Join ECA for a Virtual Budget Briefing
On THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24 from 2pm - 3pm ET, join ECA for a virtual budget briefing + Q&A.
Participants will get an overview of the budget and appropriations process, hearing specifically about the Department of Energy (DOE) budget from Steve Trischman, Director of the
Office of Budget and Planning for DOE's Office of Environmental Management.
There will also be a Q&A session at the end of the meeting.
|
Nuclear waste storage foes fall short in New Mexico legislature
Bloomberg Law | 2/17/2022
|
|
|
ECA will continue to report on this story as more details become available.
A New Mexico bill to block high-level nuclear waste in the state automatically died Thursday when the legislature ended its session without a vote.
The unsuccessful measure (H.B. 127) sought to stymie Holtec International’s plans for storing radioactive material from commercial U.S. power plants by outlawing the issuance of state permits.
An identical bill in the state's upper chamber (S.B. 54) was heard by one committee that moved it forward without an endorsement.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) and other state leaders who oppose the proposed waste facility have filed a federal lawsuit contesting the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s licensing authority.
|
|
|
|
|
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT
|
MARCH 1 & 2, 2022
The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (Board) will hold a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, and Wednesday, March 2, 2022, to review information on the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) activities related to spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). Specifically, the meeting will cover research and development (R&D) on SNF and
HLW storage, transportation, non-site-specific disposal, DOE’s integrated waste management system, and its consent-based siting process to identify federal interim storage facilities.
Details for joining and viewing the meeting will be available on the Board’s website (www.nwtrb.gov) approximately one week before the meeting. The meeting will begin on both days at 12:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST) and is scheduled to adjourn at approximately 5:00 p.m. EST.
The meeting will be open to the public and there will be opportunities for public comments.
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.
MARCH 8, 2022
The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to notify interested parties of DOE's intent to solicit applications for certification of nuclear reactors for eligibility to submit of sealed bids for the Civil Nuclear Credit (CNC) Program credits from nuclear reactor owners or operators that are at risk of ceasing operations due to economic factors and intent to request sealed bids from certified reactors for allocation of available
credits.
The Department also seeks input from all stakeholders through a Request for Information regarding the establishment of a CNC Program including the application, certification, and selection processes.
Written comments and information are requested on or before March 17, 2022. The Department intends to develop initial draft guidance for the certification applications during the NOI/RFI comment period. It is strongly preferred that respondents comment on issues affecting certification directly via the email address (rfi-cnc@nuclear.energy.gov) by March 8, 2022.
|
|
|
|
|
CROET president tells Oak Ridge story on national podcast
Gone Fission Nuclear Report | 2/21/2022
Teresa Frady, president of the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee (CROET) and member of the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA), is the Spotlight Interview guest on this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, which covers Department of Energy (DOE) environmental management activities around the
nation.
Frady shared with Butler’s listeners CROET’s mission to help DOE transition underutilized assets such as land, buildings, and equipment to private sector companies at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), also known as the Heritage Center. She recently replaced Lawrence Young, who had served as CROET’s President and Chief Executive
Officer since its founding in 1995.
“Our partnership with DOE in transferring federal land helps the region with creation of quality jobs, but also adds the property to Roane County and City of Oak Ridge tax rolls,” she said. “This helps the communities and saves the federal government money since DOE no longer has to maintain those assets.”
In her new management role, Frady plans to build on the vision that was established for CROET when the organization was founded in 1995.
“I want to finalize the remaining property transfers from DOE to get those properties into the hands of the private sector for redevelopment,” she said. “My emphasis in the near term is to continue working with our current clients to help them be successful as part of the Heritage Center.”
In 2017, CROET was established by the State of Tennessee as Park Manager of ETTP/Heritage Center and oversees the multi-use industrial park composed of former federal land transferred to the Oak Ridge community by DOE. To date, DOE has transferred approximately 1,300 acres of federal land to CROET following complete environmental remediation and state, federal, and Congressional review and approval.
Frady said a lot of companies find the location very attractive.
“It’s on the outskirts of the City of Oak Ridge on a major highway and in close proximity to Interstates 40 and 75,” she said. “Most areas of the site have infrastructure already in place or very nearby, so that’s a plus. There’s also rail access that connects to the site.”
In addition to Frady's interview, the 'Gone Fission' episode features discussion on the recent campaign made by ECA members at the Hanford site on the importance of Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT).
Local government officials joined superintendents from local school districts in authoring letters to the Secretary of Energy on the vital roles these payments play in their communities. The Tri-City Herald, a local news organization, also penned an editorial urging DOE not to overlook PILT payments again.
The Gone Fission Nuclear Report covers the latest developments in environmental cleanup across the DOE complex. DOE is now engaged in the largest environmental remediation program in history, cleaning up nuclear production sites across the U.S. that were used to support national security missions for 75 years.
“Some of the work on these sites dates back to the super-secret Manhattan Project, a national priority to develop the first atomic bomb that helped end World War II,” Butler said. “Cleanup of these sites is a multi-decade effort, requiring thousands of trained professionals and highly skilled crafts people with budgets in the billions of dollars.
|
|
|
|
SITE INFRASTRUCTURE
NUCLEAR ENERGY
|
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.
|
|
|
|
