SC governor directs lawmakers to give SRS communities entirety of $525M plutonium payout
ECA Staff | 12/14/2021
|
|
|
On December 9, S.C. Governor Henry McMaster sent a letter to lawmakers requesting the entirety of the State’s plutonium settlement with the Department of Energy (DOE) be
invested in the communities surrounding the Savannah River Site (SRS).
According to the letter, the settlement, announced in August 2020, concerns the federal government’s termination of the Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) Fabrication Facility and the removal of the remaining 9.5 metric tons of plutonium at SRS. Under the terms of the settlement, SC was provided a lump sum of $600 million in exchange for a 2037 deadline extension for DOE to remove the plutonium. Following the payment of attorney’s fees, $525 million remains available for
appropriation.
The governor's letter recommends the funds be funneled to communities in Aiken, Barnwell, and Allendale counties. In the letter, the governor also praises the work of SRS.
"For over 70 years, SRS has contributed mightily to the economic prosperity of the State and to the Central Savannah River Area - while the men and women working at SRS made even greater contributions to our nation’s national security - and played a key role in winning the Cold War," the letter reads. "It is my belief that the communities surrounding SRS should be the prime beneficiaries of these settlement funds."
The letter goes on to say, "These settlement funds present us with a once in a lifetime opportunity. By making big, bold, and transformative investments in the areas of education, infrastructure, workforce, and economic development, we can quite literally change the future of the region and the State."
In addition to the initial investment in SRS communities, the governor also recommends a reserve for future use. He also urges the funds be appropriated as part of a stand-alone bill in order to go into effect immediately, upon his signature.
A breakdown of the funding for each county, provided in the letter, is below.
|
|
|
|
|
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT
|
JANUARY 15, 2022
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary for Science and Energy and Office of Policy (OP) request information on energy sector supply chains. This request for information (RFI) seeks input from all stakeholders involved directly and indirectly in the supply chains of energy, energy systems and technologies, and energy efficiency technologies from raw materials, processed materials, subcomponents, final products, to end-of-life material recovery and
recycling—including but not limited to U.S. industry, researchers, academia, local governments, and civil society. This stakeholder input will inform the Department's efforts in building an energy sector industrial base that is diverse, resilient, and competitive while meeting economic, national security, and climate objectives.
MARCH 4, 2022
The Department of Energy (DOE) has released a Request for Information (RFI) on how to site Federal facilities for the temporary, consolidated storage of spent nuclear fuel using a consent-based approach.
Responses to the RFI will inform development of a consent-based siting process, overall strategy for an integrated waste management system, and possibly a funding opportunity. DOE especially welcomes insight from people, communities, and groups that have historically not been well-represented in these discussions.
Responses must be received by March 4, 2022 by 5:00pm ET and may be submitted electronically to consentbasedsiting@hq.doe.gov, including “RFI: Consent-Based Siting and Federal Interim Storage” in the subject line of the email
|
|
|
|
|
DOE-NE releases RFI for establishment of HALEU availability program
Federal Register | 12/14/2021
On December 14, the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) published a Request for Information (RFI) Regarding Planning for Establishment of a Program to Support the Availability of
High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) for Civilian Domestic Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Use in the Federal Register.
DOE is working to enable the development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors as part of meeting the Administration’s job creation, energy security, and climate goals. DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program was established to partner with domestic private industry to help accelerate the development and demonstration of advanced nuclear reactors in the United States. Most advanced reactors, including several designs selected for the Advanced Reactor
Demonstration Program, are designed to be fueled by HALEU.
HALEU is enriched between 5 percent and 20 percent with uranium-235, the main fissile isotope that produces energy during a chain reaction. The material is required by most U.S. advanced reactors to achieve smaller designs that get more power per unit of volume. Current reactor fuel is enriched up to 5 percent.
The new RFI aims to gather information to consider in preparing a required report to Congress describing actions proposed to be carried out by DOE under the HALEU program.
The program would prioritize addressing long-standing and persistent energy justice issues and be responsive to President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative by targeting 40 percent of the benefits of climate and clean infrastructure investments to disadvantaged communities, considering rural communities and communities impacted by the market-based transition to clean energy, and include substantive stakeholder engagement.
Written comments and information are requested on or before January 13, 2022.
|
|
|
|
|
Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation
Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications
|
|
Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World
Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.
|
Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles
ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local governments.
|
|
|
|
