Perry’s Energy nomination advanced by
committee The Hill
January 31, 2017 A Senate panel on Tuesday
signed off on former Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s nomination to lead the Department of Energy.
The Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 17-6 to approve Perry’s nomination, sending it to the full Senate.
During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Perry was forced to walk back his infamous pledge, from his 2011 presidential run, to abolish the Energy Department if he had been elected.
Instead, he said, he understands and
respects the agency’s mission, which focuses on the country’s nuclear arsenal and research activities that span across industries. >>Continue reading Klotz Stays as NNSA Director, But Deputy Is Out Defense News January 24, 2017 WASHINGTON – National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) head Frank Klotz will be staying for the foreseeable future, but deputy director Madelyn Creedon is no longer with the
agency.
The decision to keep Klotz in place followed two weeks of concerns from the nuclear
community that he might be forced out by the Trump administration with no replacement in sight.
The NNSA is a
semi-autonomous department within the Department of Energy. While the Defense Department manages the delivery systems of the nuclear force — ships, planes and missiles — NNSA has oversight over the development, maintenance and disposal of nuclear warheads. . >>Continue readingWASTE STORAGE & DISPOSITION Judge May Delay Nuclear Waste Shipments Through WNC HCPress January 24, 2017 The federal government’s plan to transport weapons-grade liquid nuclear waste through Western North Carolina may be on hold once a Washington, D.C., judge rules on a lawsuit from several regional environmental
groups.
The parties to the lawsuit argued that the Department of Energy violated the National Environmental Policy Act by
planning to transport nuclear waste in relative secrecy. The plaintiffs also accuse the government of justifying its proposal with a cursory and insufficient environmental impact study, based on outdated research.
Opponents of the shipments said this would be the first time that weapons-grade highly enriched uranium in a liquid form has been transported in this way.
They warn that the government’s containers for the waste are untested and dangerous. The containers have only previously transported solid nuclear waste. >>Continue readingWIPP still has 10 DOE review items to tackle Current
Argus January 26, 2017 During a final review of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant last month, the Department of Energy team identified 36 findings that required correction at the
facility.
Of those, 15 were deemed to be "post-start" findings, meaning they could be addressed after
operations resumed at the underground nuclear waste repository.
The other 21 findings that were deemed "pre-start"
or dealing with worker safety were resolved before WIPP restarted operations.
Since reopening earlier this month, five of the post-start findings have been corrected at the WIPP site.
"Corrective action plans have been developed for each of the post-start findings and most of the plans are expected to be implemented, validated and closed within the first couple of months of 2017," said a Department of Energy Carlsbad Field Office spokesperson.
>>Continue readingNuclear power an option for Los Alamos County? Albuquerque Journal January
27 2017 SANTA FE, N.M. — Los Alamos is considering the nuclear option.
This time, it’s not about bombs. Los Alamos County is part of a group investing in potential development of small-scale nuclear power as one alternative for meeting future energy needs for the county and its biggest power customer, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The “small modular reactor,” or SMR, facility by NuScale Power of Portland, Ore., would be located a long way from Los Alamos, at the Idaho National Laboratory.
But a projected 16 megawatts of power – half for the county, half for the lab – would be delivered via the grid from what the county is calling
its “carbon-free power project.” >>Continue reading New technique for safer nuclear fuel, waste management Business Standard January 29,
2017 Scientists have developed a new technique to extract uranium more safely and efficiently, an advance that
may lead to cleaner nuclear fuel and better waste treatment.
Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) in the US uses soap-like chemicals known as surfactants to extract uranium from an aqueous solution into a kerosene solution in the form of hollow clusters. >>Continue
reading CONTRACTING &
ACQUISITION DOE Releases Draft Request for Proposal for Moab UMTRA Technical Assistance Contract (TAC) Procurement DOE-EM January 26, 2017 Cincinnati -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) today issued a Final Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Technical Assistance Contract (TAC), in Moab, Utah. An Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract, utilizing Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) and Time-and-Material task orders, is anticipated. The Final 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. >>Continue reading NNSA Issues Honeywell Subsidiary Notice to Proceed for Sandia Labs Mgmt Transition GovConWire January 26,
2017 A subsidiary of Honeywell International (NYSE: HON) has received a notice to proceed from the National Nuclear Security Administration to start the transition efforts for the operation and management of Sandia
National Laboratories.
National Technology
& Engineering Solutions of Sandia will assume management responsibilities at SNL on May 1 with Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), Universities Research Association, Sandia Technical Partners and Longenecker & Associates as subcontractors, NTESS said Wednesday. >>Continue
reading |
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| February 2017 | | 8-9 | The Advanced Reactors Technical Summit IV & Technology Trailblazers
Showcase
Argonne, IL |
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| February 2017 | | 23-24 | ECA Event:
Meeting the New Administration:
Addressing Priorities and Securing Progress
Washington, DC |
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| March 2017 | | 5-9 | Waste Management Conference Phoenix, AZ
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| May/June 2017 | | 31-1 | INVITATION
ONLY ECA Peer
Exchange:
Manhattan Project National Historical Park Implementation Richland, WA
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| September 2017 | | 13-14 | 2017 National Cleanup Workshop Alexandria, VA |
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Find the most recent ECA Bulletin here |
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