NACO VOTES ON POLICY PROPOSALS ON NUCLEAR WASTE AND ENERGY
ECA Staff | 08/12/24 Last month, the National Association of Counties (NACo) held their annual conference in Florida to discuss federal policies impacting counties, best practices, and other issues brought forth by the 3,069 counties, parishes, and boroughs in attendance. The Environment, Energy, and Land Use Policy Committee was successful in introducing and passing the following platform changes to the Annual Conference: - Proposed Platform Change to Energy – Section H. Nuclear Waste Management:
- NACo voted to include language in their energy policy platform under the nuclear waste management section that voices their concern with the current federal nuclear waste repository program through DOE. NACo
supports federal legislation that would ensure that DOE meet its statutory responsibilities regarding current and future nuclear waste stockpiles. This language also supports the construction of a permanent geological nuclear waste repository and the use of an interim storage facility until the permanent site is completed. NACO is also supportive of DOE’s consent-based siting process and the efforts being done to work on the permanent repository in parallel with an interim
facility.
- Proposed Resolution Requesting Presidential Appointment and U.S. Senate Confirmation of New Members on the Department of Energy’s Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
- NACo urges the President to appoint additional members of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (NDSFB), the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee to report out favorable members of the Board, and for the U.S. Senate to confirm up to four new members of the Board this
year.
- Proposed Resolution Requesting the Department of Energy (DOE) to Develop a New Grant Program, Based on the DOD Infrastructure Pilot Program.
- NACo requests DOE to consider developing a new grant program based on the Department of Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program (DCIP). This program would provide competitive funding to counties and other local government entities that surround DOE facilities to use towards infrastructure. Eligible activities
under this grant could include transportation, housing, education, emergency response, water, telecommunication, and utility projects that would benefit the operations and workforce of the surrounding local government and the DOE facility.
- Proposed Resolution in Support of Promoting Nuclear Energy Innovation
- NACo urges the federal government to promote nuclear energy innovation as it plays an essential role in securing the country’s clean energy future. The
deployment of new nuclear technologies could advance innovation and lead the country closer towards clean energy goals.
ECA supports NACo’s direction and dedication towards forwarding these issues. As the leading organization representing American counties, NACo’s leadership is valued. ECA would like to thank, Councilor Randall Ryti, Los Alamos County, NM for his work on NACO’s Environment, Energy, and Land
Use Policy Committee.
2ND EARLY CAREER PROFESSIONALS SESSION AT THE NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP
Following up from last year, The Tenth Annual National Cleanup Workshop will continue to focus on workforce development with a pre-conference workshop entirely dedicated to early-career professionals. The event will feature kick off on Monday, September 16,
from 12:00pm to 4:30 pm, with numerous sessions aimed at helping early career professionals learn more about the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) and how to grow and succeed in the DOE cleanup program. ECA's own Faith Sanchez will be speaking at the panel Roundtable Discussion: Early Career Perspectives. See the agenda below!
Last year, over 100 people attended the first-ever session to hear from leaders in EM and how they achieved their goals
within the DOE cleanup program. At this year’s session attendees can expect to hear from EM Senior Advisor Candice Robertson and participate in roundtable discussions and networking opportunities, all focused on helping them grow professionally. You can register your early career participants at the reduced rate of $675! This rate
is offered to those who have not previously attended the National Cleanup Workshop and have been involved in the EM program for less than five years. The rate for the Early Career Workshop includes admission to the National Cleanup Workshop as well! Follow the registration button below and select “Early Career Participant” to register now:
SPONSORSHIP The National Cleanup Workshop is issuing a final call to secure a booth space at the Workshop. NCW sponsorships offer an excellent opportunity to showcase your company, maximize networking opportunities with attendees, and host an exhibit booth during the
forum. Click the button below to learn more about being a sponsor:
Hosted by ECA with the cooperation
of the Energy Facility Contractors
Group and DOE-EM, the workshop brings together more than 800 senior DOE executives, officials from DOE sites, industry leaders, local elected officials, contractors and community stakeholders to discuss EM’s progress to address the environmental legacy of the Manhattan Project and Cold War-era U.S. nuclear weapons program.
ECA SURVEY Should DOE Prioritize “Legacy” TRU Waste or Treat all TRU Waste Equally for Disposal at WIPP Under the New Permit with the State of NM?
ECA is conducting a survey to get your input that will help ECA and other organizations identify and provide input into the prioritization of the source of the TRU waste that is being disposed at WIPP from DOE generator sites. WIPP (DOE EM), as a requirement under DOE’s state permit, is developing a new “Waste Isolation Pilot (“WIPP”) Legacy TRU Waste Disposal Plan” (the “Plan”). ECA members around WIPP have asked ECA member communities and others around the country that are interested in TRU waste and WIPP issues, for their input through this survey on the Plan. The questions will focus on “Legacy TRU waste”
which ECA generally defines as TRU waste associated with Cold War and World War II periods. Others define it differently and if you do, please note it in the survey comments at the end of the questionnaire. ECA recognizes that some sites generate both Legacy TRU waste and non-legacy TRU waste. Communities around the country have recognized the importance of WIPP to cleaning up the DOE sites in their communities. Because
this plan could affect the prioritization of TRU waste shipments and the accessibility of WIPP to these communities (DOE calls these sites “generator sites”), ECA is asking for feedback from the citizens, local, state and Tribal governments and others on the issues. ECA will post the results of the survey on our web page after the survey results are recorded. Please try to complete the survey at your earliest convenience. This Survey will close on August 15.
For more on the survey, or if you have any questions, please contact Andres Ridge at ajr@energyca.org
September 16-18, 2024| Crystal Gateway Marriott | Arlington, VA Join us for the 10th Annual National Cleanup Workshop!
Hear from senior DOE leaders, local government officials, and industry leaders about DOE's cleanup priorities, the future of the workforce, and more.
Featured Speakers: - The Honorable Jennifer M. Granholm, Secretary of U.S. Department of Energy
- Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), Chairman, House Appropriations Energy and Water Development
Subcommittee
- Candice Robertson, Senior Advisor, DOE-EM
- Jeff Avery, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, DOE-EM
- Greg Sosson, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Field Operations, DOE-EM
- Kristen Ellis, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory and Policy Affairs, DOE-EM
- Dae Chung, Associate Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Corporate Services, DOE-EM
- James McConnell, Associate Principal Deputy Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration
- Brent Gerry, Mayor, City of West Richland, WA; Chair, ECA and
- Rebecca Casper, Mayor, City of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Vice-Chair, ECA.
Hosted by ECA with the cooperation of the Energy Facility Contractors Group and DOE-EM, the workshop brings together more than 800 senior DOE executives, officials from DOE sites, industry leaders,
local elected officials, contractors and community stakeholders to discuss EM’s progress to address the environmental legacy of the Manhattan Project and Cold War-era U.S. nuclear weapons program.
National Lab Creates Glass Test Cell to Peek Inside Molten Salt
Reactors Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) created its first-ever custom glass test cell to observe how gases behave inside a molten salt reactor. The test cell will be used to shed new light on the complex chemistry that can occur in molten salt fueled reactors. The data will be used to help verify existing computer codes and modeling software to better predict their
overall performance. Read the full story here. NRC meetings to discuss Dresden SLR The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is hosting several public meetings this month to discuss the Dresden nuclear power plant and its request for subsequent license renewal. Constellation filed an application with the NRC in April to add another 20 years to the Illinois plant’s license. The regulatory agency has determined Dresden operated safely throughout
2023. Read the full story here. Bruce 3 refurbishment stage completed in record time Bruce 3 is the second unit to undergo Major Component Replacement (MCR). The process involves removing and replacing key reactor components including steam generators, pressure tubes, calandria tubes and feeder tubes and adding 30-35 years to the reactor's operating life. In total, six units at the Bruce site in Ontario
are to be refurbished: the first to undergo the process, Bruce 6, returned to commercial operation last September. Read the full story
here.
Gone Fission Nuclear Report: Consent-Based Siting for Spent Nuclear Fuel: A National Conversation July 29, 2024 | S4 E14 The Gone Fission Nuclear Report travels to the nation’s capital this week to join a national conversation on next steps for identifying a community to host interim spent fuel storage from America’s nuclear power plants. Our podcast sponsor, the Energy Communities Alliance, convened a meeting of elected officials, community leaders, economic
developers and Department of Energy officials to discuss what kind of incentives a community will need--and what kind of economic benefits can accrue--from volunteering to host an interim storage facility. This is an important topic as the U.S. finds itself on the brink of a nuclear renaissance that will increase the role of nuclear energy in meeting our national energy needs. Is your community interested in exploring safe spent fuel storage as an economic driver?
Public Hearing on Benchmarking Best Practices in Management of Aging Safety Infrastructure August 14, 2024 | 9:00am to 3:30pm | DNFSB HQ View Here WEBINAR: Join DOE for a Discussion on Expanding the National Conversation on Spent Nuclear Fuel Aug. 29, 2024 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM ET Register now! 2024 National
Cleanup Workshop September 16-18, 2024 | Crystal Gateway Marriott (Arlington, VA) Register now!
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