Science guy sits at DOE's Oak Ridge helm

By Frank Munger News-Sentinel senior writer

Cumesty is not your normal DOE manager. He really likes science.

During my 20 or so years on the Oak Ridge scene, most DOE officials couldn't fake a knowledge of science any better than I could. In fact, DOE's Oak Ridge leaders have sometimes treated basic research like a stepchild, showing more interest in practical matter that produced something.

Joe La Grone, for instance, had an academic upbringing in history and, of all the federally funded work under his purview in Oak Ridge, he seemed most comfortable when discussing activities at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant. Some observers thought he gave short notice to the research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Jim Hall, who succeeded La Grone at the Oak Ridge helm, was a lawyer by training, but his DOE career took shape in the uranium-enrichment program, and he had a special affinity for the work at the K-25 Site -- even after the gaseous diffusion operation went cold. Hall's claim to fame as Oak Ridge manager was developing the reindustrialization effort, which involved finding new uses for the shutdown facilities at K-25.

Leah Dever, the current Oak Ridge manager who's on a temporary assignment at agency headquarters in Washington, has science in her background -- earning degrees in biology-ecology -- but her career has been built in environmental cleanup. That was her background when she arrived in Oak Ridge two years ago, having been involved in the rehab of DOE nuclear sites in several states, and that's arguably the area where's she had the most impact during her time in Tennessee.

Cumesty is a science guy from the get-go, and that's an interesting change of pace, even if it's only for a short time until Dever returns to Oak Ridge in June.

Before coming to Oak Ridge, he was DOE's project director on the Superconducting Super Collider and earlier served as a top executive in the agency's Chicago office -- overseeing activities at seven research laboratories. Before assuming the position of deputy manager in Oak Ridge, he was the assistant manager for laboratories -- directly overseeing work at ORNL and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

In a recent interview, Cumesty provided little news of note and no revelations, but he did share some insights from the manager's chair. Here are a few:

* On UT-Battelle's first year as ORNL manager: "What UT-Battelle is doing that's refreshing is finding ways -- innovative ways -- forward, like revitalization. They have an image of themselves and of the laboratory that is refreshingly optimistic. I'm trying not to necessarily kick dirt on Lockheed Martin, and I've known Al (Trivelpiece, the former lab director) for years and have a lot of respect for him. But they (UT-Battelle) decided to focus on different things with different thoughts."

Cumesty praised UT-Battelle for its approach to modernizing the lab -- including private financing of some facilities -- and the contractor's work to strengthen partnerships with DOE and other Oak Ridge contractors.

* On the land-use controversy on DOE's Oak Ridge reservation: Cumesty dodged a question on whether DOE will conduct an environmental impact statement, which Dever proposed earlier.

"I can't tell you if there's a plan to do an EIS.... When she comes back, we will find a path forward on that. We're going to find a way to go forward to involve people. Now, whether it's an EIS or some other process, we are committed to getting everybody's voice in it and then moving on."

* On the relationship between DOE's Oak Ridge office and Y-12, given the emergence of the National Nuclear Security Administration -- the agency created within DOE to run the nuclear weapons complex: Although semi-autonomous, the NNSA still purchases some services from DOE.

"We're looking at Y-12 differently than we have in the past. They're now a customer. They're somebody who we're committed to serve. We also have to accept that, if we don't serve them well, they may have options."

Regarding those options, Cumesty said the NNSA could choose to establish its own capabilities -- in areas such as procurement and personnel -- instead of buying those services from DOE. "We'd like to keep them as a customer," he said.

Senior Writer Frank Munger covers the Department of Energy for the News-Sentinel. He can be reached at 865-482-9213 or at twig1@knoxnews.infi.net.

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