Congress passes CR to avoid government shutdown - includes DOE/NNSA funding
ECA Staff | 12/3/2021
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On Thursday, lawmakers in the House and Senate passed a bill to extend federal government funding and avoid government shutdown. The measure, called a Continuing Resolution (CR), approves funding through February 18, 2022. At that point, policymakers must either pass another CR or complete work on remaining appropriations bills to avoid another potential shutdown.
The CR first passed in the House by a 221-212 vote and then in the Senate by a 69-28 vote.
The CR continues funding at FY 2021-approved levels. Under the FY21 enacted budget, the Department of Energy (DOE) received $39.59 billion and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) received $19.73 billion.
FY 2022 funding levels will be determined through the passage of appropriation bills in Congress. The House has passed 9 out of its 12 appropriations bills, while the Senate has passed none. The latter chamber released its remaining appropriations bills on October 18, setting the stage for negotiations with the House on a full FY22 spending bill in early 2022.
The House-passed FY22 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill includes total funding of $56.21 billion, which is reduced by $2.98 billion in budget scorekeeping adjustments to $53.23 billion. DOE would receive $45.46 billion, which is $1.53 billion below the Administration’s request. NNSA would receive $20.16 billion in the House bill, $412 million above the Administration’s request.
The Senate Committee’s bill recommends a total of $56.42 billion, excluding emergency spending but including rescissions. That total is further reduced by budget scorekeeping adjustments to $53.63 billion. The legislation would give DOE $45.32 billion (excluding rescissions), which is $1.66 billion below the Administration’s request. NNSA would receive $20.04 billion under the Senate committee bill, slightly above the request and slightly below the House
amount.
For more details on FY22 funding for DOE and NNSA, please visit the ECA website.
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"CAPITALIZING ON A NEW ERA OF CLEANUP
SUCCESS"
December 7-9, 2021
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
Alexandria, Virginia
If you have already registered for the Workshop, you will not need to re-register. If you need to register, please click here. If you have questions, please contact Autumn Bogus at abogus@la-inc.com or (865)
300-1061.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT
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DECEMBER 6, 2021
On Thursday, December 6, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM ET, the Committee on Merits and Viability of Different Nuclear Fuel Cycles and Technology Options and the Waste Aspects of Advanced Nuclear Reactors will hear from the sponsor U.S. Department of Energy-Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE), congressional staff
from the appropriations committees, an expert on China’s advanced nuclear energy systems, and an expert on the U.S. advanced nuclear programs.
The meeting information is below:
WEBEX MEETING LINK
Meeting number: 2764 170 4525
Password: ekHPhJp4i35 (35474574 from phones and video systems)
The committee welcomes input and will host public comment sessions at the end of each public session. Attendance is open and free to the public. Both public sessions will be held exclusively online and will be recorded. The recordings will be made available pending permissions and processing time.
Agenda and connection information may also be accessed here.
MARCH 4, 2022
The Department of Energy (DOE) has released a Notice of 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
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Middle DP Road site in Los Alamos is critical part of DOE's legacy cleanup
Los Alamos Reporter | 11/21/2021
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Enterprise Assessments’ Disposition of Excess Real Property Assessment at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Middle DP Road Site report reflects many of the challenges and complexities
commensurate with conveying land that was the site of some of the earliest plutonium research in the nation. DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) are committed to the cleanup of legacy materials and fulfilling our obligations associated with land transfers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and across the DOE complex.
The contamination found in 2020 along DP Road consists of three adjacent land parcels. Two of these parcels (A8-a and A16-a) are owned by Los Alamos County and known as the Middle DP Road Site. A third parcel (A8-b) is owned by Bethel Development Company. These land parcels are on property that was once part of LANL’s Technical Area 21. This site was a groundbreaking Manhattan Project-era site for nuclear research and development. As a nation, we made tremendous
strides in the ensuing decades not only in nuclear research and development, but also in nuclear waste handling, disposition, and record keeping. These advancements continue to emphasize the safety of our workers and our neighbors.
At the same time, the legacy of the work conducted during the Manhattan Project and the immediate decades that followed are critical to DOE’s mission. The cleanup of the Cold War legacy and the management of remaining nuclear materials is what led to the formation of DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) in 1989 and EM’s Los Alamos field office in 2015.
Upon the discovery of the materials at the Middle DP Road Site, DOE, NNSA and LANL immediately undertook a comprehensive review of the procedures and practices associated with historic LANL property. While we continue to enhance these procedures and practices, the important fieldwork at the site proceeds safely and effectively. The materials found do not pose a threat to the public. DOE removed the contaminated debris and soil to fulfill our commitment to the
property owners and to the public.
Over the course of several months, EM methodically sampled the sites to determine if additional contamination existed, to remove the previously discovered contamination, and if found, to address any potential newly discovered contaminated debris. Excavation of all planned sampling locations is now complete and backfilling is underway. All indications are that no further contamination exists in these three conveyed land parcels. Confirmatory sampling is being
conducted. This process is critical to DOE’s commitment to the site cleanup completion, Los Alamos County, and to the community.
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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
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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.
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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.
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