Y-12 Blog
Demolition at the Biology Complex, October 2020 through February 2021
In the last few years, there has been a lot of clean‑out activity in the old Biology facilities at Y‑12. Demolition and cleanup is finishing on the largest of these 75‑year‑old buildings, which brings an end to a significant piece of Oak Ridge history.
How much do you know about Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Biology Division at Y-12? Many have heard of the Mouse House, but here are some facts you may not know.
Most of the buildings in what is known as the Biology Complex originally were constructed in 1945 as expansion capability for Y‑12’s uranium preparation operations. Before the scarce U‑235 isotopes could be separated from the abundant U‑238, the material had to be chemically processed and converted to the source material required for the calutrons, the machines created to do the separation. Being constructed late in the race to create the first atomic weapon, the buildings saw limited use and were shuttered quickly.
As early as 1947, Clinton Laboratories (now Oak Ridge National Laboratory) began occupying buildings at Y‑12. With the arrival of Alexander Hollaender in 1946 as the Biology Division’s director, the staff numbers began to grow, and they quickly outgrew their Clinton Laboratories facilities in Bethel Valley. Because there was a moratorium on space from 1946 to 1947 at the lab due to uncertainty as to whether it would remain open as a national laboratory or be closed, groups from Bethel Valley, including the Biology Division, began to populate the buildings in Bear Creek Valley. Those facilities occupied by Hollaender and his staff would become known as the Biology Complex.
Originally tasked with studying the effects of radiation on plants and animals, the Biology Division’s expertise quickly grew under Hollaender’s supervision, which lasted for 20 years. Alvin Weinberg, a nuclear physicist and administrator who directed ORNL for 18 years, described Hollaender’s vision for the Biology Division as “a new style of biological investigation; the melding of enormous, expensive mammalian experiments with basic investigations on a much smaller scale … It is this unique combination of the big and small, the mission‑oriented and the discipline‑oriented, that is Alex Hollaender’s great contribution to biomedical science. It is a contribution that has forever changed biology.” Under Weinberg’s tenure as ORNL director, the Biology Division grew to five times the size of the next largest laboratory division.
The “big science” project in Biology is the well‑known genome work of Liane and Bill Russell, who brought their pioneering work studying the effects of radiation on mice from the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. A lesser‑known but internationally significant Biology Division genetics project was Elliot “Ken” Volkin’s and Lazarus Astrachan’s discovery of messenger RNA (mRNA), using techniques developed by Waldo Cohn. Weinberg described it as research that “has never received the acclaim it deserves.”
While the University of Tennessee certainly plays a prominent role in Oak Ridge National Laboratory today, the relationship between ORNL and UT goes back for decades, especially with the Biology Division. In 1967, Hollaender helped found the University of Tennessee‑Oak Ridge Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The creation of the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge is another example of early collaboration between the school and the members of the Biology Division.
While Hollaender fulfilled his vision of creating one of the largest, world‑class biological laboratories in the world that welcomed visiting students and scientists from around the globe, he also focused on offering educational opportunities to small schools around the South. Representatives from the Biology Division visited small colleges and universities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, recruiting co‑op students with the offer of being able to use top‑notch equipment and work alongside award‑winning researchers.
Many know about the Mouse House, one of the largest mouse research facilities in the world, but many do not realize that it took a staff working in a full‑scale industrial kitchen to create the food consumed by the mice and the drosophila (fruit flies) used in Biology Division experiments. That kitchen later was revamped and provided food to Biology and Y‑12 workers until the closing of the Biology Division in 2002. Some say the canteen had one of the best burgers in Oak Ridge.
Dr. Warren Sayre, CNS corporate medical director and Y-12 site occupational medical director
The COVID‑19 pandemic has brought the science and profession of public health to the forefront of communities nationwide. Pantex and Y‑12 are fortunate to have physician medical directors, Dr. Warren Sayre and Dr. Michael Paston, who have extensive public health backgrounds.
Occupational Health Services at both sites has taken on a public health role as well during the pandemic to protect workers.
Preventive medicine has often played second fiddle in the U.S. healthcare system, said Sayre, CNS corporate medical director and Y-12 site occupational medical director. Preventive medicine is the umbrella over the fields of public health and occupational health. Sayre earned a master’s degree in public health in addition to his medical education and certifications.
“From contact tracing, to case management, to testing, and now most importantly to vaccinations, public health is at the forefront of controlling, then quashing the pandemic,” he said. “The public health system is so often in the background, and it is rare that they have to step into the spotlight like they have during the pandemic. They are one member of the choir of unsung heroes who have saved lives and moved us toward eradicating this horrific virus.”
In addition to the medical directors, OHS also employs several physicians and healthcare professionals who have extensive public health training and experience.
Michael Lovelady,
Y-12 Mission Engineering
See something? Take action. That’s what Michael Lovelady of Y-12 Mission Engineering did on a trip to work last fall.
Whatever you do, don’t call him a hero.
Michael Lovelady, Y-12 Mission Engineering, was on his way to work this fall when he saw a massive fireball explode over the trees in the dark, early morning sky. He knew from the color that it wasn’t a transformer blowing.
He immediately stopped at the scene to see if he could help. An Army combat medic for 12 years, Lovelady is a man used to heading toward danger rather than away from it. To him, that’s not anything special.
“I’m just someone who pitches in to get something done,” he said. “You just do what you need to do.”
When he arrived at the house, he said, “[It was] completely destroyed. There was absolutely nothing standing. Even what was once a fireplace was gone. Just a total debris field. There were some embers but no flames.”
A police officer arrived, and Lovelady joined him in a search of the property.
“When we went around back, we saw this man in his 20s standing in the middle of what was left of his house,” Lovelady said. “He was wearing just shorts that were half blown off, with burns, and asking what happened.”
Lovelady led the injured man to the front road to wait for the fire department paramedics while the officer continued searching.
“The man was in complete shock, so I kept him calm and assisted the fire department EMT in tending to his injuries.” Lovelady said. “A couple minutes later, the man asked, ‘Where’s my partner?’, and I realized there may be someone else who needs help.”
Luckily, no other person was in the house. (Sadly, however, a cat did not survive.) The man’s partner arrived with the injured man’s parents, who heard the explosion a little farther down the street. The injured man is recovering. While authorities are still investigating the cause of the explosion, an issue with a propane gas tank has been identified.
“It’s not a matter of if will I do something. I’m already involved. My body just reacts; it’s already in motion,” Lovelady explained.
Lovelady has always helped others. As an Eagle Scout, Lovelady was awarded the Honor Medal “for unusual heroism in saving a … life at considerable risk to self” when he rescued a young girl from drowning in a fast running river. He and his father volunteered many times during recovery efforts after hurricanes hit Louisiana’s coastal areas. Right after 9/11, he was non-commissioned officer in charge of night shift operations in New Orleans; and, as a sergeant in Iraq, he led an immediate response team that triaged and evacuated personnel from initial scenes to higher medical care facilities.
After returning home, Lovelady used his experiences to invent a medical triage tagging system. He filed a patent; and in 2014, Y-12 filed for two more patents for tools and safety devices under his name. Lovelady recently was recognized with a Technology Transfer Support Award for 2019 in recognition of his contribution to technology promotion and licensing.
And given his rescue assistance during the more recent house explosion, “just doing what you need to do” continues for Lovelady.
“I just think it’s how you are; either you’ve got it in you to run toward something or you don’t. I really don’t have a choice to help or not,” he said. “You just try to put order in the chaos.”
Paul Beckman,
Chief Information Security Officer
With peaked interest surrounding the coronavirus vaccine, cybercriminals are determined to exploit our feelings or anticipation in the form of social engineering. Reports have shown cyber threat actors baiting potential victims with vaccine-themed scams.
Examples of these scams include phishing emails holding varying subject lines that may reference surveys, information about vaccine coverage, locations to receive the vaccine, ways to reserve a vaccine, and vaccine requirements. Additionally, malicious links or attachments included in these phishing campaigns may impersonate familiar and trusted entities or brands.
You are the first line of defense in protecting your digital resources. In building your guard, it is important to be vigilant of the signs of cyber threats, keep a questioning attitude, and remain aware of protective criteria.
- Never open an email or hyperlink from an unknown sender.
- Be wary of unknown phone calls or robocalls that claim you have a problem, request financial information, or offer help. Most companies do not call users to notify you of a problem or to verify your financial data.
- If you’ve received a hyperlink that seems suspicious, hover your mouse over the link to view the link’s web address and verify that it isn’t directing you to a different or unknown website.
- Avoid clicking on pop-up messages or hyperlinks out of curiosity involving controversial topics. Hackers take advantage of people’s emotional decisions and often use curiosity as a tactic.
Learn something new about Bill Tindal, CNS’s chief operating officer.
Take 5 minutes and learn more about Bill Tindal, CNS’s chief operating officer.
When Bill Tindal joined Y-12 in 1995, being the chief operating officer for the management and operating contractor that now manages two sites and has about 10,000 employees didn’t even cross his mind.
“There are many times I thought I had reached the pinnacle of my career,” Tindal said. “When I look back on my roles, I would have been happy with several of those being my top stop — being the production manager of Building 9212 or being the vice president of production.”
During his 25 years, he’s grown along the way and keeps those lessons learned close at hand. “I think with each role I’ve had, I understand a little more that we all have important work to do. In my early days, I always thought the most important work being done on site was what I was doing, but then as I learned about the amazing work being done in other areas and organizations, I began to see how each role contributes a piece to the puzzle. I realized I was playing a small role in a much bigger picture.”
This sentiment — that every one of us has a role that contributes to the national security mission — is something Tindal has always been vocal about and something he wants everyone to appreciate.
“Through my experience, I have learned there are no unimportant jobs at either site. They are all important,” he said. “If one doesn’t work properly, it affects another group, which affects another, and so on. Pantex and Y-12 are part of an even larger whole, and we all have to do our part for the Nuclear Security Enterprise to be successful.”
Tindal said we often feel as if our piece is the most important part, but without all sites within the NSE working together, we wouldn’t accomplish the National Nuclear Security Administration’s goals.
“Asking for help and recognizing I don’t have all the answers is important,” Tindal said. “There are a lot of great people at Pantex and Y-12. Be humble, and ask for help when you don’t understand. If you really care about mission success, you have to stop and make sure you understand what people mean, especially when going into a new position.”
As COO, Tindal now travels to Pantex and has learned (and continues to learn) more about its missions and people.
“One thing that is different is each site’s lingo, but I’m improving,” he said. “One constant at both sites is the quality of the people. All are passionate and willing to help. Pantexans have the same passion and interaction that Y-12 employees have. I’ve always felt at home at either site.”
What advice would you give to your 1995, new hire, self?
What may feel like an immense challenge is really an opportunity to gain experience. Challenges (readiness reviews, frustrations with equipment) may be frustrating, but recognize that doing the right thing is rarely the easiest path.
What advice would you offer to someone who is starting their career?
Don’t be afraid to ask why. Ask why and how your job fits into mission success.
Don’t be afraid to fail. Each bad day turns out to be something we learn from. In my office, I have a bookshelf where I have mementos that remind me of lessons learned from risks or challenges we’ve faced. One of those items is a piece of quartz glass that was part of the first microwave project. We learned several things during that project, and the trinkets on my shelf remind me of the good and bad days.
What’s your top bucket list item and why?
When I retire and COVID is behind us, my wife and I want to complete the Great Loop. We hope to take a year to complete the 6,000-mile continuous boat route of connected waterways that allow you to boat completely around the eastern United States, starting in Tennessee.