REGISTER NOW! ECA WEBINAR: CLEANUP TO CLEAN ENERGY: HOW TO DEVELOP A PROJECT ON FEDERAL LAND

Join ECA on Tuesday, October 31 at 2pm for an engaging discussion on DOE's Cleanup to Clean Energy Initiative "Cleanup to Clean Energy: How to Develop a Project on Federal Land". Register to learn more from experts, Candice Robertson, Senior Policy Advisor, DOE-EM, Seth Kirshenberg, ECA Executive Director, and Peter Flynn, Bostonia Partners.

• Hanford Site, Richland, WA
• Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
• Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, NV
• Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC
• Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Carlsbad, NM

Reach out to Faith Sanchez, ECA Program Manager (faiths@energyca.org) with any questions. 

AMERICA'S STRATEGIC POSTURE COMMITTEE REPORT

ECA Staff | 10/25/2023

On October 12th, the Strategic Posture Commission (SPC) released its latest report on U.S. nuclear policy and strategic stability. This 12-member Commission was chosen by Congress in 2022 to conduct a threat assessment and provide recommendations. This report focuses on modernization. The first SPC report was released in 2009. Since then China's military has seen a rapid build-up, as well Russia's expansion of their nuclear systems has altered the geopolitical landscape. This report is a long-term view of all parts of nuclear weapons development and deployment. 

The SPC makes it clear that their report was written to address and respond to this new environment, that is more dangerous and competitive to the one over a decade ago. 

"For the most part the Commission deliberately avoided making specific force structure recommendations; instead, we identified capabilities beyond the existing program of record (POR) that will be needed. We believe it is appropriate to leave specific material solution decisions to the Executive Branch and Congress. We were clear, however, that the nuclear force modernization POR is absolutely essential, although not sufficient to meet the new threats posed by Russia and China, and that the elements of the POR should be completed on time, expedited wherever possible, and expanded as needed". 

Some of the highlights in this report are listed below:

Infrastructure Challenges:

"Facilities requiring construction, expansion, refurbishment, replacement, and/or recapitalization include but are not limited to the following infrastructure projects and their respective specializations:

• (Plutonium Research and Pit Production) LANL’s Technical Area (TA) 55 –which includes Plutonium Facility 4 (PF-4)– and the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF);
• (High Explosive Research and Production) The High Explosives Science and Engineering (HESE) and High Explosive
• Synthesis, Formulation, and Production (HESFP)facilities at Pantex; 
• (Lithium Processing) The Lithium Processing Facility (LPF), at the Y-12 site in Oak Ridge, TN;
• (Uranium Processing) The Uranium Processing Facility (UPF), also at Y-12;
• (Non-Nuclear Components) Expansion of Kansas City National Security Complex through the Kansas City Non Nuclear Component Expansion Transformation (KCNExT) project; and
• (Tritium) Re-establishment of the Tritium Finishing Facility at Savannah River.

In addition to these ongoing efforts,there are many other facilities within the NSE that will also need to be newly constructed,recapitalized, or replaced within the next 30 years,to support missions like Depleted Uranium Processing, certification of nuclear weapons, and more".

Workforce Challenges:

"The DOE /NNSA has similar issues with workforce capacity; pit production is a prime example of this challenge. In a 2019 independent study, the following were cited as some of the issues challenging the pit production workforce.  

• Hiring and Onboarding: The long pipeline of recruiting, training, and the security clearance process puts strain on planned the pit production timelines.  
• Attrition: Due to the lengthy recruitment and training timelines, the NNSA must consider projected retention challenges and anticipate a need for surge in the workforce up to five years in advance.  
• Knowledge Transfer: The effects of attrition and the need to ramp up the workforce to meet the production needs of the near future increases the need to preserve and transfer knowledge of the weapons production enterprise so manufacturing can occur at scale.

The full report can be read here. 

CANHC TO PARTNER WITH CANADA'S INDEPENDENT NUCLEAR REGULATOR

CANHC | 10/23/2023

The Canadian Association of Nuclear Host Communities (CANHC) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) have signed a new arrangement for engagement and collaboration. This unprecedented partnership will help build trust and foster cooperation between the nuclear regulator and current and future nuclear host communities. 

“This partnership will ensure that relevant and meaningful information reaches the public in communities near nuclear facilities. There is no nuclear industry without willing host communities. As crucial partners in transitioning to a low-carbon future, local communities need meaningful engagement, capacity and support from the nuclear regulator, governments, and the nuclear industry,” said CANHC Chair Adrian Foster, Mayor of Clarington. 

CANHC is a not-for-profit association that supports current, future, and interested nuclear host communities, champions their best interests and fosters an ongoing proactive relationship with the Canadian nuclear regulator. As Canada’s independent nuclear regulator, the CNSC disseminates objective scientific, technical, and regulatory information to the public and can support CANHC in building capacity and knowledge on nuclear matters. 

“We’re pleased to be collaborating with the Canadian Association of Nuclear Host Communities to help in partnering and supporting capacity building with communities located near existing or proposed nuclear facilities. This important work will help to ensure we are providing relevant and meaningful information to the public,” said Clare Cattrysse, Director, Indigenous and Stakeholder Relations Division, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Foster and Cattrysse signed the terms of reference on October 19, 2023, at the International Atomic Energy Agency conference in Vienna, Austria. 

“Local municipalities have a central role to play in enabling the supply of safe and reliable nuclear energy. This partnership acknowledges that role and the accompanying need to fully engage communities that host nuclear facilities,” said Foster. 

Background: 

     • The Canadian Association of Nuclear Host Communities (CANHC) represents communities with a common interest as a host (or host-to-be) of nuclear technology. Our vision is to support nuclear host communities with a robust and independent network of resources and knowledge to enable them to fully participate in the energy, technological and economic benefits of nuclear power. 

     • The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has two funding programs to assist stakeholders in preparing for and participating in environmental and licensing reviews and offering capacity funding to stakeholders in support of collaborative activities and capacity building with the CNSC. CANHC has taken advantage of these funding programs on behalf of our host municipalities to support the review of preparing topic-specific submissions to the Commission and, just recently, to support CANHC in the growing capacity to implement their new collaboration arrangement with CNSC. 

     • Membership in the Association is available to upper and lower-tier municipalities, which are hosts to an existing or future-approved nuclear facility, including research, radioactive waste management, and energy-producing facilities. CANHC includes Associate Memberships for communities who are either in the process of, or interested in, hosting a nuclear or related facility. 

     • As nuclear technology within Canada looks to expand (e.g., small modular reactors) and the work continues to explore potential host communities for a used nuclear fuel repository, the potential for many new communities to become hosts emerges. CANHC is working to expand its membership to support even more nuclear host communities. 

     • CANHC strives to share best practices among host communities, to demonstrate through safe and positive community partnership the benefits of nuclear energy through all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, to play a key role in supporting the advancement of Canada’s nuclear technology, and to be a central public voice and the main community authority when it comes to nuclear safety, security and public opinion. For more information, please visit www.canhc.ca.

View full press release here. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Adding Nuclear to the Mix: NEI, EPRI, NETL, WVU, AND GAIN

This event serves as a platform to bring together diverse stakeholders including local communities, policymakers, utility companies, and energy innovators to delve into the dynamic landscape of enhancing energy portfolios. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the evolving energy industry, focusing on the integration of innovative value-added energy solutions. By participating, you'll have the opportunity to learn about the current developments and opportunities in the nuclear and sustainable energy generation space. Whether you're seeking to better understand the future of energy, explore ways to support local economies, or foster resilient energy practices, this conference offers a unique chance to connect, learn, and contribute to the ongoing transformation of our energy systems.

The conference registration is live: https://gain.inl.gov/SitePages/2023.11.1415_AddingNuclearToTheMix.aspx

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.

NEW MEDIA

NucleCast: Admiral Hyman Rickover: Establishment of the U.S. Navy's Nuclear Submarine Program

Marc Wortman, PhD, is an independent historian and freelance journalist. He is the author of four books on American military and social history, most recently Admiral Hyman Rickover: Engineer of Power (Yale University Press, 2022), which was named a National Review Book of the Year and received an honorable mention for the John Lyman Award in biography from the North American Society for Oceanic History. His other books are 1941: Fighting the Shadow War, A Divided America in a World at War (Atlantic Monthly, 2016); The Bonfire: The Siege and Burning of Atlanta (PublicAffairs, 2009), and The Millionaires’ Unit: The Aristocratic Flyboys Who Fought the Great War and Invented American Air Power (PublicAffairs, 2006). A multi-prize-winning feature-length documentary based on The Millionaires’ Unit is available on streaming services.