ECA WEBINAR: ADVANCED NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT: AN INTRODUCTORY CONVERSATION WITH U.S. DOE & U.S. NRC

In coordination with the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), ECA is excited to host the first in a new series of educational webinars, "Advanced Nuclear Technology Deployment: An Introductory Conversation with U.S. DOE & U.S. NRC" on Wednesday, February 21st at 2pm EST.

This webinar series is designed for any local, State, Tribal governments and communities interested in learning more about advanced reactors developments, demonstrations, and deployments.

We hope you will join ECA's Director of Nuclear Policy, Kara Colton, in this important discussion featuring:

• Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary, Office of Nuclear Energy, DOE
• John Lubinski, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, NRC

The webinar is open to all interested participants and will have time for audience Q&A. There is no fee to participate but registration is required in advance. 

We hope you can join us and please contact ECA Program Director, Faith Sanchez, (faiths@energyca.org) with any questions.

THE WAR OVER BURYING NUCLEAR WASTE IN AMERICA'S BUSIEST OIL FIELD

The Wall Street Journal | 02/18/2024

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal released an article covering the controversy in the Permian Basin between oil and gas producers and the nuclear sector. 

Holtec International has recently been granted a 40-year license that would allow them to rail thousands of spent nuclear fuel canisters to Lea County, New Mexico. They would then store the containers below ground. However, the nation's busiest oil field in the Permian Basin underlies Lea County. Oil producers are opposing the facility, stating that any nuclear incident in the area would have "devastating consequences for U.S. energy and the local economy". 

ECA member, Jack Volpato is featured as a community leader in the area that support the Holtec project, stating that "the area has to plan for a future where oil and gas extraction provides fewer jobs". Volpato then goes on to say, "We think nuclear energy and managing nuclear products is the way of the future". 

Read the article >>

WE ARE AIKEN COUNTY: SAVANNAH RIVER SITE MUSEUM LETS VISITORS SEE BEHIND THE FENCES

Aiken Standard | 02/13/2024

Most people can’t visit the Savannah River Site,  but they can visit the Savannah River Site Museum in downtown Aiken to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the fences.

A prominent exhibit, located to the left of the entrance, features models of the reactors that were at the site and a large board displaying the products made at the site which include plutonium, tritium and several other elements used for medical research. 

But the museum goes beyond that, said Susie Ferrara, a member of the nonprofit governing board and the Cold War history program manager at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. 

It also tells the story of the 6,000 people who had to uproot themselves, their children and sometimes their homes to make way for the 310-square-mile site located south of Aiken. 

The museum also tells the story of the site’s work with NASA and the space program.

Spoiler alert: The site produced the plutonium 238 used to power several generations of NASA probes including both Voyagers, Galileo, Ulysses, Cassini and the New Horizons. 

There are also exhibits on radiation and the work of the Savannah River Ecology Lab. 

The museum also has an example of a fallout shelter — there is an actual fallout shelter in the parkway one block north near the intersection of Park Avenue and Laurens Street — and videos about the importance of safety and security during the early days of the site and the Cold War. 

Continue reading >>

REGISTRATION IS LIVE FOR ECA's New Nuclear Forum: Building Nuclear Partnerships and Projects, May 8-9, 2024 in Kennewick, WA

ECA is excited to be hosting its third New Nuclear Forum, the only meeting designed to bring together DOE, federal, state, local and tribal governments and policymakers with developers, utilities, regulators, industry, and academia to identify opportunities, challenges and to build the partnerships necessary to support nuclear development.

Communities across the country are considering nuclear projects for many reasons - from diversifying regional economies, creating clean energy jobs or meeting carbon reduction goals, to increasing energy security and rebuilding the U.S. supply chain.  Some communities have a familiarity with nuclear energy projects, while others are just beginning to evaluate potential interest.  The ECA Forum is designed to enable shared learning so that local, State and Tribal governments evaluating nuclear projects can be meaningfully engaged - and prepared - to match the strengths and needs of their communities with new nuclear opportunities.  

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
The ECA Forum is open to communities, State, Tribal and local policymakers, industry, utilities, developers, experts, financiers, state legislators, community groups, and economic development organizations working to build capacity and support for new nuclear development in the U.S.

MEETING GOALS:
This meeting is part of ECA's New Nuclear Initiative to define the role of local governments in supporting the development of the new nuclear technologies, and answer three core questions:

• What do communities need to know to attract and support new nuclear development/missions?
• How can communities support industry, national laboratories, state, and federal governments and how should they communicate about local resources and development opportunities?
• What hurdles and challenges will communities face - along with industry and developers - and who can we work with to overcome them?

AGENDA:
ECA, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy, has developed an agenda that continues to look holistically at the what a nuclear project entails: from the front-end of the fuel-cycle to the back-end of the fuel cycle, from building local support, to state support and enabling legislation, from identifying the right public-private partnerships, to understanding regulatory oversight. Session topics include:

• How to Build Community Acceptance
• Reusing Energy Sites for New Nuclear Development
• Understanding Industrial Applications of Nuclear Energy
• Pursuing a Reliable, Domestic Nuclear Fuel Supply
• Rebuilding the U.S. Nuclear Supply

OPTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:
Tuesday, May 7, 2024: ECA is offering an optional "Nuclear 101" for participants new to nuclear energy.
Friday, May 10, 2024: ECA is offering an optional tour:  Historic Hanford Tour / Future of Nuclear around Hanford Tour.  Additional registration will be required and openings are limited.

QUESTIONS?
For any questions, comments, or to learn more about the ECA New Nuclear Forums, please contact Kara Colton, ECA Director of Nuclear Policy, at kara.colton@energyca.org or Faith Sanchez, ECA Program Director, at faiths@energyca.org.

NEW MEDIA:

Gone Fission Nuclear Report: The Birth of the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus

February 12, 2024 | S4E3

Consistent, reliable Congressional funding is an essential element of success in the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, host Michael Butler interviews two former members of Congress who were instrumental in creation of the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus in the mid-1990s. Our guests are former Washington State Congressman Doc Hastings, whose district included the Hanford site, and former Tennessee Congressman Zach Wamp who represented Oak Ridge. Over the past 30 years, the Caucus has worked diligently to educate fellow members about the importance of cleanup and to keep funding flowing to meet site cleanup priorities across the country.

UPCOMING ECA EVENTS: 

ECA Webinar: Advanced Nuclear Technology Deployment: An Introductory Conversation with U.S. DOE & U.S. NRC

February 21, 2024 at 2pm EST | Zoom Webinar

Register Here

ECA Forum: Building Nuclear Partnerships & Projects

May 8-9, 2024 | Kennewick, WA

Register Here | Agenda | Sponsorship Information

2024 National Cleanup Workshop

September 16-18, 2024 | Crystal Gateway Marriott (Arlington, VA)

More Information Here

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.