OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – In February 2007, the Department of Energy (DOE) in Oak Ridge, partnering with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, launched a public education campaign to inform citizens about what to do if an emergency occurs on the Oak Ridge Reservation. The ongoing campaign targets people who live, work, or travel within five miles of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex, and/or the East Tennessee Technology Park.

“Last year, we intensified our efforts to provide this community with important information that can help them prepare for an unlikely emergency situation on the Oak Ridge Reservation,” said Gerald Boyd, Manager of DOE’s Oak Ridge Office (ORO). “While our first commitment is to safely operate our facilities everyday, we realize that we have a responsibility to make information available that equips citizens with the knowledge they need during an emergency.”

“We are proud of our relationship with the City of Oak Ridge and the people who work so hard every day for the Department, and we are absolutely committed to protecting the health and safety of our workers, the community, and the environment,” said Ted Sherry, Manager of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Y-12 Site Office.

Since the public education campaign began nearly 15 months ago, more than 33,000 emergency public information publications have been mailed to homes located within a 5-mile radius of the DOE’s Oak Ridge facilities, and numerous others have been picked up from the DOE Information Center or downloaded from the ORO Web site. The available publications contain information about what to do if the warning sirens sound, how to shelter-in-place, locations of evacuation shelters, and important descriptions of the Oak Ridge facilities.

In addition to information about what actions to take during an emergency, other basic facts about chemical and radiation hazards are highlighted in the 48-page cornerstone publication entitled, “What to Do if an Emergency Occurs on the Oak Ridge Reservation.”

DOE representatives are available to speak with community groups about this public education campaign. Those may be scheduled by contacting the ORO Public Affairs Office at (865) 576-0885. Copies of the What to Do if an Emergency Occurs on the Oak Ridge Reservation publications are available at the DOE Information Center, 475 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, or by calling (865) 241-4780. All materials are posted on the Internet at www.oakridge.doe.gov/emergency, where they may be printed and freely redistributed.