RECOMMENDATION #2001-03
CRITERIA FOR THE DESIGN AND FUTURE USE OF AN EDUCATION CENTER ON THE FERNALD SITE
April 19, 2001

Presented to: Stephen H. McCracken, U.S. DOE, Fernald Site Office

Source of Recommendation:

• Full Board
• Stewardship Committee

Type of Recommendation:

• Initial
• Follow-on to Recommendation

Response Requested by: ongoing coordination desired

In keeping with the Stakeholder Vision for the Future of Fernald, the Fernald Citizens Advisory Board is strongly supportive of an on-site educational center to enhance the environmental, educational, and Native American elements on the Fernald site following remediation. The Fernald Citizens Advisory Board recommends that the following criteria for the proposed Education Center be incorporated into all DOE planning activities for Fernald site restoration and that a conceptual design and issues for implementation of the Education Center be incorporated into the Public Use Master Plan. The Fernald CAB recommends that this center be designed as an energy-efficient building that reflects the environmental nature of the future Fernald site and provides for the following:

• adequate spaces for both large and small group learning
• auditorium type space for lectures, videos, and other programs
• environmental research and groundwater education facilities
• housing and access to environmental monitoring results
• facilities to house and allow viewing of Fernald Living History tapes
• adequate space to house Fernald historical and remediation records including all of the records currently housed at the PEIC
• exhibits, displays, and/or videos on Native American history in the region and the likely historical uses at Fernald
• exhibits, displays, and/or videos on Native American burials on site
• exhibits, displays, and/or videos on Fernald before the Cold War
• exhibits, displays, and/or videos on Fernald’s role in the Cold War and technical processes at Fernald
• space for examples of equipment/tools/other items used at Fernald
• space for photo and video documentation of the site process
• exhibits, displays, and/or videos on the remediation of Fernald
• exhibits, displays, and/or videos on the ecological habitats at Fernald
• exhibits, displays, and/or videos on impacts of Fernald operations on area residents and Fernald site workers
• space for the final location of the Cold War Garden and other future memorials
• office space and facilities for site stewardship staff and operations.

In consideration of the above future needs, the Fernald CAB requests that DOE begin the design and construction of this facility as soon as is feasible so that it may serve the many needs of the ongoing site operations and be transitioned to an education center following site remediation. Furthermore, the Fernald CAB requests that DOE begin now to prepare the many collections and exhibits that will be housed in the education center and use currently available spaces to begin making these available for public access.