Publication commemorates 25th anniversary of SRS

Contacts:
Jane M. Sanders, (706) 869-9703, Pager: (706) 785-8289, Email: [email protected]
Marie Fulmer, (803) 725-9724, Pager: (803) 867-0284, Email: [email protected]

FOR RELEASE FEB. 20, 1997

EDITORS: Color slides and B-roll are available from the contacts listed above.

Publication commemorates 25th anniversary of SRS as a National Environmental Research Park

AIKEN, S.C. -- This spring will mark the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Energyπs designation of the Savannah River Site as the nationπs first National Environmental Research Park. A publication out this week celebrates the occasion with colorful photographs and important information on what has been accomplished in the past quarter of a century.

≥The National Environmental Research Park at Savannah River Site: Serving an Essential Mission for 25 Years≤ is a 16-page full-color magazine that: describes the 310-square-mile SRS; defines the research park concept and gives its history; highlights environmental research and technology development conducted at SRS; describes the siteπs environmental education and outreach activities; and looks at the future of SRS as an outdoor laboratory where scientists can continue to study the effects of industrial and other human activities on the environment.

≥Since 1972, the Savannah River National Environmental Research Park has firmly established the value of this vast outdoor laboratory as engineers, ecologists and land managers worked together to improve our understanding of how human activities affect the environment,≤ says research park director Dr. Nat Frazer, who is also associate director of the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. The laboratory is operated by the University of Georgia under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy.

≥More than 170 doctoral dissertations and masterπs theses have clearly demonstrated the value of this national treasure in educating environmental scientists of the 21st century, providing us with a fuller understanding of how to minimize the adverse impacts of human activities on the environment,≤ Dr. Frazer says.

DOEÏ€S predecessor, the Atomic Energy Commission established the National Environmental Research Park concept to meet objectives in three categories: assessment and monitoring of the environment; modeling and prediction (of the effects of climate change, for example); and demonstration of environmental cleanup and restoration technologies. Unlike national parks, the lands within an environmental research park may be altered for experimental purposes to study the environment.

Today, the research park designation coincides with DOEÏ€s mission to protect the environment, promote economic development and enhance industrial competitiveness. At SRS, 10 percent of the site is industrialized, while more than 14,000 acres are set-aside exclusively for environmental research. Other areas are used for timber management, wildlife management, and habitat restoration and remediation.

≥In most places where you have large-scale industrial activities, the natural systems tend to suffer greatly,≤ says Ecology Lab director Dr. Michael H. Smith. ≥What weπve proven here is that it is possible to have both.≤

The SRS research park also provides a valuable area for environmental outreach and education. The combined efforts of various SRS groups, including the Ecology Laboratory, Westinghouse Savannah River Company and the USDA Forest Service, reach more than 400,000 people annually.

Those on the Ecology Laboratoryπs mailing list should receive copies of the research park publication within the next two weeks. Also, magazines are available by mail. There is a $1 per magazine charge to cover shipping and handling costs. Checks and money orders may be made payable to Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. To order up to 10 magazines, you may fax your request to: (803) 725-3397 to the attention of Lindy Nowak and Marie Fulmer; or you may write, Environmental Outreach and Education Division, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, S.C., 29802. Payment for shipping and handling must be received before orders can be processed. # 263 ###

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To conduct interviews, you may contact one of the public information officers listed above, or you may call the following parties directly. 1. Dr. Nat Frazer, National Environmental Research Park director and associate director of Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Phone: 803-725-5728; email: [email protected] 2. Dr. Michael Smith, director of Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Phone: 803-725-2959; email: [email protected] 3. Rick Ford, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Energy, Savannah River Site. Phone: 803-725-8449.