Should DOE Prioritize “Legacy” TRU Waste for Disposal at WIPP?" ECA RELEASES WIPP SURVEY RESULTS
Individuals and stakeholders from communities and DOE sites across the complex voiced their opinions on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Legacy TRU Waste Disposal Plan (Plan): any definition of Legacy TRU Waste
should account for risk and age of the waste in question, and that the Plan poses a opportunity that cannot be missed to emphasize the importance of cleanup activities at sites, increase transparency between sites and DOE, and highlight impacts experienced at sites. DOE’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), as a requirement under its state permit, is developing a new “Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Legacy TRU Waste Disposal Plan (Plan)”. The WIPP mission includes disposal of defense
transuranic (TRU) waste from DOE sites in communities across the country. ECA defines “Legacy” waste as TRU waste associated with the Cold War and pre-Cold War periods. The definition of Legacy TRU Waste laid out in the plan could affect the prioritization of waste shipments and the accessibility of WIPP to these communities (DOE calls these sites “generator sites”). As a result, ECA members from Carlsbad and Eddy County,
New Mexico, asked ECA to conduct a survey. ECA reached out to individuals in communities around the DOE sites, along with local, state and Tribal governments for feedback on the Plan. This included over 1000 individuals over the course of 10 weeks, to which ECA asked the following questions: "Should DOE Prioritize “Legacy” TRU Waste or Treat all TRU Waste Equally for Disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
(WIPP) Under the New Permit with the State of NM?" "How will your site/community be affected by the reprioritization of waste shipments at WIPP?" Respondents represented communities around all current and projected future WIPP waste generators, plus additional DOE sites.
ECA came to four key conclusions after analyzing the
results: - Stakeholders see the Plan as a useful platform to emphasize the importance of clean-up activities and provide transparency regarding prioritization and proper disposal of defense TRU waste.
- The definition of Legacy TRU Waste should account for risk and age of waste. However, specific dates or time of cleanup are less important.
- A majority of respondents agree that prioritization of legacy waste is important.
- Respondents underscore that the
reservation of Panel 12 for legacy waste “to the extent practicable” needs to consider impacts at generator sites, including risks from continued storage of waste, compliance with existing agreements, impacts to clean-up progress, and operational impacts.
ECA intends to use this report to provide input to DOE on its development of the Plan and equip ECA members around WIPP and generator sites to participate fully in
the WIPP decision-making process. Input and support from communities around sites across the complex were key to making this survey an informative tool for the WIPP site. View the results on our
website by clicking the button below!
WIPP provided a proposed draft definition of Legacy transuranic (TRU) and TRU mixed waste last month. The DOE Proposed Draft Definition is as follows: “Legacy TRU and TRU mixed waste is defense-related TRU waste generated from the safe cleanup of environmental legacy resulting from decades of nuclear
weapons development and defense-related testing and research.” Shortly after releasing the definition, the U. S. Department of Energy Carlsbad Field Office and Salado Isolation Mining Contractors conducted a virtual WIPP Information Exchange to receive public input on the definition. As a requirement of its permit, WIPP intends to submit its plan to New Mexico Environment Department by November 3, 2024. A public comment period from November 2024 – January 2025 will follow. ECA looks forward to providing updates on the WIPP Legacy TRU Waste Disposal Plan and the Legacy TRU waste definition as they develop over the coming months.
FY25 INNOVATIONS IN NUCLEAR STUDENT COMPETITION REQUEST FOR APPLICATION
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Innovations in Nuclear Energy Research and Development Student Competition is now accepting applications! Selectees will be awarded based on published graduate and undergraduate innovative nuclear energy research. Students may submit one or more publications and
will be considered for any of the six categories in which they are eligible. Applicants may only win one competition per year. In addition to cash prizes, travel and conference opportunities may accompany awards. Applications are due Dec. 11, 2024. To learn more and apply, visit the Nuclear Energy University Program. Since 2009, DOE’s Nuclear Energy University Program has awarded more than $1 billion to advance nuclear
energy research and train the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists. Check out our website to discover other student opportunities!
HALEU ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that analyzes the impacts of the Department’s Proposed Action to acquire, through procurement from commercial sources, high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) and to facilitate the establishment of commercial HALEU fuel
production. HALEU is a crucial material required by most U.S. advanced reactors to achieve smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over current nuclear energy technologies. HALEU is not currently available in sufficient amounts from domestic suppliers. The lack of an adequate domestic, commercial fuel supply could impede both reactor demonstrations and the development of future advanced
reactor technologies. DOE previously issued the Draft HALEU EIS on March 8, 2024, for public feedback. During the comment period, DOE also held two virtual Tribal listening sessions, one in-person Tribal listening session, and three virtual public hearings. DOE received a total of 223 comments from Tribes, Federal and state agencies, industry, nonprofit organizations, and the public. DOE considered and responded to all
comments in the process of preparing the Final EIS. The final EIS is available on the project website at https://www.energy.gov/ne/haleu-environmental-impact-statement.
ENSURING LONG TERM SUCCESS: ECA TRANSITION PAPER FOR DOE-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 Opportunity: DOE Package Performance Demonstration DOE intends to establish a consolidated interim storage facility for storage of spent nuclear fuel until a permanent repository is available. DOE is performing this market research to gather information from all interested parties that will help formulate the actual solicitation. The first RFI is working to establish the market boundaries that can best fulfill the needs of the CISF program. This RFI works to answer the best contract
strategy and contract type, the ability of commercial businesses to support and fulfill CISF requirements & to what capacity small businesses can support CISF requirements. Response Due: October 31 2024, 7:00 pm EST Proposed Rule: Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking comment on a proposed rule for a Generic Environmental Impact Statement for licensing new reactors. The generic impact statement uses a technology-neutral framework and plant/site parameters to identify environmental issues common to new reactors, and those issues needing project-specific analysis. NRC staff members will conduct an in-person meeting and two webinars to discuss the proposed generic impact statement and
accept comments from the public. The in-person meeting will be at NRC headquarters, 11555 Rockville Pike in Rockville, Maryland, on Nov. 7 from 1-4p.m. Eastern time. The webinars will be Nov. 13 from 1-4 p.m. Eastern time, and Nov. 14 from 6-9 p.m. Eastern time. Additional details for all three meetings will be available soon on the NRC’s website. The meetings are one method to comment before the Dec. 18 deadline. Comments can also be submitted via regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2020-0101, via email to Rulemaking.Comments@nrc.gov, or by mail to Office of Administration, Mail Stop TWFN-7- A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Response Due: December 18 2024 |
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WHAT YOU'VE MISSED: Chuck Hope wants to keep the momentum going; seeks re-election to council Chuck is known
for his community involvement and support, being appointed to Council in July 2011 to fill a vacated council seat. He then successfully ran for election in 2012, 2016, and 2020. Read the full story France could
turn radioactive waste into cutlery if public agrees to proposed recycling plant French energy company EDF has come up with a novel answer following the closure of
Fessenheim plant: turning some of the leftover material into forks, saucepans and door handles. This won’t mean France’s dining tables are lined with radioactive cutlery, thankfully.Only “very low-level radioactive” metals will be turned into cast iron or steel, the company said. Other materials will be sent to nuclear waste processing facilities. Read the full story The DOE picks six HALEU deconverters. What have we learned? The Department of Energy announced contracts yesterday for six
companies to perform high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) deconversion and to transform enriched uranium hexafluoride (UF6) to other chemical forms, including metal or oxide, for storage before it is fabricated into fuel for advanced reactors. It amounts to a first round of contracting. “These contracts will allow selected companies to bid on work for deconversion services,” according to the DOE’s announcement, “creating strong
competition and allowing DOE to select the best fit for future work.” Read the full story Liftoff report lifts the lid on cost and risk in push to nth-of-a-kind reactors The Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Advanced Nuclear report that was released in March 2023 by the Department of Energy called for five to 10 signed reactor contracts for at least one reactor design by 2025. Now, 18 months have passed, and despite the word “resurgence” in media reports on the U.S. nuclear power industry, 2025 is fast approaching with no contracts signed. So the DOE is back with an updated report that attempts to flesh out the business case for new nuclear reactors and break through first-mover reluctance, in part by detailing the benefits already available in the Inflation Reduction Act that—in some cases—amount to “buy one reactor, get one free.” Starting from the goal of deploying 200 gigawatts of new nuclear power plants by 2050—tripling the
fleet—the report draws on new reports and models on new reactor costs and siting. Read
the full story
Gone Fission Nuclear Report - Reviewing EM in the New Administration October 7, 2024 | S4
E17 With a new Administration taking office in January, the Energy Communities Alliance has released a detailed report calling for a top-to-bottom review of the Department of Energy’s Environmental Management program. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, ECA Executive Director Seth Kirshenberg shares with Host Michael Butler the recommendations his
organization believes can help the cleanup program better accomplish its formidable mission, including revisiting EM's end-state contracting model and re-establishing a dedicated DOE office to oversee nuclear waste storage. ECA-DOE-NE Coal to Nuclear Transition Webinar September 27, 2024 As part of ECA’s New Nuclear Initiative, participants will join a discussion with DOE-NE on the feasibility of converting the nation’s retiring coal plants to nuclear power plants. By leveraging
the existing workforce and some of the infrastructure in coal communities the transition from coal-to-nuclear could preserve hundreds of jobs, while creating new jobs and economic opportunities.
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