[Troop-news] Fwd: Fernald Preserve: Newsletter - Fall 2008

[Rick Fernandez]

Thought all may enjoy information about the recently new Fernald  
Preserve.

Rick


> Subject: Fernald Preserve: Newsletter - Fall 2008
> Reply-To: fernald at lm.doe.gov
>
>
> Download Print Friendly PDF Version.
> Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here to download.
>
> Spotlight
> The Fernald Preserve, which is located on 1,050 acres in northwest  
> Hamilton County, was established following the cleanup and  
> ecological restoration of the former Fernald uranium foundry.
> The $14 million ecological restoration incorporated native plants  
> and grasses that were identified in an 1819 land survey. The current  
> landscape features 400 acres of woodlots, 327 acres of prairie, 140  
> acres of open water and wetlands, and 33 acres of savanna. A diverse  
> array of wildlife is already well established at the preserve.
>
> Platinum
>
> 	
> The U.S. Green Building Council has announced that the Fernald  
> Preserve Visitors Center has received a Leadership in Energy and  
> Environmental Design (LEED) platinum rating. This is the highest  
> level achievable for the design, construction, and operation of  
> energy-efficient and environmentally responsible green buildings.  
> The Visitors Center is the first building in Ohio and only the  
> second Department of Energy building to receive LEED platinum  
> certification. The 10,500-square-foot Visitors Center is a  
> redesigned warehouse that includes an exhibit area, which tells the  
> story of the Fernald site, a resource room, a meeting room, and  
> office space.
> The LEED rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for  
> developing high-performance sustainable buildings and was developed  
> by leading experts in the construction industry to promote green  
> buildings.
> Legacy Management’s Misson
>
> To manage the Department’s post-closure responsibilities and ensure  
> the future protection of human health and the environment. Legacy  
> Management has control and custody for legacy land, structures, and  
> facilities and is responsible for maintaining them at levels  
> consistent with Departmental long-term plans.
> Meeting the Mission
>
> Goal 5: At the Fernald Preserve, it is the responsibility of the  
> Department of Energy’s Office of Legacy Management (LM) to manage  
> the site’s resources in a manner that will allow the restored land  
> to achieve its full potential as both wildlife habitat and  
> recreational space. Visitors to the Fernald Preserve now have access  
> to a network of trails for viewing the site’s flora and fauna. Over  
> 3 miles of trails are now available, with the recent addition of the  
> Shingle Oak Trail near the Visitors Center. During this period of  
> trail development, individuals and groups can request escorted tours  
> to view other areas of the site. Strategically placed observation  
> areas have also been added to enhance the wildlife-viewing  
> experience. Please follow our site guidelines by staying on the  
> trails. This will help our plantings to grow to maturity and prevent  
> wildlife from being disturbed.
> Nature Nook
>
> A special frog has recently been identified at the Fernald Preserve,  
> and is cause for celebration. The northern leopard frog was once  
> abundant in Ohio. Today, habitat loss has resulted in declining  
> populations across many parts of the state. The frog at the Fernald  
> Preserve is among the first seen in Hamilton County in approximately  
> 20 years. In the past 2 years, they have been seen at the Shaker  
> Trace Wetland at Miami Whitewater Forest and on the Ohio–Indiana  
> border just north of the Ohio River.
> The northern leopard frog is large (2 to 3.5 inches long) and can be  
> identified by two to three rows of irregular spots that are found  
> between two light ridges (dorsolateral folds) on its back. Its belly  
> is always white. These frogs can be found in wet meadows and on the  
> edges of streams and lakes. They are sometimes called “meadow frogs”  
> because they can be found in fields far from water.
> Individual Effort
> Chuck White – Environmental Scientist
> Chuck White has seen a lot at Fernald. He has worked there since  
> 1992, and knows a lot about the site’s long history-from its cleanup  
> to the completion of the Visitors Center-firsthand. That makes him a  
> valuable asset to the Stoller team as it carries out the Legacy  
> Management mission.
> That mission includes taking environmental samples at and near the  
> Fernald Preserve. As an environmental scientist, Chuck plays a big  
> role in ensuring that those samples are processed correctly. “We do  
> a lot of sampling here,” says Chuck, “and I’m in charge of  
> interfacing with our off-site and on-site laboratories regarding  
> analyses. I’m the liaison with the labs, telling them what we need  
> to do and making sure we’re getting the right stuff.”
> Of the kinds of samples taken at Fernald (groundwater, surface  
> water, air, and sediment), it’s the groundwater samples that have  
> the greatest impact on the restoration of the Great Miami Aquifer.  
> Eighty percent of samples taken at the site are groundwater samples,  
> which constitute the biggest component of assessments at Fernald.  
> But the remaining 20 percent is significant, too. When all is said  
> and done, an enormous amount of data needs to be interpreted and  
> validated. “Every year, we do between 300 or 400 data packages,”  
> says Chuck, “and we might have 20 or 30 samples in each package.”
> When Chuck isn’t overseeing sampling and analysis or working with  
> the labs, he’s helping to write documents, such as the Legacy  
> Management and Institutional Controls Plan. His favorite part of  
> composing documents is getting to work closely with his colleagues.  
> “You’re all working toward one goal. Someone helps you out, and you  
> help them out,” he says. “It’s rewarding knowing we’ve put out  
> something good and done it in a collaborative way.”
> VOL. 2 | ISSUE 3
>
>
> DIRECTORY
> Goals >
> Visitors Center>
> Community Relations >
>
>
> Did you
> know...
> Many guests to the Fernald Preserve Visitors Center during the debut  
> weekend noticed a Luna moth on one of the atrium windows. Adult Luna  
> moths do not have mouth parts and emerge only to mate. Sightings of  
> Luna moths are relatively rare since the adults live for only 1 week.
> Legacy Management Goals
> Goal 1
> Protect human health and the environment through effective and  
> efficient long-term surveillance and maintenance.
> Goal 2
> Preserve, protect, and make accessible legacy records and information.
> Goal 3
> Support an effective and efficient work force structured to  
> accomplish Departmental missions and assure contractor worker  
> pension and medical benefits.
> Goal 4
> Manage legacy land and assets, emphasizing protective real and  
> personal property reuse and disposition.
> Goal 5
> Improve program effectiveness through sound management.
> FUN FACT!!
> North America’s largest rodent has taken up residence at the Fernald  
> Preserve. American beavers build dams in flowing water and lodges in  
> ponds, and once they are fully grown, they can weigh 60 pounds.  
> Nature’s most prolific dam builders, beavers carry mud and stones in  
> their forepaws and twigs in their teeth, and can hold their breath  
> for as long as 45 minutes. The largest known beaver dam is over one- 
> half mile long, 14 feet high, and 23 feet deep.
> Visitors Center
>
> The public received its first views of the Fernald Preserve and its  
> Visitors Center during a community meeting on August 20. Nearly 200  
> people attended the meeting and toured the site and building. An  
> Associated Press article printed prior to the debut was carried by  
> over 140 outlets including those in Europe and Asia.
> Project personnel from the S.M. Stoller Corporation, prime  
> contractor to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Legacy  
> Management, managed the construction of the Visitors Center and  
> continues with day-to-day operations of the building. Usage of the  
> Visitors Center has ranged from quiet reflective moments in the  
> exhibit area to gatherings with over 120 people in the Community  
> Meeting Room. The Visitors Center is open Wednesday through  
> Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
>
>
> 10995 Hamilton-Cleves Hwy. | Harrison, Ohio 45030 | (513) 648-6000 | fernald at LM.doe.gov
>
> As a community asset, the Fernald Preserve will foster wildlife  
> habitat and provide educational opportunities through environmental  
> stewardship.
>
> Community Relations
> Since the Fernald Preserve’s debut on August 20, the community has  
> been enjoying the site trails, wildlife, and reflective moments in  
> the exhibit area. The Visitors Center has also been well used by  
> groups from senior centers, schools, and a variety of organizations  
> such as the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District,  
> the American Society of Safety Engineers, and Scout groups.
> The Fernald Preserve maintains an active public outreach program  
> with schools, local elected officials, conservation organizations,  
> and other community groups. If you or your organization would like  
> to learn more about the Fernald Preserve, tour the site, or reserve  
> the community meeting room, please contact Sue Walpole at (513)  
> 648-4026.
> Think Green
> E-mail fernald at LM.doe.gov if you would like to receive this  
> quarterly newsletter electronically. Our printed newsletter is  
> printed on recycled paper with environmentally friendly inks.
> If you do not wish to receive notices pertaining to the Fernald  
> Preserve you may Unsubscribe Here.
> Please consider sending this Fernald Preserve information to a  
> friend. Send to a Friend.
>
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Rick Fernandez
Asst. SM/Troop Historian
Troop 923 • Ross, Ohio
BSA923 at fuse.net





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