Consent-based siting has "potential to succeed," webinar panelists say
ANS Nuclear Cafe | 3/24/2022
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The Department of Energy’s new consent-based process for siting an interim storage facility for the nation’s spent nuclear fuel faces many challenges, but it could be successful if correctly implemented by the department, according to the panelists of the American Nuclear Society’s webinar “Spent Nuclear Fuel Management: Wasting Away or Chance for Progress?” ANS President Steve Nesbit moderated the webinar, held on March 23.
What they said: “I think that it has the potential to succeed, but I think that there are ways to bolster the process now and kind of keep the momentum going,” said panel member Kara Colton, director of nuclear policy at the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA), regarding the DOE’s consent-based siting
effort.
As part of a larger waste management strategy, Colton pointed to the need for tying interim storage to a process for siting a permanent disposal site. “There is just too much that has gone poorly in the past to not link those two things,” she said. “Any host community should link [interim storage and permanent disposal] in a legally enforceable, consent-based siting agreement.”
Lake Barret, an independent consultant and former director of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, maintained that consent-based siting cannot succeed if the DOE remains “politically constrained,” adding that the department needs to “reinvigorate” itself and reach out to communities with a broad range of opportunities under a public-private arrangement, such as a federal corporation. “I think it can be done and I think it is worth trying to do, but if
it is the old traditional way, it will probably be unsuccessful,” he said.
Natalia Saraeva, detailee to the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, provided an update on the department’s consent-based siting initiative and its request for information, which closed to comments on March 4. Saraeva said that the DOE received about 225 comments from the public, which the department is currently analyzing. “The analysis will help us to determine our next steps and to update the consent-based siting process,” she said, adding that the department hopes to
clarify its broader strategy for an integrated management system and issue a funding opportunity for interest groups and communities later this year. Saraeva said that the DOE intends to release the comments in their entirety later this month.
Other opportunities: During the webinar, both Barrett and Colton noted that opportunity exists for co-locating nuclear waste management sites with other nuclear enterprises, including spent fuel reprocessing facilities. Noting that uranium is still relatively inexpensive, despite current events, Barrett said such co-located sites would make reprocessing more economically viable.
Colton, meanwhile, said co-located facilities would be attractive to potential host sites, particularly those that, like ECA communities, are familiar with nuclear technology and are interested in seeing it developed. “An integrated fuel cycle and waste management system is an idea worth pursuing and is definitely something we should do,” she said.
What about reprocessing? Regarding spent fuel reprocessing, panel member Jackie Siebens, director of government affairs for advanced reactor company Oklo, noted that her company is working with disposal company Deep Isolation on closing its fuel cycle. Siebens shared how Oklo is looking to license and build a facility that would recycle used commercial uranium to fuel its compact fast reactor, called Aurora.
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In the Zone at Waste Management Symposia 2022
DOE-EM | 3/23/2022
The Department Of Energy (DOE) has been increasing its STEM and workforce content at the Waste Management Symposia (WMS) year after year. With nearly 2,200 attendees at this year’s symposia in Phoenix, STEM activities reached a much wider audience. Staff from the Offices of Environmental Management (EM), Legacy Management (LM), and Nuclear Energy (NE) shared promising practices in STEM education and workforce development through technical presentations, panel
discussions, and participation in the interactive STEM Zone based in the event’s exhibit hall.
In support of workforce development, EM’s Kristen Ellis, Senior Advisor for STEM and Talent Acquisition, and Melinda Higgins, NE’s Director of STEM Programs, moderated a panel discussion sponsored by Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) titled, “The Future of Workforce Training: A Whole of DOE Approach.”
Additionally, EM leadership participated in a speed networking event for early career professionals, providing mentorship for the participants, and staff met with graduate students from the Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation to provide career advice and support their new mentorship program with EM officials. Kim Petry, NE’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition, participated in a panel titled, “A
Government Perspective: Prioritizing STEM to Achieve the Mission.” These events gave staff the opportunity to engage with young professionals, and discuss DOE’s ongoing work in developing a diverse, innovative workforce.
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Nuclear Communities Forum on Friday, April 1 at 11am ET
Nuclear Communities Forum | 3/25/2022
On Friday, April 1, 2022, the Nuclear Communities team from Smart Growth America will host an inspirational group of community leaders and practitioners for a series of discussions around what is needed to diversify their economies and plan for energy transition.
The Forum is intended to facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences that are vital to nuclear host communities’ economic adaptation and growth. Presentation and breakout conversations will focus on the impacts on host communities when a nuclear facility shuts down –focusing on the principles of smart growth, economic resilience, and community-level decision-making in the face of nuclear decommissioning.
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NEW NUCLEAR
NUCLEAR ENERGY
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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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