LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER for the ECA Forum: Hosting New Nuclear Development
ECA Staff | 7/27/2022
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Recognizing the opportunity to address goals shared broadly among U.S. Department of Energy program offices and in frontline communities across the federal nuclear complex, the Energy Communities Alliance will host the ECA Forum:
Hosting New Nuclear Development on August 3-5, 2022 at the Salt Lake City Marriott University Park.
TO REGISTER, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
FOR THE CURRENT AGENDA, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
NEW SPEAKERS CONFIRMED:
- Dr. Katy Huff, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy;
- David Wright, Commissioner, Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
- Todd Shrader, Deputy Director for Project Management, Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations;
- James Schaefer, Senior Managing Director, Guggenheim Securities;
- Christine King, Director, Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear;
- Dr. Ashley Finan, Director, National Reactor Innovation Center;
- Mayor Rebecca Casper, Idaho Falls, ID;
- Mayor Bill Thek, Kemmerer, WY;
- Richard Arnold, Spokesperson, Consolidated Group of Tribes and Organizations;
- John Revier, Director of State and Regional Government Affairs, Idaho National Laboratory;
- Chris Colbert, Chief Financial Officer, NuScale Power;
- Dr. Meritxell Martell, Executive Director, Group of European Municipalities with Nuclear Facilities;
- Sharon Fain, Vice President, Rocky Mountain Power Wyoming;
- Rita Meyer, Executive Outreach, TerraPower;
- Rick McLeod, President/CEO, Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization;
- Dave McCormack, Executive Director, Clean Energy Supplier Alliance;
- Karl Dye, President/CEO, Tri-City Development Council; and
- Jackie Toth, Deputy Director, Good Energy Collective...
...in addition to representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy and Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, the International Atomic Energy Agency, national laboratories, University of Michigan’s Fastest Path to Zero, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and more!
This is your last chance to register - please do so today!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
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SAVE OUR DATES
September 21-23, 2022
NEW VENUE: CRYSTAL GATEWAY MARRIOTT IN ARLINGTON, VA!
We are pleased to host the 2022 National Cleanup Workshop at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. Join us to discuss a new era of cleanup success. Hear from senior DOE officials, local government officials, and industry leaders about DOE's cleanup priorities, the future of the workforce, and more.
Additional information on registration and hotel room blocks is available here. We look forward to seeing you in September!
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DOE could save billions on depleted uranium cleanup, report finds
ECA Staff | 7/27/2022
Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report recommending Congress give clearer legal authorities to the Department of Energy (DOE)
regarding its ability to sell depleted uranium, which could potentially save the Department billions of dollars.
DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) is responsible for cleaning up the nuclear waste left behind at two former federal uranium enrichment sites – the Portsmouth site in Ohio, and Paducah site in Kentucky. These sites now convert DUF6, a dangerous byproduct of the uranium enrichment process, into a more stable chemical form that can be disposed of or reused.
DOE estimates it could cost at least $7.2 billion to convert and dispose of the DUF6 at its sites. But if DOE can transfer portions of its DUF6 inventory—such as by selling some to a private company—it could save billions. However, it's unclear if DOE has authority to sell depleted uranium.
GAO recommended Congress consider clarifying DOE's authority to sell depleted uranium.
What GAO found
According to EM, the agency spent about $47.4 million on modifications during the COVID-19 shutdown that officials say will improve the facilities' efficiency. EM has not fully assessed the impact of this shutdown on the conversion mission, but officials said that they were developing new cost and schedule estimates for the facilities that will be finalized in 2022.
EM has three agreements to reserve nearly 30,000 cylinders of DUF6 (about 44 percent of the inventory) for use by other entities. If the agreements are finalized, the agency may not need to convert all its DUF6 and could reduce operations of the conversion facilities by roughly 30 years, potentially saving over $2 billion in operations costs.
EM has two agreements to transfer ownership of nearly 5,500 cylinders to the National Nuclear Security Administration for two separate programs, but the plans and timing of one agreement are uncertain. EM has also reserved over 24,000 cylinders to sell to a private company. However, DOE's authority to sell depleted uranium is doubtful, as it appears to be inconsistent with the 1996 legislation governing DOE uranium disposition.
Clarifying DOE's authority to sell depleted uranium could help avoid litigation that could interrupt DOE's efforts to sell DUF6.
EM has identified options for disposing of depleted uranium oxide, but plans have not been finalized. EM has determined that three waste disposal sites may be suitable for the depleted uranium oxide but, as of March 2022, only one site is licensed to receive it.
Officials said that the agency has been waiting for funding to begin the disposal process. In addition, EM has directed its contractor to sell hydrofluoric acid to a private company and apply the proceeds of those sales to contract costs.
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DOE selects Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor design for VTR in Idaho
DOE-NE | 7/27/2022
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently issued a record of decision (ROD) to build a sodium-cooled fast test reactor at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). If appropriated by Congress, the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) would be the first fast
spectrum test reactor to operate in the United States in nearly three decades.
The VTR project would help modernize U.S. nuclear energy research and development infrastructure and dramatically accelerate the technology development for current and next-generation reactors.
The U.S. will need both existing and new advanced reactors to meet the nation’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
RECORD OF DECISION
DOE issued the ROD to build a high-flux, fast neutron test reactor at INL, along with additional facilities for post-irradiation examination and the management of spent VTR driver fuel. According to the Final VTR Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS), building and operating the VTR test facility at the INL site would have minimal impacts to the environment.
“Bringing a fast neutron test source back to the U.S. is an investment in our transition to a future carbon-free economy,” said Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dr. Kathryn Huff. “Now that we have completed this important step in the decision-making process, I look forward to working with Congress to obtain the funding needed to someday make VTR a reality.”
Although Congress did not provide Fiscal Year 2022 funding for VTR, DOE has requested FY 2023 funding to help move the VTR project forward toward the design phase.
THE VERSATILE TEST REACTOR
DOE established the VTR program in 2018. The team includes experts from 6 national laboratories, 19 universities, and 9 industry partners.
Once built, VTR will generate higher neutron fluxes to test nuclear materials up to 10 times faster than what is currently capable in the United States. This testing capability only exists in Russia today.
VTR experiments would dramatically reduce the time it takes the U.S. to develop nuclear fuels, materials, instrumentation, and sensors for nuclear reactors. This research could help extend lifetime cores, boost fuel performance, and even accelerate fusion materials research.
DOE issued its Final VTR EIS in May 2022 as part of its formal process to manage high-capital construction projects.
The Department has not decided yet whether to establish VTR driver fuel production capabilities for feedstock preparation and fuel fabrication at the INL site or the Savanah River site. Once a preferred option is identified, DOE will announce its preference in a Federal Register notice.
Learn more about the VTR project HERE.
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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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