Walden to head powerful Energy and Commerce Committee The Hill December 1, 2016 Republicans have elected Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) the next chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Walden defeated
Reps. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), the former committee chairman, in the race for the gavel. Current chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) is stepping down from the position due to term limits.
"Look, this was tough," Walden said after the vote. "John Shimkus and Joe Barton are both good friends and they are excellent legislators. They both have roles where they will continue to be
leaders."
When asked about his top legislative priorities, Walden declined to name any specifics as he walked into his basement office, where he was greeted by robust applause and cheers from inside. >>Continue reading TREATMENT
& TRANSPORTATION: NRC seeks public input to revise rules on transporting radioactive material Daily Energy Insider November 29, 2016 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requests public input in order to revise its regulations for packaging and
transporting radioactive material.
Current transportation regulations are partially based on standards developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA revises standards
periodically to reflect newly acquired expertise and knowledge on the topic. The NRC staff plans to use comments received from the public to update its own regulations to match IAEA compatibility standards.
The NRC has published an issue paper that outlines topics under consideration for possible revision, which is available as a guide for public input. The topics for possible revision include the requirements for small amounts of fissile material, external package pressure, solar heat, shipping large solid contaminated objects and shipping low activity waste.
The NRC will hold meetings on Dec. 5-6 at its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, to answer questions on the issues paper. >>Continue readingDOE and NRC Sign MOU to Benefit Advanced
Reactors
Lexology November 23,
2016 As part of the DOE’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (“GAIN”) initiative, this month the DOE and NRC published a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sets forth a process by which the two agencies will work together to help non-light water (“advanced”) nuclear reactors
work through the nuclear licensing process.
The MOU establishes contacts at each agency and a process by which the NRC will keep the DOE closely
informed about its licensing process for advanced reactors, as well as any changes that occur. But perhaps most of interest, the MOU establishes a framework by which the DOE can answer basic regulatory questions that future advanced reactor applicants may have, concerning the “NRC’s regulatory requirements and activities.” Moreover, if DOE cannot answer the question, in certain cases it can e-mail the NRC and expect an answer back within two weeks. Questions that are asked and answered will be
compiled on a DOE-hosted “FAQ” website. >>Continue
readingGAO Cites Management Weaknesses at Energy FED
Week November 29, 2016 The Energy Department and its National Nuclear Security Administration lack policies addressing internal control standards and leading practices related to program management, GAO has said, adding that DoE has never established a department-wide program and NNSA cancelled its own policy in 2013 without establishing a new
one.
While there are no federal government-wide standards
specifically addressing program management, federal internal control standards include principles relevant to program managers, and the Project Management Institute has established a standard on program management generally recognized as a leading practice, it said.
GAO noted that a report it issued earlier this year found that the department had not clarified whether a planned plutonium analysis facility would satisfy the mission needs of other NNSA and DoE programs, an issue that such a policy might have been able to address.
>>Continue readingTwo milestones for Vogtle new build World Nuclear
News December 1,
2016 The first reactor pressure vessel (RPV) has been lifted into place at Georgia Power's Vogtle nuclear construction project in
Georgia. Vogtle 3's RPV was lifted into place two days after the placement of the CA01 module was completed at Vogtle 4.
The 278 tonne RPV was lifted into its permanent location in Vogtle 3's nuclear island on 23 November, Georgia Power announced today. The vessel was fabricated in South Korea by Doosan Heavy Industries, shipped to the Port of Savannah and transported to the construction site on a specialised rail car. The operation to lift it into place was carried out by
construction contractors Westinghouse and Fluor, using one of the largest cranes in the world. >>Continue readingCONTRACTING & ACQUISITION: DOE Releases Draft Request for Proposal for Moab UMTRA Technical Assistance Contract (TAC)
Procurement DOE-EMThe Oregonian December 1,
2016 Cincinnati -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) today issued a Draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for Moab UMTRA Technical Assistance Contract (TAC). An Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract, utilizing Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) and Time-and-Material task orders, is anticipated. The Draft RFP is established as a total U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program set-aside with a five year ordering period. The current Moab UMTRA TAC is held by
S&K Logistics Services, LLC and will expire on June 19, 2017.
The purpose of the Draft RFP is to solicit input from interested parties to assist DOE in developing a Final RFP for this procurement. DOE invites all interested parties to thoroughly examine the Draft RFP and the accompanying procurement website in their entirety and to submit comments to DOE.
>>Continue
reading |
|
| February 2017 | | 23-24 | ECA Annual Meeting Washington, DC
"Meeting the New Administration: Addressing Energy Priorities and Securing Progress" |
|
| March 2017 | | 5-9 | Waste Management Conference
Phoenix, AZ
|
|
| May/June 2017 | | 31-1 | INVITATION ONLY ECA Peer Exchange Richland, WA "Formalizing Host Communities' Role in the Manhattan Project National
Historical Park" |
|
Find the most recent ECA Bulletin here |
|
