ECA highlights new report calling on DOE leadership and Congress to re-energize disposal solutions for radioactive waste Key points and recommendations presented at WMS 2023 ECA Staff | 3/6/2023 |
The Energy Communities Alliance (ECA), the
organization of local communities near U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national defense sites, is urging DOE to prioritize and take action to finalize disposal pathways for the radioactive waste under the Department’s cleanup responsibility. During the Waste Management Symposia 2023, ECA presented the key points and recommendations of the new report, "Disposal Drives
Cleanup: Re-Energizing Momentum for Disposal Solutions for Radioactive Waste," calling on DOE to launch the initiative to develop the actual waste disposition approaches. The Department could potentially save hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded cleanup costs by using its available tools and implementing the report’s recommendations. ECA also spoke with DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) leadership - including Senior Advisor William "Ike" White - about the report, highlighting the simple truth that "DOE cannot
safely and effectively complete its environmental cleanup obligations without clear and achievable waste disposal pathways and locations for ALL of the waste under DOE’s responsibility," as the report states. The Department has made significant progress toward the cleanup mission and has demonstrated its ability to safely manage waste over multiple decades. Renewed focus and action are now needed to develop disposal solutions for some of DOE’s most pressing waste types, including waste resulting from former spent nuclear fuel reprocessing
activities; high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel and Greater-than-Class-C low-level waste. DOE also needs to take action to ensure sustained engagement and support for communities that could host disposal options. Without such disposal solutions, DOE faces continued delays in addressing one of its largest environmental hazards and financial costs, along with continued delays in completing cleanup activities and impacted relationships with state, local and Tribal governments and engaged
stakeholders. “DOE’s cleanup liability is one of the
largest in the nation, and delay or lack of expediency could easily overwhelm available funding. It is DOE’s responsibility to abide by its legal and moral obligations to achieve waste treatment and disposal safely and efficiently for long-term protection of the environment, workers, and public,” the report states. The report offers the following recommendations to develop more efficient and equitable approaches to address the waste management challenges DOE faces today: - Prioritize Use of the High-Level Waste Interpretation
- Support and Complete the Consent-Based Siting Process
- Select a Disposal Site for GTCC Waste
- Support WIPP and Develop and Issue Long-Term, Integrated Plans for Operations
- Continue to Emphasize Regular, Meaningful Engagement with Communities
- Provide Technical Assistance to Communities to Address Waste Issues
- Re-evaluate the Practice of Incentivizing Contractors to Open a Waste Site in the Contracting
- Process Prior to Obtaining Community Support and Regulatory Approval
- Maximize the Use of Public and
Private Disposal Site Options
- Create Tools to Show a Community the Impacts of Waste Decisions
To view a presentation of the report, please click here. To read the full report, please click here. For more information, please contact ECA Program Manager Sarah Templeton at saraht@energyca.org. |
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Energy Northwest statement on X-energy-Dow announcement Agency continuing plans to deploy advanced small modular reactor technology in Washington state Energy Northwest | 3/1/23 Following a joint announcement this morning from X-energy and Dow on plans to deploy a Xe-100 high temperature gas-cooled
reactor at a Dow industrial facility in the U.S. Gulf Coast, as part of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, Energy Northwest offered the following statement:
“The X-energy Xe-100 is Energy Northwest’s
preferred small modular reactor technology, and we remain committed to deploying an advanced SMR in Washington state. Our state’s clean energy mandates are driving the need for firm, dispatchable, carbon-free electricity and the Xe-100 could be an ideal fit for our region, as well as a valuable addition to Energy Northwest’s existing portfolio of zero-emitting energy resources,” said Bob Schuetz, Energy Northwest CEO.
“Dow’s selection of the Xe-100 confirms what our own analysis found: X-energy’s innovative technology will be a vital tool in our clean energy transition. We look forward to continuing our extraordinary partnership with X-energy and our focus remains on working with our utility and industrial customers to deploy an
advanced reactor by the end of the decade. As X-energy demonstrates its technology alongside Dow as part of ARDP, we will support and learn from their work to optimize, deliver, and develop future projects together. Working collaboratively to deploy multiple advanced reactors in a short timeframe will be beneficial to both Dow and Energy Northwest, as well as to the entire advanced nuclear industry.”
Key Points:
- The partnership between Energy Northwest and X-energy remains strong. Our collaboration over the past two years gives us increased confidence in X-energy’s technology and
the ability to deploy a Xe-100 in Washington state.
- Given the Northwest’s clean energy goals and mandates, X-energy’s advanced reactor technology can provide numerous benefits to our rapidly decarbonizing electric sector and will seamlessly integrate with hydropower and renewable energy resources.
- Energy Northwest has received considerable project interest from both utility and industrial customers – with a fast-approaching need for new sources of carbon-free energy – and the agency remains focused on pursuing a deployment this decade.
- As an at-cost developer and provider of electricity to public power utilities, Energy Northwest does not have the
significant development capital on hand to initiate this project without a committed off-taker, compared to a company such as Dow. Working collaboratively with Dow will put us in a strong position to gain the commitments necessary to take the next steps to build an Xe-100 in central Washington. Our focus is on securing project financing, and we have identified several viable pathways to successfully execute this project.
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Interactive guide for communities and governments to help navigate nuclear waste cleanup The Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) recently released the Guide to Successful Environmental Cleanup, an interactive online resource that provides frequently asked questions, case studies, and recommendations regarding nuclear waste cleanup. To assist local government officials, their communities, and federal agencies in deciphering the
complexities of the environmental cleanup process, ECA developed this guide to facilitate future successful cleanups. |
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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 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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