
Ellen Smith for Oak Ridge City Council
Ellen Smith in the Public
Record
News articles and
features
These news articles
document some of Ellen Smith's public
activities over the years since 1997, when our local daily newspaper
inaugurated its online edition.
2007
Election News Stories
Views shared on S. Illinois, declining tax dollars.
Council candidates give brief answers to interview questions regarding development in the South Illinois Avenue corridor adjacent to the Woodland
neighborhood and on measures to address the decline in sales tax collections. May 29, 2007.
Council candidates share thoughts on tax rate increases. May 25, 2007. Council candidates give brief oral answers to the oral question "Are you willing to
consider a property tax rate increase if you believe the Oak Ridge school system or city departments need the money?." Ellen, is the last one
on the alphabetical list. About her, the article says:
Candidate Ellen Smith also said she could support a potential property tax rate increase.
“We need to fund needs,” said Smith, chairwoman of the city’s Environmental Quality Advisory Board and an Oak Ridge National Laboratory environmental scientist.
However, she said she would look at the spending justifications that went along with any proposed tax rate increase.
“We need to look carefully … to make sure we are funding needs and not wish lists,” Smith said.
EQAB, LOC memberships give Smith experience for
City Council - Press release in The Oak Ridger's special election edition, May 9, 2007. (See bottom half of page.)
Ellen Smith campaign open house Friday,
April 26, 2007. (Press release.)
Candidate Profile: Ellen Smith, The Oak Ridge Observer,
April 12, 2007.
Eleven candidates in city election, March 16, 2007,
article lists the candidates who filed nominating petitions before the March 15 deadline, including the 7 candidates for City Council.
|
Oak Ridge groups face off over bond issue; Two sides
debate if city should help pay for shopping center [PDF], Knoxville News Sentinel, May 16, 2007. Article about
the League of Women Voters' forum on the bond referendum for the proposed Crestpointe (Target) shopping center. Ellen was one of the
speakers for the "vote no" (Citizens Oak Ridge) side, speaking in the "siting" segment of the forum. About her, the short article says:
"Smith said the project would move the city's existing retail center to the edge of town and create traffic woes."
Potential
candidates weigh in on Target - February 15, 2007 article tells about Ellen's and other potential Council candidates' views on the proposal for the city to
to contribute funding to the proposed Crestpointe shopping center. Ellen is quoted as saying "If we develop retail on the top of the mountain, on Pine Ridge,
we’ll be putting a nail in the coffin in the center of the city for a long time." It says she is also concerned about Crestpointe’s potential impact
on existing Oak Ridge businesses.
2006
Council approves lobbying contracts; Opposes Tennessee Valley Authority land-policy change [no link available], October 24, 2006.
"Oak Ridge City Council members on Monday night approved renewed contracts with state and federal lobbyists, extending the contracts through the end of 2007
at an estimated cost of close to $200,000. They also unanimously agreed to send a letter to Tennessee Valley Authority officials, expressing concern with a
proposed land policy and rejecting at least part of it." Ellen is the only private citizen quoted in the article; at the Council meeting she expressed objections to both the federal lobbying contract and the city comments on the
TVA land policy.
Nuclear study OK’d - Article about a special meeting of City Council
at which the Council endorsed plans for CROET and SAIC to submit a proposal to site major Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) facilities in
the city. Ellen (who was one of a handful of citizens at the meeting) is quoted as commenting that nuclear fuel reprocessing "a hazardous technology" with potential
for significant emissions and accident risks. September 9, 2006
EQAB: alternative fuel, Melton Hill Lake cleanup - June 5, 2006,
article about topics discussed at a recent Environmental Quality Advisory Board meeting that Ellen chaired.
Residential plan concerns board - May 8, 2006 article is an
undertstated report on a testy exchange between EQAB and city staff regarding concerns about environmental aspects of the then-proposed Rarity Oaks
development.
EQAB endorses license plate recycling project - February 7, 2006, article
tells about topics discussed at a recent Environmental Quality Advisory Board meeting.
Oversight Committee Board examines goals for 2006 - January 31, 2006.
Quotes Ellen's comments (as a board member) on the Local Oversight Committee (LOC) work plan for the year.
EQAB supports greenbelt
right-of-way request - EQAB recommended the city grant a request to allow developer Wade Galloway to establish right-of-way
across a city greenbelt to access industrially-zoned land where he wanted to build homes. There were several conditions: rezoning the
industrial parcels to residential, closing off access to Cairo Lane from those parcels, and spanning Ernie's Creek (in the greenbelt)
with a bridge (not a culvert). Ellen is quoted extensively on the unusual situation that underlies EQAB's recommendation. January 11, 2006.
2005
Election News Stories
Incumbents
win - June 8, 2005, article reports the City Council election
results. Includes quotes from Ellen and the other candidates.
Our
View: Candidates commended for focusing on issues, running clean
campaign - Editorial retrospective on the June 2005 election. June
8, 2005.
City
Council candidates share final thoughts - Article published the
Friday before the election (after the end of early voting) quotes from
short interviews with Ellen and the other five candidates. June 3,
2005.
Council
candidates participate in forum - Article about the candidate forum
conducted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. Includes
summaries of each candidate's opening statement. May 13, 2005
Best
in show: Our picks for this year’s ballot [PDF file; scroll down to page 8 to find this article] - The Oak Ridge Observer editorial
announces the newspaper's endorsements and gives reasons for the
choices. Ellen was on the list. May 12, 2005.
DFET
to hold house party for endorsed
City
Council candidates - Event announcement identified Ellen
as one of the candidates endorsed by Democracy
for East Tennessee. May 4, 2005
Smith announces
candidacy for OR City Council - Ellen's formal campaign
announcement, including highlights of her background and civic
involvement. May 3, 2005
Council
candidates debate on housing, taxes, vision for OR - News article
about the Democracy for East Tennessee
candidate forum. April 15, 2005
On
the Ballot - Stan Mitchell of the Oak Ridge Observer reports on
the list of people running for City Council in the June 7 election and
the different candidates' views on hiring paid lobbyists to represent
the city. In the same issue of the
weekly newspaper, an
editorial expresses misgivings about the proposal to hire lobbyists
and about the way the proposal was developed and presented to City
Council. March 24, 2005
The
race is on - News article lists and briefly profiles the candidates
who filed for the June 7 city election. March
18, 2005 |
Duratek
seeks support from EQAB on waste storage permit - Ellen's comments are quoted extensively in this
December 6, 2005 article about EQAB's discussion of a presentation by a private radioactive
waste treatment business in Oak Ridge.
Residents voice
concerns about Rarity, Solway - John Huotari's report on an Oak Ridge City Council meeting reports on citizen
concerns about the proposed Rarity Oaks development west of Country Club Estates, including Ellen's statement of concern
about potential environmental problems from high-density development on the property's steep hillsides.
November 22, 2005
Philotechnics set to appear before BZA - Short article
reports that Philotechnics made a presentation to EQAB regarding the work it would do at a proposed Oak Ridge facility; article
does not describe EQAB's review or its recommendations that the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) approve a variance, subject to several
conditions intended to assure community safety and prevent city liability. October 11, 2005
Public meeting held to address DOE land transfer of
Parcel ED-6 - Article quotes Ellen's concerns that portions of Parcel ED-6 (DOE land west of Wisconsin Avenue) should not be developed due to conservation considerations
and to honor the understandings reached during past discussions between city officials and conservation groups. August 25, 2005
EQAB reviews, critiques city's plan
- Short article on EQAB's discussion of a proposed revision to the City Council's "strategic plan."
Ellen is one of several EQAB members who are quoted as expressing skepticism or concern about elements of the plan.
(After this article ran, Ellen presented the comments to City Council, which accepted some of them.) August 8, 2005
IDB approves industry relocation to Oak Ridge
- Quotes Ellen Smith, as chair of Oak Ridge Environmental Quality Advisory Board, regarding Industrial Development Board action endorsing the
plans for a proposed Philotechnics facility in an Oak Ridge industrial park: "We have to ask questions about how the facility will affect the willingness
of other facilities to want to locate here. We need to be concerned whether this will adversely affect marketing. We should also look more closely at
how what they're doing affects the neighborhood and the building...."
June 6, 2005
Environmental
Quality Awards for 2004 - Illustrated article tells about the
winners of the city's Environmental Quality Awards, which represent
quality in architecture and related aspects of the built environment. A
citizen committee sponsored by EQAB selected the award winners, EQAB
ratified the selections, and Ellen announced the awards at a City
Council meeting at which the mayor presented plaques to the recipients.
June 1, 2005
Council
moves forward with lobbying contracts - Article about City
Council's approval (by a pair of 4-2 votes) of two contracts with
lobbyists quotes Ellen's questions (asked at the Council meeting) about
(1) the lack of a competitive bid procedure and
(2) the term of the contracts. April 19,
2005
Local
resident requests more info on TOXCO facility - Article about an
Environmental Quality Advisory Board (EQAB) meeting at which the board
discussed Toxco and other topics. April 13, 2005
Oak
Ridge officials meet with local oversight groups - Oak Ridge Observer article about
Oak Ridge City Council work session with local environmental
organizations states (in part) " EQAB chair Ellen Smith named
several concerns she would like Council members to pay close attention
to, including private companies who conduct work that used to be
carried out by the Department of Energy. Smith said these companies are
in far less communication with the city and public than DOE."
An editorial in the same issue of the Observer,In
Our Opinion: Give us a break, laments The Oak Ridger's poor coverage of
the lobbying issue and quotes this website on the topic. April 7, 2005.
Environmental
Groups share agendas with city council - Ellen is quoted in this
article about an
Oak Ridge City Council work session with several local environmental
organizations. April 7, 2005
Lobbying
contracts spur discussion - Presents Ellen's view that the city should not be paying for professional
lobbying services and corrects an error in the previous day's article
about the lobbying contracts. (Ellen had notified the paper about the
error.) March 30, 2005
EQAB continues easement
analysis - Report on EQAB discussions of the Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement Draft
Management Plan, Keep America Beautiful, and other topics. February 9, 2005
In
Our Opinion: The clock is ticking, and still no urgency - Oak Ridge Observer editorial notes
that Ellen was the only prospective City Council candidate
(other than incumbents) at a public meeting to discuss the
recommendations of the city's Highland View Redevelopment Steering
Committee. January 13, 2005
Black
Oak Ridge topic of meeting - Ellen is quoted as one of the
participants in a Tennessee Department of Enviroinment and Conservation
public meeting about proposals for the Black Oak Ridge Conservation
Area. January 12, 2005
EQAB
discusses new program, recycling - Article describes Ellen's report
to the Environmental Quality Advisory Board on consideration (by the
Oak Ridger Chamber of Commerce beautification committee) of affiliation
with Keep America Beautiful. January 10, 2005
2004
Election News Stories
Miller
wins Council seat - Election results. Friday, August 6, 2004
A look at the OR City Council candidates' views
- Report on a set of last-minute pre-election interviews with the
candidates. Wednesday, August 4, 2004
Council candidates make
sales pitch at forum - Brief report on the previous
evening's League of Women Voters' forum. Friday, July 16, 2004
A
majority of candidates back school referendum - The Oak Ridger
surveyed Council candidates' views on this issue. June 25, 2004
Council
candidate launches Web site - Ellen Smith
announces the establishment of this
website. June 11, 2004
Candidates
say Kuhaida's endorsement aids Miller - Ellen is quoted as saying
that Jerry Kuhaida's withdrawal and endorsement of Jane Miller came as
a surprise, but can only mean good
things for Miller. "It did seem they were looking to appeal to the same
kind of voters." May 25, 2004
OR
City Council race heats up - Article lists the six candidates who
filed nominating petitions by the deadline. April 2, 2004.
Five
to vie for Oak Ridge City Council seat - Article lists candidates
who had picked up nominating petitions, including information about
their backgrounds. March 26, 2004
|
Land
Transfer Looms (from The Oak Ridge Observer)
- Discusses the proposal to transfer DOE parcel ED-6 to the city for
residential development, and quotes Ellen as a representative of Advocates for the Oak Ridge
Reservation. December 30, 2004
Info
session spurs debate - Describes the lively open discussion that occurred
between developers, city officials, and environmental organization
members at a DOE public meeting about the proposal to transfer land
west of Wisconsin Avenue to the city for residential development. Ellen
is identified as one of the people who spoke for Advocates for the Oak
Ridge Reservation. November 19, 2004
Haul
road a deer concern - Article tells about discussion at a DOE
public meeting on plans for a dedicated waste haul road across Oak
Ridge Reservation land between ETTP and the waste disposal site in Bear
Creek Valley west of Y-12. Ellen expressed concern that land
surrounding the haul road would be closed to deer hunting, which would
interfere with effective management of the local deer population. November 16, 2004
Toxco
meets with EQAB on safety issues - Newspaper
reporter's account of EQAB meeting that discussed Toxco Materials
Management Center on Flint Road. "Though
she admitted she would rather not have a
facility of this nature at all near a residential area, EQAB Chairwoman
Ellen Smith said she did feel more comfortable with the TMMC
operation... than with past companies located at the facility." October 8, 2004
400-mile
river trip sends mining message to governor - Ellen is
mentioned in this long article about a
Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM) campaign to increase public
awareness of the adverse impacts Tennessee faces from "cross-ridge
mining," which is
"mountaintop removal" mining by a different name. The article explains
that the overburden is not placed in valleys (as is done in mountaintop
removal mining in West Virginia), but is placed on the mountainside, on
the benches
that remain after coal is removed. The article says "SOCM contends it
won't stay. At a public hearing last year,
Oak Ridge
hydrologist Ellen Smith referred to the practice as 'delayed hollow
fill,' insisting that the loose soil, once blasted from the
mountaintop, will eventually wash or slide down into streams."
Ellen's note: This prediction is based on
two facts: (1) mined-out overburden has a larger volume (thus, it takes
up more space) than the same amount of rock before mining and (2) loose
soil and rock does not hold as steep a slope as solid bedrock.
Cutting
development taxes could help city compete, grow - Article
tells of
Oak Ridge City Council's approval of a plan giving blanket
authorization to the Industrial Development Board to grant property tax
abatements for commercial developments. The article notes that Ellen
Smith spoke up at the Council meeting to express concern about the
incentives. Wednesday, June 9, 2004
New
high school is up to residents - News article about City Council
action highlights Ellen's comments about plans for the August
referendum on increasing the local sales tax to help pay for rebuilding
the high school. May 4, 2004
2003
Ellen
Smith remains EQAB chair - Short article about Environmental
Quality Advisory Board actions. October 3, 2003
Charter
Commission holds public hearing - Article includes a summary of
Smith's suggestion that enlarging the 7-member City Council to nine or 11 members to decrease the workload on each
member and allow for more diverse representation of the community.
September 25, 2003
Property
transfer worries Council - News article about a City Council
meeting quotes Ellen as saying that the City "comes across as whiny and
disingenuous" in complaining about plans to establish a 3,000-acre
state conservation area on federal land inside the city limits.
September 24, 2003
Enough TRU already -- Not here: A
local board asks City Council to request that DOE not send New York's
transuranic wastes to Oak Ridge - Article about an EQAB
recommendation to the City Council. Monday, June 9, 2003
EQAB
discusses K-25 land transfer to Heritage Corp. - Article based
largely on a phone interview with Ellen Smith. Tuesday, February 18,
2003
2002
Permit
sought that will impact wetlands - Ellen is quoted in this article
describing the developer's desire to relocate a
channel,
culvert a tributary, fill a couple of wetlands and create a replacement
wetland in order to develop a high density residential-commercial
community at Rarity Ridge. Friday, December 6, 2002
Bechtel
Jacobs takes it on the chin, again - Describes
Ellen's role in Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee action
to express concern about the use of fixed-price contracts for complex
Department of Energy environmental cleanup
projects. Wednesday, November 27, 2002
DOE
seeks radionuclide limit increase - Reports that EQAB wanted to
take a careful look at the environmental assessment for a
proposal to increase the city's capacity
to accept radioactive material into its wastewater treatment process.
Friday, October 4, 2002
Planners
play 'stump the chump' - Column by R. Cathey Daniels urges City
staff and Planning Commissioners "to heed Ellen
Smith's advice and insist on layman's language in
planning documents for public preview." Thursday, August 29, 2002
Will
cleanup be sacrificed for acceleration? - Ellen is one of the local
people quoted as expressing concern about DOE's accelerated cleanup
program. Friday, August 23, 2002
Renovating older homes?
Watch out for asbestos - Article about EQAB's review of information about the potential for
encountering asbestos hazards during renovation of the city's Manhattan Project-era housing. Ellen is
quoted in the article (but home remodelers are advised that the statement, as quoted, is not
completely accurate). Thursday, August 8, 2002
Horizon
Center back to council - Ellen is one of the people quoted as
describing issues related to this development. Friday, June 28, 2002
Why
didn't the city use EQAB's advice? - Editorial about interactions
related to the CROET development of the Horizon Center; quotes Ellen.
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Land
transfer sparks concern - Ellen and EQAB are mentioned in a news
report about environmental aspects of DOE's plans to deed the Horizon
Center lands to the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee
(CROET). Wednesday, June 19, 2002
City
Council roundup - Article reports that City Council "Received a communication from the city's Environmental
Quality Advisory Board stating concerns with the transfer of Horizon
Center, or Parcel ED-1, from the DOE to the Community Reuse
Organization of East Tennessee. Ellen Smith of EQAB said the board
'strongly urges' the council to send the comments to DOE. Council took
no action, effectively rejecting the board's advice." Tuesday, June 18,
2002
Steep-slope
rules still stuck in debate - Ellen is quoted in an article about
the continuing effort to craft new standards to prevent unsound
development practices on steep slopes. Monday, April 15, 2002
OR
planners, EQAB to discuss criteria for developing steep slopes -
Article about work toward some of the new development standards that
the city drafted to prevent future problems similar to those that
occurred in the Pine Ridge development. Friday, February 8, 2002
Citizens
voice concerns on Rarity Ridge project - Quotes Ellen as one of
several citizens expressing reservations about the proposed
development. She expressed concern about high density development over
karst hydrology, and observed that a site more
than 12 miles from the Civic Center does not have the necessary
conditions for a successful traditional neighborhood development.
Tuesday, January 8, 2002
2001
ED-1
environmental monitoring halted - Article begins "Ecological monitoring is no longer occurring at the Horizon
Center industrial park" and quotes Ellen Smith as one of several
environmental spokespersons expressing concern about CROET's decision
to stop monitoring. Wednesday, December 12, 2001
Note: As
part of the legal basis for a finding that the Horizon Center
development would have no significant impact on the environment (and
thus would not require an environmental impact statement) DOE was
supposed to monitor the effects of
industrial park construction on the sensitive resources in adjacent
areas, both during and after construction. DOE made CROET responsible
for this monitoring. At the time of the article, CROET said its obligation had
been met and that DOE agreed. However, the industrial park construction
still wasn't (and isn't) finished.
New
road proposed - News about a proposal, by Joe Lenhard and Pete
Craven, to build a new road across DOE Oak Ridge Reservation land to
make up for post-September 11 closures of other roads; names Ellen as
the source for information about environmental issues that EQAB
identified when a similar proposal was made a few years earlier.
Friday, December 7, 2001
Revis:
Completed Pine Ridge will be appealing - Article about developer
Nat Revis' promises regarding the Pine Ridge development includes a
comment by Ellen Smith. Friday, December 7, 2001
Citizens
speak out on development - Ellen is one of many citizens quoted as
commenting about the Pine Ridge development at a
City Council meeting. Tuesday, October 9, 2001
Reforms
to be proposed - Article describes EQAB's draft recommendations for
changing city rules and procedures to prevent future problems similar
to those that occurred with Pine Ridge. Friday, October 5, 2001
City
Council urged to rescind Pine Ridge permits - Quotes Ellen
Smith describing the Pine Ridge development as "an environmental
and public relations disaster," and reports that City Council took no
action on its continuing development. Copy of story from the Knoxviille
News-Sentinel. September 30, 2001
Pine
Ridge fiasco begs for some belated answers - Editorial calls this
development a failure of the processes that are supposed to provide for
public accountability and protection. Quotes Ellen Smith as saying "I didn't know the plan called for chopping 70 feet off
the ridge and flattening it into a plateau," and says "it's a pretty
good
bet that if Ms. Smith did not know [this], then a good many other
people
-- among them probably a council member or two -- did not know either."
Wednesday, September 26, 2001
Request
made to halt work on Pine Ridge - "Ellen Smith, who
chairs the city's Environmental Quality Advisory
Board, asked the Oak Ridge City Council Monday to halt development on
Pine Ridge." Tuesday, September 25, 2001
EQAB
seeks city help with cleanup talks - Article about EQAB and City
Council discussion about the need for the City to be involved in
negotiations on cleaning up contaminated sites. Tuesday, August 14, 2001
EQAB:
Pine Ridge broke regulations - "The Oak Ridge
Environmental Quality Advisory Board is asking City
Council to investigate a construction project which the board thinks
broke state storm-management regulations." Wednesday, August 8, 2001
2000
Council
OKs isotopes manufacturing for IND-2 zones - The zoning ordinance
was revised to allow Theragenics to locate in the Horizon Center
industrial park. Article discusses Smith's presentation of a proposal
(accepted by Council) to include language to clarify the criteria that
must be met to allow such uses in this zone. Wednesday, September 6,
2000
British
firm still considering city - Quotes Smith as saying she hopes
Janousek won't give up on Oak Ridge. She also said, "I think the real
concern is that the community felt blind-sided by this. There is a
concern that it's easy to convert a park to another use when faced with
the pressure to develop land, and it's hard to get them back. There's
the view that (land) is a resource to be protected." Wednesday,
September 6, 2000
Few
Ridgers voice Haw Ridge concerns - News story about an EQAB meeting
where citizens expressed concerns over the future of Haw Ridge Park.
Friday, July 7, 2000
Scull-building
site? - EQAB chairperson Ellen Smith tells about the concerns of
people who treasure Haw Ridge Park and were worried about Janousek
Corporation's proposal to build a manufacturing facility there.
Thursday, June 22, 2000
British
firm eyes Haw Ridge Park - Article tells about City Council action
to ask the Tennessee Valley Authority officials
to eliminate the restriction limiting Haw Ridge Park to public
recreation uses, in order to allow Janousek Racing to build a small
boat manufacturing facility on a 4-acre waterfront area near Oak
Ridge's rowing course. Ellen is one of several people whose statements
of concern are quoted. Tuesday, June 20, 2000
Group
wants land-use plan - Quotes Smith as one of several Advocates for
the Oak Ridge Reservation members pushing for a comprehensive
land-use plan for DOE's Oak Ridge lands. Wednesday, April 12, 2000
Boeing
site gets final rezoning approval - Article notes that Ellen urged
Council urged council to postpone the vote on
the
rezoning until test results from the state provide assurance that the
property is safe for residential use. Tuesday, February 8, 2000
State
to investigate development site - Article about plans to survey the
floodplain adjacent to the Boeing property to ensure that future
residents would be safe from radiological contamination. Includes
Ellen's comments about EQAB's concern in this matter: "We don't want to assume that it's not a serious problem
until it's investigated. We want to base a decision on better
information, not lack of information." Wednesday, January 19, 2000
EQAB:
Boeing site needs environmental sampling - Friday, January 7, 2000
1999
Council
approves letter to DOE on ED-1 - Report on City Council action
regarding an EQAB critique of environmental aspects of CROET's
development of the Horizon Center. Tuesday, November 16, 1999
Council:
Work out dispute - Article about City Council action on EQAB
recommendations regarding environmental protection and
public involvement at CROET's Horizon Center development. Tuesday,
November 9, 1999
Horizon
Center, pay, debt on council agenda - Article about agenda for
upcoming City Council work session discusses some of the concerns EQAB
had presented about environmental aspects of the Horizon Center (parcel
ED-1) development. Friday, November 5, 1999
TDOT
begins comment period for Knoxville Beltway - Article tells about
the haphazard way that local officials learned that public comment had
begun on the scope of the environmental impact statement for proposed
I-475, with quotations from Ellen. Friday, November 5, 1999
Council
to consider industrial grants - Article quotes Ellen describing
some concerns about environmental impacts and mitigation at the Horizon
Center (parcel ED-1). Friday, October 29, 1999
Belief
in democratic process gives rise to her voice - Profile of Ellen
Smith, by R. Cathey Daniels. Thursday, October 28, 1999
Citizens
urge DOE to take ED-3 slow and easy - Quotes Ellen's comments as
one of several speakers at a DOE public meeting. Thursday, September
30, 1999
Big
ideas about environment - Article about an AFORR public meeting
includes Ellen's comments supporting the idea of establishing a
big-time science camp program in Oak Ridge. Tuesday, July 27, 1999
DOE
releases plan for uranium removal - Ellen is one of several people
quoted as welcoming the announcement of DOE's
plan to rid Oak Ridge of thousands of barrels of depleted uranium
hexafluoride. Thursday, July 8, 1999
FORNL
holds debate on land use - Ellen is quoted as one of several
panelists in a Friends of ORNL discussion of the future of the Oak
Ridge Reservation. Thursday, May 20, 1999
First
tenant named for ED-1 - Article about Theragenics announcement,
includes comments from Ellen about EQAB's view that a new radioactive
business not be allowed contaminate a clean site or scare away other
businesses. Wednesday, April 7, 1999
EQAB
objects to plans for new businesses at ETTP - News article about a
communication to the City Council from the city's environmental board.
Friday, April 2, 1999
Examining
environmental impacts of SNS - Long article includes Ellen's brief
comment on the environmental impact statement for the Spallation
Neutron Source project. Friday, January 22, 1999
1998
GIS
would add to city's data base - Article quotes an EQAB memo,
signed by Ellen Smith, on some of the reasons why Oak Ridge should
acquire geographic information system technology. Thursday, October 22,
1998
EQAB
opposing dorm transfer - Article quotes EQAB members Kimberly
Murphy and Ellen Smith describing board members' concerns about the
handling of the proposal to sell and tear down Cheyenne and Charlotte
Halls, which were the last of the historic Manhattan Project dormitory
buildings remaining in Oak Ridge. Monday, June 22, 1998
Dormitory
issue revisited - Op-ed column by R. Cathey Daniels quotes Ellen's
remarks about EQAB's interest in historic preservation and the
board's concerns about the way the proposal to tear down Cheyenne
and Charlotte Halls was being handled. Tuesday, June 16, 1998
Residents want
more info on K-25 - Quotes Ellen as one of several speakers at a
public meeting who said the community needs to know more about
potential risks of activities at the former gaseous diffusion
plant site. Wednesday, April 22, 1998
Brochure
focuses on DOE contamination - Article about EQAB's brochure
intended to present information and positive images
of the community's environment, quotes Ellen's statements and the EQAB
letter that she signed. Monday, February 23, 1998
1997
Mayor's
resolution supports DOE, safety - Article about City efforts to
publicize the city's good quality of life and counteract negative
articles in out-of-town media; includes information from Smith about
EQAB's efforts to produce a brochure about Oak Ridge's environment.
Friday, December 5, 1997
No
major contaminants found at old service center - Article tells
about some good news the city received from an environmental consultant
who investigated the city's former service
center site on Lafayette Drive, and mentions EQAB's role in assisting
city staff with the property evaluation. Thursday, August 28, 1997
Note: I was one of
several EQAB members who assisted city staff with contractor selection
and with review of their reports. This project had a very happy ending.
The site was found to be mostly clean (contrary to initial fears), so
it was found to be suitable for residential development. The successful
Willow Place subdivision -- a traditional-neighborhood-style
development in the heart of the city -- is now located on the site. --
Ellen Smith
Council
should listen to advice from EQAB - In an op-ed page column,
reporter R. Cathey Daniels criticizes the City Council for ignoring
EQAB's concerns about the BNFL decision and
endorsing what she calls "the old 'don't ask, don't tell, and clean it
up later' philosophy." She quotes Ellen Smith
as saying "It's not necessarily a matter of
raising an alarm about
any particular proposal, but it's more a matter of not moving forward
blindly." She calls the City's refusal to ask
questions "the old company town syndrome" and says "it's contagious,
and it's not one
of the highlights of living here." Tuesday, August 26, 1997
There goes
EQAB, stirring up mischief again - Column by R. Cathey Daniels
muses about DOE's lack of openness regarding its decision to select
BNFL and its technology to clean up three uranium enrichment buildings
at the K-25 site. Tuesday, August 19, 1997
EQAB members
question greenbelt encroachment - Friday, March 7, 1997
Planners
look at incompatible industries - News article tells about EQAB
vice chairman Smith's comments to the Planning Commission about the
need to ensure that industrial land uses are environmentally compatible
with their neighbors. Friday, February 21, 1997
Note:
Since the time of this article, the provisions of the City zoning
ordinance that deal with industrial zones were thoroughly revamped to
address the types of concerns that EQAB had raised. Thanks to the
creativity and hard work of the city Community Development staff and
volunteer members of the Planning Commission and EQAB, Oak Ridge now
can be proud to have a forward-looking zoning code that makes
environmental factors a primary consideration in determining the
suitability of a business for a particular industrial zone. -- Ellen
Smith
Letters
and columns
Ellen's letters to the editor and
columns present her views
on various matters of public interest.
Letter to the editor: Personal
attacks in column unjustified - Ellen's letter to the editor expresses dismay at the prevalence of personal attacks
and name-calling in columns written by Oak Ridger publisher
Richard Esposito. Friday, April 13, 2007
The Oak Ridge Observer: "Musings on price versus
quality and the city budget." [pdf] Ellen's guest column begins, "Many Oak Ridgers fear that
the City Council’s refusal to
fund the school
system’s FY 2007
budget request means
that the city government
has abandoned
its long-standing commitment
to quality
public schools. I share
this concern, and I see
it as part of a larger
problem." Scroll down to page 9 to read the full text. June 1, 2006.
The Oak Ridge Observer: "Looking toward the future:
Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Refuge Area." [pdf] In this guest column, Ellen writes about the 1999
designation of Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Refuge Area on the Oak Ridge Reservation and progress toward making the
area a more valuable conservation, education and outdoor recreation asset for Oak Ridge and Tennessee. Her conclusion states:
"Ideally, the current agreement with TWRA would be extended by converting it into a permanent
conservation management agreement, but renewal of the current agreement should assure continued progress toward enhancing
the Three Bend Area as a natural treasure for future generations to enjoy and cherish." Scroll down to page 9 of the archived
newspaper to read the full text. August 25, 2005.
This guest column inspired a lively continuing conversation in the September 1, 2005
(scroll down to the bottom of page 8 for David Coffey's guest column), September 8, 2005
(scroll down to page 9 for letters to the editor),and September
22, 2005 (see editorial at the top of page 8) issues of the Observer.
Letter to the editor: EQAB
chairwoman dismayed by editorial - Ellen's letter defends
her EQAB colleagues against recent criticism by the editorial writer,
and clarifies the reasons for the board's concerns about environmental aspects of the Rarity Ridge residential
development project. Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Letter to the editor: Debating
the record on Connecticut taxes - Ellen rebuts some of David
Coffey's arguments against a state income tax in Tennessee.
Friday, May 3, 2002
Guest Column: Reservation lands: Can we get past the
polarization, mistrust? - AFORR board members Dev Joslin,
Ellen Smith, and Warren Webb expresses concern about the past pattern
of land-use decisions for the Oak Ridge Reservation and urges open and
collaborative planning in the future. Tuesday,
May 15, 2001
Guest Column: An
update on the Fall Creek Falls mining permit - Marcy Reed (of
Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning) and Ellen Smith tell the
story of how the majority of the Fall Creek
Falls State Park watershed was formally declared unsuitable for surface
mining of coal. May 3, 2000
Guest Column: EQAB
chairman troubled by Young's CROET column - Ellen takes issue with
Lawrence Young's remarks against people who raise
questions or concerns
about Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee (CROET) actions.
Wednesday, December 15, 1999
Return to main
page |