PUBLICATIONS AND COMMENTS
ECA LEADS A CALL TO DOE ASKING FOR CLEAR EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROTOCOL AT FORMER DEFENSE SITES
ECA Staff | 01/24/2024 On Monday, ECA led a call on DOE to establish clear protocols or policy for responding to site emergencies and incidents at former defense nuclear facilities. ECA members developed this letter in wake of DOE's response to a cylinder unexpectedly exploding at the Mound Site in late September 2023. When the community reached out to DOE, the initial response was that the Department had "transferred the land as is where is" and therefore, it was the community's responsibility to address. Community leaders made multiple
requests for DOE assistance to determine if other previously unknown hazardous materials had been buried at the site prior to conveyance, but it took several weeks before the Office of Legacy Management actively engaged. Fortunately in this case, no hazardous materials were known to be released, but the situation illustrated the need for clear protocols to respond to site emergencies and unforeseen events in the future. ECA also shared the letter with DOE's Office of Legacy Management and Environmental Management, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other DOE stakeholders. Use this link to read the full letter..
IS THIS THE YEAR FOR BIPARTISAN ACTION ON ADVANCED NUCLEAR?
E&E Daily | 01/24/2024 Last year was a big disappointment for backers of nuclear energy, but lawmakers now think 2024 could be their best chance to deliver transformative regulatory overhaul legislation to the president’s desk. That’s because bipartisan leaders in the House and Senate are doing something rare these days: working together across chambers. Policy staffers on the House Energy and Commerce and Senate Environment and Public Works committees are in active discussions to come up with a compromise package between their respective nuclear energy bills: the “Atomic Energy Advancement Act,” H.R. 6544, and the “Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act of 2023,” S.
1111. The bills are designed to encourage and augment the new build-out of the next
generation of nuclear reactors, known as advanced reactors. “A lot of the same elements that are in our nuclear package are in
the House package,” said Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “So we’re in active discussions, trying to see what package we could put together that would go forward.” Indeed, both bills would accomplish similar goals to limit the regulatory burden on new and existing nuclear plants through streamlining of environmental regulations and incentives to make licensing less expensive. In some cases, provisions in the two bills would enact the exact same policies. The technology could use some good news. Last year, one of the Biden administration’s flagship advanced nuclear projects from NuScale Power was scrapped due to budget and timeline concerns, raising questions over whether advanced reactors will ever play a large role in the power sector. Nuclear boosters on Capitol Hill are undeterred. “We’re having good, bipartisan conversations at the member level and at the staff level,” said Tom Carper, chair of EPW and leader of the “ADVANCE Act” alongside Capito. “There’s more than a little bit of common ground … and I’m encouraged.” Pro-nuclear lawmakers have long had reason to be encouraged. Both Democrats and Republicans have overwhelmingly voted in favor of nuclear energy in recent months, and the
Biden administration made a commitment at COP28 to help triple world nuclear capacity by 2050. The bills have also attracted
wide, bipartisan support. Climate hawks Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) are supporters of the Senate bill, as is Energy and Natural Resources ranking member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Moreover, key proponents from both parties will be leaving Congress after this year and will be seeking to cement their legacies. That being said, bipartisan momentum for nuclear regulatory reform hasn’t so far resulted in major legislation getting to the president’s desk, and lawmakers will once again fight against the current political climate in the hopes of finally getting something done. “An election year always makes policy more difficult, but we have more overlapping interests than ever before,” said Capito. “Therein lies the key, we have to light a fire and get the urgency going.” 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.
INTERESTED IN BEING A SPONSOR? To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Autumn Bogus, ECA Forum Staff, at abogus@la-inc.com.
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 Manager, at faiths@energyca.org.
NEW MEDIA: Gone Fission Nuclear Report: Remembering Gary Peterson January 8, 2024 | S4E1 Every DOE community has local leaders who step up to advocate for funding and new missions and to hold the Department of Energy accountable for its cleanup obligations.
These leaders take the time to educate themselves on site issues, get to know DOE leaders and members of Congress, and use their voices and influence to represent their communities. In this week’s episode, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report remembers one such leader--Gary Petersen, a long-time passionate advocate for the Hanford site in Washington State, who passed away last October, leaving an impressive legacy of advocacy and support.
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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. |
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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