New Report: Review of the Continued Analysis of Supplemental Treatment Approaches of Low-Activity Waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation National Academies Nuclear and Radiation Studies | 5/22/23 |
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The Hanford Nuclear Reservation, located in the state of Washington, produced
about two-thirds of the nation’s plutonium stockpile for nuclear weapons from 1944 until the last reactor was shut down in 1987. As a result, substantial amounts of radioactive and other hazardous wastes accumulated at Hanford; presently, about 56 million gallons of waste are stored in 177 underground tanks. Treating and disposing of that waste is expected to take 40-50 years at a cost of more than $50 billion.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM), which is responsible for the cleanup, plans to use vitrification, or immobilization in glass waste forms, for all of the “high-level waste” at Hanford (about 10 percent of the volume and up to 99 percent of the radioactivity). The remainder—about 90 percent of the volume—is
designated “low-activity waste,” some of which also will be vitrified. However, because of capacity limits at the new vitrification plant that DOE is building, DOE must find alternatives for treating the remaining low-activity waste—referred to as “supplemental low-activity waste” or SLAW—for safe disposal in a near-surface disposal site.
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 (Section 3125) required DOE-EM to create a framework for decision-making that enables direct comparison, to the greatest extent possible, of proposed approaches for treating SLAW (see Box 1). DOE contracted with key Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), led by Savannah River National Laboratory, to carry out the analysis. Congress also specified that the
National Academies provide ongoing review and advice to the FFRDC. This trilogy of reports from the National Academies reviews the FFRDC’s third report released in January 2023.
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REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
September 11-13, 2023
Arlington, VA
Join
us for the 9th annual National Cleanup Workshop at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. Register today to hear from senior DOE leaders, local government officials, and industry leaders about the future of DOE’s Environmental Management program. *Rates increase on July 1, 2023. If you have questions or are interested in sponsorship, please contact Autumn Bogus at abogus@la-inc.com. For more information, please visit cleanupworkshop.com. |
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EM Organizational Changes DOE-EM | 5/22/23
The following message was distributed as part of a "EM Colleagues" email:
Today, we are announcing the realignment of offices at EM to improve the efficiency, focus, and integration of our efforts to deliver the mission. This realignment will reduce layers within the EM organization and improve the integration of certain functions. I want to be clear that this realignment is limited to changing the reporting structure for several senior executive service leaders within EM. No positions will
be downgraded or eliminated, no employees will be relocated geographically, and no duties or bargaining unit statuses will change. The Field Managers for Carlsbad, Hanford, Idaho, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Portsmouth and Paducah, and Savannah River will report to the front office through the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (EM-2). The Director of the Consolidated Business Center will continue to report directly to EM-5 for business operations and will be matrixed to the front office through EM-2 for site operations. This flatter organizational structure better reflects how the
front office interacts with the field. Additionally, this structure will facilitate greater EM-3 focus on core functions within its office. The Office of Communications and the Office of Regulatory, Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Engagement will report to the front office through EM-2. This realignment will enable greater coordination and collaboration between these two functions and EM leadership. Kristen Ellis will continue to be dual-hatted in leading EM-4 and the Office of Regulatory, Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Engagement.
The overall organizational structure of EM is shown below. With this structure, EM Headquarters is better positioned to deliver results in the next and critical phase of our important mission. |
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Check out ECA's latest report!
DISPOSAL DRIVES CLEANUP: RE-ENERGIZING MOMENTUM FOR DISPOSAL SOLUTIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE
This report calls on the Department of Energy to launch the
initiative to develop the actual waste disposition approaches. The Department could potentially save hundreds of billions of dollars in cleanup costs by using its available tools and implementing the report’s recommendations.
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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