SENATE COMMITTEE TO REVIEW DOE-EM NOMINEE ASSISTANT SECRETARY TIM WALSH
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a Full Committee Hearing to consider Mr. Timothy Walsh to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management later today (July 9), at 9:30 am ET. To view the hearing, click here. An archived recording of the video will also be available at this link. ECA has submitted a letter of support to the Senate Committee to voice support for Mr. Walsh's confirmation: "ECA supports the nomination of Mr. Walsh, who would be the first political appointee in over six years to lead the EM program. ECA believes that EM should be led by a political appointee to enable the difficult decision-making that the program requires to evolve and best serve the U.S. taxpayers and the host communities. Congress and President set up the EM program to have a political leader to ensure that the leader of the
program would go through the Senate confirmation process and be directly accountable to the President, the Secretary, and Congress. The next EM leader needs to balance the core mission, the budget constraints and the need to decrease the large liabilities while also understanding the long-term nature of the program. Decisions made today can impact the next decade of the cleanup program at some sites. EM has the
potential to accelerate, and ultimately complete, large portions of the current program in the near-term, and we believe this should be a core goal for the next program head. ECA views Mr. Walsh’s leadership and decision-making ability, combined with his extensive military and private-sector experience, as key to bringing in new ideas and views to the EM program to make improvement and capitalize on this potential. Furthermore, in light of Secretary Wright’s initiative to reuse DOE sites for datacenter and energy development, Mr. Walsh’s development and financing expertise will make him an ideal candidate to enable and facilitate new opportunities on former defense properties that have been cleaned up and returned to the community for beneficial reuse. We are seeing economic opportunities being created where EM sites are cleaned up and repurposed for nuclear energy, manufacturing and other key
economic development projects. ECA wants to continue to see EM take liabilities and turn them into assets. Mr. Walsh seems to have the executive experience necessary for this role, and a track record of cooperating and communicating with businesses and local governments who are the current and future hosts of our nation’s nuclear facilities. Communication and partnership with these entities is critical to the success
of the EM mission, and ECA believes Mr. Walsh understands that creating relationships with local government leaders and industry to enable the advancement of that EM mission will assist to move the EM program for the short and long-term." To read the full letter of support, click here. ECA appreciates the Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for their consideration of this request.
INSIDE ONE OF THE NATION'S BIGGEST RESEARCH PROJECTS ON SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL
DOE - Office of Nuclear Energy | July 7, 2025 The United States has been generating electricity from nuclear power since the late 1950s. With that power comes responsibility — specifically, the safe and secure management of spent nuclear fuel. Today, more than 95,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel are stored across 79 sites in over 30 states. By the time current reactors reach the end of their operational life, that number could rise to around 180,000 metric tons. To support the long-term safety and security of this material, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) teamed up with the Electric Power Research Institute
to lead a multi-year research project focused on “high burnup” spent nuclear fuel that remains in reactors longer to maximize energy output. At the heart of this effort is DOE’s High Burnup Research Cask, which was loaded with high burnup spent nuclear fuel generated by the North Anna Power Station in Virginia and placed in dry storage on site in 2017. The lid of the cask was modified with instrumentation that allow researchers to monitor internal temperatures over time at 63 different locations inside the cask. Read the full article from DOE by clicking here.
UPCOMING: NOMINATION HEARINGS TO REVIEW DOE-EM AND NRC LEADERSHIP
DOE-EM Assistant Secretary Nomination Hearing The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a Full Committee Hearing to consider Mr. Timothy Walsh to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management later today (July 9), at 9:30 am ET. To view the hearing, click here. An archived recording of the video will also be available at this link. Senate Environment & Public Works Business Meeting The Senate
E&PW Committee will meet July 9, at 8:45am to consider the nomination of David Wright, current chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to continue to be Member of the NRC, among other nominations. See the notice here.
Earlier this summer, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) completed a report on nuclear waste titled, "An Integrated Disposal Plan Could Help DOE Complete Its Cleanup Mission and Save Billions". ECA is hosting an informational webinar to learn more about the recommendations to develop DOE complex-wide analyses to assess the progress of its cleanup mission. These recommendations include; optimization models to identify optimal disposal pathways; a call to develop a complex-wide disposal plan; and the creation of a
forum for EM, cleanup sites, and disposal facility regulators to address regulatory constraints to optimal disposal approaches. GAO analyzed EM waste data, interviewed or requested information from all 15 EM sites, visited commercial nuclear waste disposal facilities, and developed a hypothetical model for optimizing transuranic waste disposal using EM data. Join ECA on July 24 at 2pm ET to learn more about the report. Speakers will include: - Facilitator: Seth Kirshenberg – Executive Director, Energy Communities Alliance
- Nathan Anderson, Director - Natural Resources and Environment, GAO
- Amanda Kolling, Assistant Director - Natural Resources and
Environment, GAO
JOIN ETEC IN THE OAK RIDGE CORRIDOR FOR THE NUCLEAR OPPORTUNITIES WORKSHOP
July 22 - 23, 2025 | Knoxville Convention Center
WHAT IS NOW? - NOW is ETEC's Nuclear Opportunities Workshop, Tennessee’s premier nuclear industry conference focused on all things nuclear: fission, fusion, isotopes, environmental management, AI in nuclear, workforce and more. Join ETEC and a variety of experts and enthusiasts in
the Oak Ridge Corridor for this growing, engaging, and informative conference.
For more information, including agenda, supporter opportunities, and travel and lodging information, click here.
AGENDA FOR THE NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP IS NOW AVAILABLE!
September 24 - 25, 2025 | Crystal Gateway Marriott | Arlington, VA Exciting news! We’ve extended the early bird registration deadline—giving you extra time to secure your spot at a discounted rate. Join us September 24-25 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott - Arlington, VA, where we’ll explore how the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management is working to drive down risks while also building up new opportunities for communities and the nation.
WHO'S SPEAKING?
Roger Jarrell | Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary, DOE-EM
James McConnell | Acting Principal Deputy Administrator, NNSA
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
Brent Gerry | Mayor, City of West Richland, WA; Chair, ECA
Rebecca Casper | Mayor, City of Idaho Falls, ID; Vice-Chair, ECA
Jonathan “JD” Dowell | Senior Vice President, Fluor
Heatherly Dukes | President, BWXT Technical
Services Group
DJ Johnson | Vice President, Federal Solutions Business Enterprise, Honeywell Federal Solutions; Chair, EFCOG
Mark Johnson | Principal Vice President, High Level Waste Facility, Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), Bechtel
Jeff Kendall | President, AtkinsRéalis U.S. Nuclear
Michael Lempke | President, Nuclear and Environmental Services,
HII
Mark Whitney | President, Amentum
...and more!
Make sure to register before July 16, 2025, to receive the early bird discount rate! The cost of registration will increase after July 16. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Wednesday, September 24 8:00am National Cleanup Workshop 5:30pm Evening
Reception for all NCW Attendees Thursday, September 25
8:00am National Cleanup Workshop SPONSORSHIP
NCW sponsorships offer an excellent opportunity to showcase your company, maximize networking opportunities with attendees, and host an exhibit booth during the forum. Click here to learn more! STAY
CONNECTED
ECA Twitter: @ENERGYCAORG
EFCOG Twitter: @EFCOG_now
DOE EM Twitter: @EMcleanup
#NationalCleanupWorkshop SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS The National Cleanup Workshop is hosted by the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) with the cooperation of the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management
(EM)*.
WHAT YOU'VE MISSED: More good news for TerraPower on Kemmerer construction permit The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission has whittled down the timeline for reviewing TerraPower’s construction permit application for Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 in Wyoming. Announcing a new, more aggressive schedule, the NRC said it aims to complete its review by the end of 2025, eight months earlier than originally
planned. Read the full story Why the US must protect the independence of its nuclear
regulator The White House has introduced radical changes that threaten to disrupt the effectiveness of the US
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The agency was formed in 1975 to be an independent regulator, separating it from the promotional role pursued by its predecessor, the Atomic Energy Commission. The NRC has set safety requirements that have become the global gold standard for nuclear regulation. The White House actions threaten to undermine this record. Read the full story Spent fuel transfer project completed at INL Work crews at Idaho National Laboratory have transferred 40 spent nuclear fuel canisters into long-term storage vaults, the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management has reported. DOE contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition finished the
transfer—moving spent nuclear fuel from older, first-generation vaults to new, second-generation vaults—several months ahead of schedule, according to the DOE. Read the full story
GoneFission Nuclear Report - Oak Ridge Nuclear Center
of Excellence May 13, 2025 | S5 E2 Dr. Stephen Nagy discusses Japan's strategic positioning in a complex geopolitical landscape, particularly in relation to the U.S.-China rivalry. He explores Japan's economic ties with China, the challenges posed by regional security
threats, and the evolving strategies Japan is employing to navigate these issues. The conversation delves into Japan's historical pacifism, the potential for nuclear deterrence discussions, and the importance of trade agreements and technological cooperation in ensuring regional stability. https://gonefissionpodcast.com/ NucleCast - Dena Volovar: Powering National Security; Bechtel’s Role in Nuclear
Innovation July 8, 2025 | S03 E226 In this episode of NucleCast, host Adam Lowther speaks with Dena Volovar, president of Bechtel's Nuclear Security and Environment Global Business Unit. They discuss Bechtel's extensive role in national
security, particularly in managing operations at NNSA labs, and the company's commitment to nuclear power as a sustainable energy solution. Dena shares insights on the challenges faced in nuclear facility management, the transition from private to public sector projects, and the future of nuclear engineering careers. The conversation highlights the importance of innovation and collaboration in the nuclear industry. https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/
Nuclear Opportunities Workshop Knoxville, TN | July 22 - 23 Learn More Here National Cleanup Workshop 2025 Arlington, VA |
September 23 - 25 Learn More Here
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