This Program of Work indicates both those concerns that the Organization deems important and those on which it intends to make a major effort during the current year. It is a living document subject to review and change as circumstances warrant. The program is revised annually or as needed. These efforts may include networking with other active groups with similar interests to provide informed public input or joint efforts. This program is not intended to exclude the short-term consideration of new, unlisted concerns as deemed appropriate. The list order indicates the order of importance and an "*" indicates the currently active issues. Each active project will be further defined in its project plan, which will its specify scope, objectives and approach. The OREJC program of work will:

1. * Investigate the concerns about potentially significant contamination and the concerns for health and safety particularly in potentially impacted residential areas.
2. * Provide informed public input to the "Oak Ridge Health Forum" (ATSDR), to the TDEC Environmental Justice Strategic Plan, to the proposed TDEC DOE-O Oak Ridge Sampling Plan and any other sampling plans that may be proposed.
3. Investigate the apparent ethnic and socioeconomic differences in standardized public school test results, the possible causes, and possible effective remedies for the problem.
4. Establish a proposed model for a public health review board or ombudsman as an interface for ill-residents and workers to help them to take advantage of the public and private health services that are available.
5. Work to establish a Center for Environmental Health Research to study, in a clinical setting, the impact of the high-tech industrial environment on worker and citizen health, including actual risks and the perception of risks.
6. Investigate the impact of economic stress on the behavior of the stressed citizen, their families and the resulting impact on the community. This is limited to the effects of DOE ORO program downsizing including lack of economic opportunity, job depreciation, etc. This will also include current and possibly new community efforts to relieve the problem.
7. A new project on concerns for disenfranchisement and trust is being drafted by Marie Saint Louis. 

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The Issue: There is a widespread and persistent perception that the residential areas of Oak Ridge are so contaminated with radiation and heavy metals that the population and visitors are at serious health risk. This negatively impacts on all parts of the community. The Scarboro community, an integral part of Oak Ridge, has suffered the most damage to its image due to its relative proximity to the Y-12 Plant and the persistent efforts of the news media and others. Some residents believe that current health trends have been caused by the contamination. In addition, other parts of the community are negatively impacted by the national perception of Oak Ridge as an unhealthy place to reside and work or even visit.

OREJC believes an inconclusive approach to this problem will simply result in more bad publicity resulting in further community deterioration and, therefore, should not be conducted. Any study, which is not designed to be definitive, would be worse than no study at all.

The currently available health and environmental data needs to be evaluated to see if it is adequate to support a definitive conclusion or if additional data needs to be acquired. In addition to Scarboro, equivalently located communities, i.e. Woodland, Burnham Woods and Country Club Estates, should be included for comparison purposes.

The Approach: Community concerns will be addressed in the following manner:
 

1. The residential communities subject to the highest probability of exposure (e.g., Scarboro, Woodland) will be examined. If it is shown that these are safe, it will be assumed that the rest of the city is safe.
2. Lay and technical OREJC members will review the available environmental data and reports, reduce the conclusions to lay terms, and disseminate the information in a manner friendly to the lay listener using a variety of communication channels. If crucial data is lacking, a request for additional data will be made to the appropriate agency.
3. Request the ATSDR and other public health agencies to provide a definitive health survey to determine if the health statistics of the affected communities are within the range of normal expectations. At the conclusion of the study, ATSDR should make a clear, definitive and understandable statement as to the results.
4. Working with public assistance agencies, ensure that residents receive available health services.
5. Initiate an informal, involved, disfranchised youth-to-adult communication channel and engage the youth in the study process.
6. Based on the above, request that DOE, in collaboration with public health agencies, produce a viewer-friendly, informative video on the state of the impacted communities environment and health; assist DOE in this endeavor.
7. Elicit the help of the Oak Ridge Public Schools in understanding the Oak Ridge environment and related health problems.
8. Elicit the help of the news media in the presentation of a balanced report on the environment and health of the entire Oak Ridge community.
9. Request the CDC, TDH or other appropriate public health agency to conduct small, friendly resident information sessions to cover health issues especially of the elderly and chronically ill.
10. Work to restore the confidence of the Oak Ridge residents in their community and to convey this confidence to the surrounding communities and to the nation. 

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Issue: Currently there are opportunities for public participation in and input into state and federal plans related to environmental justice and public health.  More such opportunities may arise in the future.  OREJC will study the objectives and methods of these efforts, prepare position letters or resolutions to be submitted to the appropriate agency.  Currently this project consists of four subprojects:

1. The Oak Ridge Public Health Forum
2. The TDEC Environmental Justice Strategic Plan
3. The EPA Scarboro Sampling Plan
4. The proposed TDEC Oak Ridge Sampling Plan

Approach: At the current time OREJC will inform the appropriate agencies of its desire to participate in the public input to the planing efforts.  At the appropriate time, OREJC and its members will participate in any public forums or meetings or formal commenting periods.