ECA Update: ECA's Kara Colton to be featured speaker on SNF panel; Key ECA issues at Huff hearing; GAO report on WIPP

Published: Mon, 03/21/22

ECA Update

NUCLEAR WASTE

ECA's Kara Colton to be a featured speaker on SNF management panel

American Nuclear Society | 3/17/2022

Join the American Nuclear Society and an expert panel for an engaging discussion on spent nuclear fuel management next Wednesday, March 23, from 1:00 - 2:00 pm EDT.

ECA Director of Nuclear Policy Kara Colton will be featured on this panel, highlighting the role and perspectives of the local governments hosting and around sites that currently serve as the de facto interim storage sites of nuclear waste.

Domestic management of spent nuclear fuel has been plagued by challenges over the last several decades and represents a legacy issue with which existing and future nuclear technologies must contend. While progress on a national repository has remained stalled, other initiatives have garnered attention and show the potential for progress, including the Department of Energy's recent request for information on consent-based siting for interim storage. Re-establishing a credible used fuel management program could be a key enabler of expanded nuclear energy in the U.S. Our distinguished panel will discuss where and how progress is being made, as well as what more is needed.

Register now. The event is complimentary and open to all.

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Monitor DOE spending bills, detailed site budgets, and more.

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IN OTHER NEWS

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY

Key ECA issues raised in Huff hearing, smooth confirmation expected

ECA Staff | 3/21/2022

Key issues for ECA communities including reprocessing, consent-based siting, and the disposal of legacy defense waste were all raised during the Senate Energy and Natural Resources confirmation hearing for Dr. Kathryn Huff last week.

Dr. Huff was originally appointed last May as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary in the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) by the Biden Administration, and while awaiting confirmation to lead the Office, served as a Special Advisor to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

The hearing went smoothly, with bipartisan support for nuclear energy, energy independence, and for Dr. Huff’s ability to lead the Office from Committee Chairman Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Ranking Member Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY).

Of particular note, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) asked questions relating to her home state of Washington and the Hanford site. Following a line of questioning about managing nuclear waste, Senator Cantwell noted, “Separate defense and commercial waste. We could make rapid decisions about defense waste that I think would help this process.”

In regard to nuclear waste facilities, Dr. Huff touted the important role of a consent-based approach in siting interim storage sites for waste.

“In order for nuclear energy to be truly sustainable, we must solve nuclear waste problem. One of the first actions I took as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary was to restart our consent-based siting process for an interim storage facility with the support of Congress,” she said. “We do have a consent-based siting process that has begun with an RFI for the public. Through that process, I expect that the grassroots opinions of all the stakeholders in the country can help us to formulate a strategy for our spent nuclear fuel that satisfies the needs of our country and identifies hosts that are willing, able, and interested to support the hosting of such a facility.”

Dr. Huff also noted the important work on developing new nuclear projects going on in states like Washington, Utah, and Wyoming. In addition, she made several references the uranium enrichment demonstration project at the Portsmouth site, citing its role in phasing out dependence on Russian-produced uranium.

ECA fully expects Dr. Huff to be confirmed and looks forward to continuing to meaningfully engage with Dr. Huff and her colleagues in NE.

REGULATION & OVERSIGHT

New GAO report addresses causes of WIPP ventilation costs, delays

ECA Staff | 3/18/2022

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report titled “Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Construction Challenges Highlight the Need for DOE to Address Root Causes.”

The report discusses the causes of cost increases and schedule delays in installing the Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System, which would allow WIPP to return to full operations following a reduction in operations caused by accidents in 2014.

The report attributes these increases and delays to 1) contractor inexperience in managing construction projects and 2) inability to incentivize staff to work in Carlsbad.

According to the report, the Department of Energy (DOE) has taken corrective actions to solve additional issues at the WIPP site, but the extent to which these actions will help address the root causes of the problems “is unclear because DOE is not required to develop a corrective action plan for addressing the root causes and does not have a process to determine whether root causes have been sufficiently addressed.”

To read the full report, please click here.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

New 'Gone Fission Nuclear Report' podcast episode | Gone Fission Nuclear Report, 3/21

NUCLEAR ENERGY

US backs accelerating push for fusion energy | EE Times, 3/17

ECA PUBLICATIONS

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.

ECA's Key Points on DOE HLW Interpretation

ECA's FAQs on DOE HLW Interpretation

Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications

ECA BULLETIN

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.

View current and previous editions of the ECA Bulletin at www.energyca.org/bulletin

DOE SITE PROFILES

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.

Access your community's profile by visiting: www.energyca.org/site-profiles