.

“Bill possesses all the qualities needed to successfully manage and continue our cleanup efforts at ORNL,” said Mark Whitney, Oak Ridge’s EM manager. “He has demonstrated excellent leadership and has an intimate knowledge of our largest ongoing projects onsite, having overseen the Transuranic Waste Processing Center and U-233 Disposition Project.”

Federal oversight for the Y-12 National Security Complex and ORNL was previously consolidated under the same portfolio until McMillan’s recent selection. With the new position, EM can dedicate more time and oversight to one of Oak Ridge’s most crucial cleanup areas. McMillan will oversee all cleanup activities at ORNL, except the Transuranic Waste Processing Center and the Building 3026 hot cell removal project.

McMillan has served in Oak Ridge’s EM program for 17 years, most recently as the TRU waste project manager and acting federal project director for the Uranium-233 Disposition Project. McMillan holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of Charleston and a master’s degree in environmental systems engineering from Clemson University.