TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK
HOW CAN COMMUNITIES HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF EM'S CLEANUP STRATEGY?
Last month ECA hosted a webinar "What Should EM's Cleanup Strategy Look Like in the Future" with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to discuss a report published by GAO earlier this
summer on nuclear waste titled: "An Integrated Disposal Plan Could Help DOE Complete Its Cleanup Mission and Save Billions". A recording of the webinar is now available, and you can now watch it on ECA's YouTube channel. During the Webinar, GAO and ECA discussed the conclusions of the report which focus on how to make EM more efficient. The report identified key issues such as EM’s mission of cleaning up land on DOE sites that
are used for DOE missions such as NNSA, NE, Office of Science, Naval Reactors and others. GAO also highlighted that DOE needs to determine the full scope of the cleanup that needs to occur on the sites and the reporting of such information is inconsistent. The session inspired many questions, particularly about the amount of uncharacterized and unaccounted for waste and the other missions EM may be
undertaking. ECA put together a list for ECA members to explore with local sites. The questions seek greater understanding of the cleanup that is needed at the sites with the goal of assisting EM, the states, tribal governments and local governments to plan for what still must occur and whether the current cost estimates capture all of the issues. - What are the waste cleanup estimates for
the site and how many years of cleanup at the current budget level will it take to clean up the site?
- What is the DOE-defined end state for each site or major areas of large sites?
- Is there already local government (beyond the advisory board) and regulatory alignment with the defined end states?
- What major assumptions underpin your site cleanup plan - funding, end state, future regulatory decisions, years to complete, waste disposal plans,
etc.?
- Where are the sites that still need to be fully characterized and what is the timing for DOE to undertake the characterization? How are you accounting for such waste sites you have not made a decision about the cleanup? For example, at some sites DOE does not account for cleanup actions in the lifecycle costs where the local governments or others have asked for characterization but DOE has not undertaken the work (even where previous estimates for the cleanup were above $1 billion
over 15 years ago). Another way of asking about the issue at a site is to ask which cleanup sites are identified in the lifecycle costs to not require additional remediation?
- Where will all of the known wastes be disposed (on site or off-site and does that off-site disposal site exist and if so what is the schedule for disposing of the waste off site and on-site)? Are these costs included in the lifecycle for the cleanup?
- How does your contractor account for waste
generated beyond the terms of its contract? And does that limitation exist at the site?
- The total cost of cleanup continues to grow, or at best remain stable, despite significant investment. Some of that is inflation, but what are the other drivers? How much of that is based on changed cleanup plans either because more information about the waste is discovered, cleanup end states are changed, or technical issues arise?
- What is the date of the last lifecycle cost analysis at the
site?
- At sites where other missions exist (NNSA, NE, Office of Science, etc.) what it the expected work for EM to undertake at the site for other DOE/NNSA offices and how is that information included in the EM lifecycle analysis at the site?
Detailed implementation of these recommendations with deadlines included are laid out in Section 3123 – Office of Environmental Management
Integrated Radioactive Waste Disposal Planning And Optimization of the Senate's FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act committee report. Click here to review the provision. If you have not already read the report, we recommend that you watch the presentation and read the report beyond the conclusions. With the likely cuts in the FY 2026 EM budget to about the FY 2022 levels – these issues become important as cleanup funding cuts occur at the
sites. Stay tuned for the next and final Webinar in ECA's Summer Series: Investing in innovation - Financing Advanced Nuclear
Projects, to be held on September 10 from 2:30pm - 3:30pm.
HOW ARE NUCLEAR PROJECTS FUNDED? LEARN MORE WITH ECA!
Financing is key to facilitating and moving forward advanced nuclear projects and ensuring their success. Financing for these projects can come from various sources, including: - Venture capital;
- Private Investors;
- Institutions;
- Governments;
- and other parties
Join ECA as we explore the key issues and solutions to today’s financing challenges, and how the financial feasibility of such projects can be improved at both the demonstration and commercialization stages of development.
Speakers to be announced in the coming weeks! Please contact AJ Ridge, ECA Program Director, with any questions at ajr@energyca.org.
To make sure you don't miss anything, be sure to subscribe to the ECA Update below!
JOIN US FOR THE 11TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP
September 24 - 25, 2025 | Crystal Gateway Marriott | Arlington, VA 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!
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 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-communities-alliance
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: Nuclear’s next act hinges on DOE loan office Nuclear supporters want the Trump administration to underwrite a
bevy of projects to kickstart a renaissance for the sector. Top Trump officials, like Energy Secretary Chris Wright, say they’re on board. But the Department of Energy is slow-walking new loans across the energy industry and losing staff at its Loan Programs Office who could be pivotal for advancing the
loans. Read the full story Denver to look at nuclear option for power at Denver International Airport Denver is planning to look at the feasibility of nuclear power generation for Denver International Airport. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver International
Airport CEO Phil Washington will make a joint announcement Wednesday about studying what are called small modular nuclear reactors. The announcement comes on the day Colorado law changes the classification of nuclear energy's definition under state law to include it as a clean energy resource. Small modular nuclear reactors do not have the massive generating capacity of large-scale facilities of the past with the high cooling towers. But advocates say they have the potential to provide
consistent, reliable power. Read the full
story Waste Cleanup Momentum at SRS: 6th Tank Closure Milestone in 13 Months AIKEN, S.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) has reached another milestone with concurrence from regulators that the Savannah River Site (SRS) has successfully removed waste from another highly radioactive waste tank. Tank 8 makes the sixth tank to reach preliminary cease waste removal (PCWR) regulatory approval in 13 months. EM achieved this latest PCWR regulatory approval over a year ahead of schedule. Read the full story
Gone Fission Podcast - Charles Oppenheimer August 4, 2025 | S5
E4 Charles Oppenheimer, the grandson of atomic pioneer Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, is Michael Butler’s guest on this week’s episode of the Gone Fission podcast. Ironically, this episode drops two days before August 6 which will be the 80th anniversary of America's use of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, a pivotal event that launched the end of World War II--and one in which Charles
Oppenheimer's grandfather, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, played a major role. Charles and Michael sat down at the recent Nuclear Opportunities Workshop in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a wide-ranging discussion that covered everything from nuclear plant financing to what it’s like to be an Oppenheimer in today’s world. Was he surprised that “Oppenheimer” was such a blockbuster hit at the box office? Find out in this week’s episode. https://gonefissionpodcast.com/ NucleCast - Legacy of Hiroshima: A Conversation with Brig. Gen. (Ret) Paul Tibbets IV August 5, 2025 | S03 E230 In this Legacy Series episode of NucleCast, Adam speaks with General Paul Tibbets IV, the grandson of the
pilot who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. They discuss the historical significance of the event, the life and legacy of General Tibbets, the preparation and execution of the mission, and the impact of nuclear weapons on warfare. The conversation also touches on the importance of educating future generations about World War II and the necessity of a strong nuclear deterrent. https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/
Investing in innovation - Financing Advanced Nuclear Projects Webinar | September 10 Register Here National Cleanup Workshop 2025 Arlington, VA | September 23 - 25 Learn More Here
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