I am Mission Success: Aprell P.
Take 5 minutes to learn about Aprell P., a Y-12 Prevention Program sustainability engineer.
Chances are if you encounter Aprell P., you will pick up on her sunny disposition. It is no surprise that she is “sunny,” since improving the environment and ensuring Y‑12 is compliant with sustainability/pollution prevention‑related requirements is a large part of her job. She has been a Y‑12er for more than 20 years, but she supported Y‑12 and other industries as a subcontractor before that.
Aprell considers the Y‑12 workforce a family. “The biggest and best surprise [of being part of Y‑12] is that Y‑12 is not just a job or place to work — it truly is a family. We are so very blessed to be part of this wonderful, eclectic family referred to as Y‑12.”
Her subcontractor years included working at the site in the mid‑1990s. “The site’s landscape has changed very much since 1995 due the cleanup activities that have been completed [many of which her organization has led]. We focused on real‑time material disposition, which allows materials to be reused/repurposed/recycled/etc. for their value rather than having to become waste.”
In her role, she works with other Nuclear Security Enterprise sites that are also required to complete sustainability and pollution prevention/waste minimization initiatives. “It’s great to see all the sites working to be more sustainable and resilient,” she said. Part of that job includes implementing solutions identified as part of the Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Plan process. The goal of the plan is to reduce the impacts of each site’s identified climate hazards.
Earlier this year, Aprell received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement award, which recognizes long‑time DOE Sustainability Champions who have dedicated significant amounts of time to making DOE sustainable. DOE noted:
…[Aprell’s] unwavering leadership in sustainability at Y‑12 has resulted in the diversion of nearly 8,000 metric tons of material, the recycling of nearly 6‑million pounds of material, and the reduction of 35,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Aprell’s dedication has cemented long‑term relationships across Y‑12, facilitating a sustainable mindset and true behavioral change.
If you congratulate Aprell on her award, she shrugs off the praise and says she is just one part of the team.
“I’m one person within Sustainability and Stewardship who works to ensure all other Y‑12 organizations are educated about our site sustainability and pollution prevention policies,” she said. “It takes all of us to be a success. Y‑12 is a beautiful site, with spectacular sunrises/sunsets in this valley. My team and coworkers help to ensure that beauty lasts for future generations.”
Are you doing what you envisioned as a young adult? If so, describe how you got here.
From an early age, my goals were to be an astronaut, work at a fire department, and/or protect our resources in some fashion. It was really all about the cool vehicles/trucks, the dalmatian, and trees/animals. Since coming to Y‑12, all of those goals have been fulfilled: Y‑12 made the moon box that is now at the Smithsonian, which my family and I visit on every trip to D.C., and I’ve had the pleasure of supporting the entire site, including the Y‑12 Fire Department, in preserving and protecting our natural resources.
What is your favorite aspect about your work environment? How does that aspect make you know the mission is being met?
Sustainability and Stewardship tries to keep it a secret, but we have the best jobs at Y‑12! We have the honor of supporting every Y‑12 organization in some fashion (i.e., reuse of materials, recycling, excess, sanitary waste collection, waste minimization, sustainability/pollution prevention, etc.). The enjoyment of getting to come to work each day is that the entire team at Y‑12 is working toward common goals that include being the best stewards of our nation’s resources.
Provide an example of an outside‑of‑the‑box solution to a difficult work‑related problem.
In support of conserving our natural resources, during the early planning stages of the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF), we had the privilege of supporting Environmental Compliance, UPF project managers, site leadership, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Forest Management specialists, and other organizations as part of the 2016 Earth Day activities. We highlighted an estimated 160‑year‑old Hemlock tree (more than 100 feet tall and more than 8 feet in circumference) that was in the 1942 aerial photos of the site, but it was in the path of the UPF main thoroughfare. This collaboration effort and historical knowledge saved the tree — as UPF was able to move the then-planned road to the north of the Hemlock tree with no impact to the UPF project.
In the years since, this Hemlock tree has produced several “daughters” in the land around it, helping to ensure this keystone species’ longevity at Y‑12.
The Y‑12 master site planner had the land around the tree set aside as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design off‑site for the UPF Construction Support Building, so it is now considered “off‑site,” which helps ensure the Hemlock tree and its grove of “daughters” will not be disturbed. Most people just drive right by the tree as they go in and out of the site, but it is really satisfying to have the pleasure of seeing this majestic tree each day.