NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FY2025 SUPPORTS NNSA & EM PROGRAMS
Appropriations will follow with a CR through March Likely to Pass by December 20On Saturday, the Senate and House released the agreed to National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025 (FY25). The NDAA authorizes approximately $25 billion for NNSA, $7 billion for Defense Environmental Cleanup, and $205 million for Legacy Management. The vote on the NDAA will occur this week. Below is a summary of some of the key DOE/NNSA authorized funding levels (shown in thousands of dollars): Atomic Energy Defense Activities National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) - 24,939,925 - Weapons Activities -19,981,044
- Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation - 2,465,108
- Naval Reactors - 2,118,773
- Federal Salaries and Expenses - 564,475
Defense Environmental Cleanup - 7,059,695 - Defense Uranium Enrichment D&D - 384,957
- Other Defense Activities - 1,140,023
Total: Atomic Energy Defense Activities - 33,085,578 Legacy Management – 205, 258 The NDAA is in line with funding levels requested by the Administration. Note that the NDAA is an “authorization” of funds, and not the appropriations for projects. The appropriations will is subject to a continuing resolution (CR) that is expected to extend into March 2025. The CR extension is expected to pass prior to December 20, when the deadline for the current CR expires. Read the full text of the bill here. ECA looks forward to providing updates on NDAA conference report language and the status of the congressional appropriations budget
as they become available. For more information on budget and appropriations, visit our website.
GOVERNOR BESHEAR: LAND SWAP BOOSTS 300-JOB MCCRACKEN COUNTY PROJECT
Office of Governor Beshear | November 27 Uranium enrichment facility would create hundreds of full-time jobs, open land to
hunting and fishing FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 27, 2024) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced an important step in a potential major economic development project in McCracken County as Global Laser Enrichment LLC (GLE) finalized a land transfer with the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The proposed uranium enrichment project would create up to 300 full-time jobs for Kentuckians. “Moving our commonwealth forward takes cooperation and innovation, and this important project is the product of a lot of both,” Gov. Beshear said. “Our economy continues to break records, and this project has the potential to create hundreds of great new full-time jobs for our people and those moving to our New Kentucky Home.” GLE is acquiring 665 acres previously owned by the Kentucky
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources through an agreement with the commonwealth, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and the Paducah-McCracken County Industrial Development Authority. GLE has a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to process uranium stored from past activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. GLE plans to establish a new uranium enrichment facility on the acquired site. This facility will use advanced laser enrichment technology to efficiently convert the stored
uranium into new nuclear fuel, while also speeding up cleanup activities at the legacy site. Formed in 2007, GLE develops laser-based uranium enrichment technology capability in the United States. Uranium is the primary fuel for nuclear power plants that produce a significant portion of the world’s clean energy. GLE’s laser-based technology provides increased efficiency to the enrichment process compared with existing
methods. The scale and timeline of the project are contingent on DOE funding, Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing and support from industry, community and state partners. The greenfield site is strategically located adjacent to the former DOE first-generation Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP). The facility was shut down in 2013 after decades
of operation. “We greatly appreciate the collaborative efforts of our community and state partners in Kentucky that have been instrumental in finalizing this land acquisition,” said GLE CEO Stephen Long. “We are excited to continue our partnership with the commonwealth as we work towards a commercialization decision and maintaining our deployment target date of no later than 2030.” Read the full press release here.
NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION SELECTS SITE FOR CANADA'S DEEP GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY
NWMO | November 28 Today, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) announced it has selected Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) and the Township of Ignace as the host communities for the future site for Canada’s deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel.
Canadians and Indigenous peoples have been clear that it is essential to take
responsibility now, in this generation, to safely manage Canada’s used nuclear fuel for the long term. This announcement is an important milestone in delivering on that promise to not leave it as a burden for future generations to manage.
“This is a historic moment,” said Laurie Swami, NWMO President and CEO. “This project will solve an environmental issue and supports Canada’s climate change goals. And today’s decision was driven by a consent-based siting process led by Canadians and
Indigenous peoples. This is what making history looks like.”
There is international scientific consensus that a deep geological repository is the safest way to manage used nuclear fuel over the long term, and Canada is among the leading countries on this solution.
The NWMO launched its community-driven, consent-based site selection process in 2010. It included clear commitments that Canada’s plan for used nuclear fuel could only move forward in an area with a site that meets rigorous
safety standards and that has informed and willing hosts. The project also needs to be implemented in a way that advances community well-being as defined by the host communities.
The people of both host communities have demonstrated their willingness to move forward in this process. Earlier this month, WLON confirmed its willingness, following a decision-making process that was open to all its members. The Township of Ignace completed a decision-making process with its residents in July,
which also confirmed willingness.
This important decision for Canada was possible because of the communities’ leadership and active engagement over a decade of learning, as well as considering the future of their communities. The safety of the site was also established through rigorous site assessment and technical studies.
“We have learned so much from all the communities that took part in this process over the years,” said Lise Morton, NWMO Vice-President of Site Selection. “By
challenging us, they helped the NWMO grow and become a better organization, and they directly shaped this project.”
The project will drive a wide range of benefits for both host communities, the region and Canada as a whole over the 175-year timeline of the project. These include new jobs and investments in community well-being driven by the priorities communities themselves defined.
As the project now advances into the regulatory decision-making process, Canada will take another step
forward on this long-term management solution for its used nuclear fuel, which will protect people and the environment, including water, while supporting its goals around energy security and climate change. Read the full article here.
ENSURING LONG TERM SUCCESS: ECA TRANSITION PAPER FOR EM
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) must continuously examine its work and evolve. The Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) is calling on the next Administration to launch a comprehensive review of all aspects of the EM program. To meet the challenges and better ensure the continued success of the DOE-EM program, the ECA’s Transition paper
offers the following recommendations: - Establishment of disposal paths for every type of radioactive and hazardous waste, including ensuring that both private and public sites are available and utilized.
- The reevaluation of DOE-EM’s use of the end-state contracting model so that more funds are available for actual work.
- Ensuring that regulatory agreements are reasonably achievable and balance short- and long-term needs.
- Improvement of workforce planning to
address “brain drain” and long-term needs for skilled talent of all kinds.
- Continuing focus on economic and energy development benefits.
- The maintaining of robust local, state, tribal government, and stakeholder engagement at each site.
- Clarification on DOE policy regarding how the discovery of hazardous and radioactive materials at “completed sites” will be addressed to ensure that cleanup is protective of human health and the environment, and that the local community is
not responsible for the DOE’s legacy waste cleanup.
- The reconstituting of a dedicated nuclear waste organization within the DOE to address high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel issues.
Read the paper by clicking its cover above or the button below!
PROVIDE YOUR INPUT - OPEN REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION & PUBLIC COMMENT: Proposed Rule: Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing
to amend the regulations that govern the NRC's environmental reviews of new nuclear reactor applications under the National Environmental Policy Act. The rulemaking would codify the generic findings of the NRC's draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors. The draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors uses a technology-neutral framework and a set of plant and site parameters to determine which potential environmental
impacts would be common to the construction, operation, and decommissioning of many new nuclear reactors, and thus appropriate for a generic analysis, and which potential environmental impacts would be unique, and thus require a project-specific analysis. The NRC expects that both the proposed rule and the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors would streamline the environmental reviews for future nuclear reactor applicants. The NRC is also issuing for
public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), “Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations,” and “Environmental Considerations Associated with New Nuclear Reactor Applications that Reference the Generic Environmental Impact Statement.” Response Due: December 18, 2024 Planned Change Request for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Replacement Panels 11 and 12 On July 16, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) announced for public comment the availability of a Planned Change Request (PCR) recently submitted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to
modify the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The proposed change will involve adding two additional waste panels west of the current repository to replace lost disposal capacity resulting from the 2014 radiological incident and resulting ground control issues. A 60-day comment period was provided for the PCR that expired on September 16, 2024. A request for an extension to the comment period was received from several stakeholders, most recently at the Agency's informal public meetings held in
New Mexico in late August. EPA is reopening the comment period to seek public input on both DOE's application and on what EPA should consider in its evaluation. Response Due: December
31, 2024
WHAT YOU'VE MISSED: STEM event empowers next generation of women leaders in science Nearly 60 eighth graders from schools across the central Savannah River area recently gathered at the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center in Aiken, S.C., for the Savannah River Site’s “STEM Like a Girl—Introduce a Girl to Engineering and IT” event. This initiative is designed to inspire the next generation of female engineers and STEM leaders. The all-day event, hosted by the Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Education Outreach Programs, gave participants an opportunity to explore career paths in STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and math) through a series of female-led activities. Read the full
story Idaho’s IWTU surpasses tank waste treatment goal As of last week, crews with Department of Energy cleanup contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC) processed more than 142,000 gallons of radioactive sodium-bearing tank waste at Idaho’s Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) this year. The amount of treated waste exceeds the
DOE’s Office of Environmental Management goal of treating 100,000 cumulative gallons in the calendar year, as stated in its 2024 mission and priorities. Read the full story Terrestrial Energy looks at EnergySolutions-owned sites for IMSR plants Advanced reactor developer Terrestrial Energy and Utah-based waste management company EnergySolutions announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the siting and deployment of Terrestrial Energy’s integral molten salt reactor plants at EnergySolutions-owned sites.Terrestrial Energy is currently working with regulators, suppliers, and industrial partners to build, license, and commission Generation IV IMSR power plants for operation in the early 2030s. According to the company, the thermal and electric power supply systems of its plants can be customized
to meet specific site demand requirements, enabling them to support distributed generation for chemical, oil and gas, petrochemical, data centers, and other energy-intensive industrial activities. Read the full story
Gone Fission Nuclear Report - New ORANO Plant Boosts Nuclear Growth December 09, 2024 | S4
E20 It’s being called the largest investment in the history of the State of Tennessee. Orano USA has announced plans to build a new multi-billion dollar, state-of-the-art centrifuge uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge. The facility will provide fuel for America’s nuclear power plants and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear
Report, host Michael Butler discusses this exciting project with Orano USA President Jean-Luc Palayer. www.gonefissionpodcast.com NucleCast - Aaron Holland: A Personal Journey in the Nuclear Field November 12, 2024 | S02 E194 Aaron Holland, a passionate young scholar in the field of nuclear deterrence, shares his journey from a master's student to a PhD candidate, discussing the complexities of nuclear strategy and the challenges he faced in military recruitment. He emphasizes the importance of networking, mentorship, and resilience in pursuing a career in the nuclear field. The conversation also touches on the need for greater awareness of career opportunities and the significance of paying
it forward to the next generation of scholars. https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/ Atomic Show - Julie Kozeracki, Director of Strategy, DOE Loan Programs Office November 12, 2024 | E323 Julie Kozeracki was the lead author for a U.S. Department of Energy strategy document titled Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Advanced Nuclear published in September 2024. The document was the result of a multi-agency, multi-lab effort to update a previously issued report. During our conversation, Kozeracki described how the report was informed by changes in the market, by a study of experiences from other countries and other industries, and by a growing recognition of the importance of design completion in enabling cost and schedule adherence. www.atomicinsights.com Titans of Nuclear: Brian Woods - Head, School of Nuclear Science & Engineering, Oregon State University October 10, 2024 | E485 https://www.lastenergy.com
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