ECA Asks New Secretary Moniz to Focus on Energy Communities Issues
Published: Fri, 05/31/13
Energy Communities Alliance
May 30, 2013 Secretary Ernie Moniz
U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20585 Dear Secretary Moniz,
Congratulations on your confirmation as Secretary of Energy. On behalf of the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA), I would like to welcome you to your new position and reintroduce you to our organization. ECA is the national association of local communities that host or surround DOE facilities. Founded in 1992, our organization has been working to support the Department of Energy (DOE) and facilitate communication between DOE and local governments for over 20 years. Our communities play a vital role in supporting the activities of DOE and we believe that by coordinating with ECA and the local government officials you can ensure the success of the entire Department.
During your first months in office, you will have the opportunity to shape the direction of the DOE including the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). As you develop new programs and maintain the progress of past initiatives, we would like to offer you the following recommendations and priorities that our organization believes are critical to the success of DOE:
1. Work with ECA and Local Governments to ensure DOE's Success--ECA members want to work with DOE to ensure the success of its programs. To ensure success DOE should:
2. Include local governments in DOE decision-making--DOE should continue efforts to work collectively with local governments and ECA, including:
3. Funding for Environmental Management--Work with Congress to adequately fund the DOE Environmental Management (EM) program, and ensure there is adequate funding to meet cleanup milestones contained in regulatory agreements and court-driven orders at EM sites. DOE should also:
4. Asset Revitalization Initiative--Enable DOE program offices and the Asset Revitalization Initiative (ARI) to promote economic diversification and energy independence (including small modular reactors (SMRs) and renewable energy) at the national laboratories and defense environmental cleanup sites by transferring assets to communities including Community Reuse Organization's (CROs) and by encouraging the use of these sites for local economic development.
5. Nuclear Waste Disposal--DOE must work with communities and move forward with a consent-based pathway for our country to address its nuclear waste disposal needs.
6. New Nuclear Technologies--Continue to support development of SMRs and other new nuclear research and development efforts. Work with interested communities to leverage their support for nuclear energy and their nuclear expertise by involving them in demonstration projects.
7. Honor Commitments--DOE must honor commitments made to local governments and communities.
Our communities and organization are ready to work with you to ensure the success of DOE's programs. By working with our communities and organization you will develop a foundation to tackle the tough issues that DOE and the communities are sure to face in the upcoming years of uncertain budgets.
As you contemplate the points that we recommend above, we ask that you also consider an overarching DOE issue that transcends the various program offices -- the integration and coordination of missions and responsibilities to achieve the Department's comprehensive mission statement. We look forward to working with you and would welcome an opportunity to further discuss the recommendations in this letter further. Please contact me or Seth Kirshenberg, ECA Executive Director, with any questions.
Sincerely, Mayor Thomas Beehan
City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee Chair, Energy Communities Alliance Cc: ECA Board of Directors
Deputy Secretary Poneman Acting-Undersecretary Neile Miller Assistant Secretary Pete Lyons Senior Advisor David Huizenga Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs Don Cook |
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