ECA Update: EM-1 nomination on hold in Senate; Management changes at Hanford after contamination incident; & more

Published: Tue, 01/30/18

ECA UPDATE
Jan 30, 2018
FEATURED
LEGISLATIVE
GOP senator puts hold on Trump energy nominee
The Hill | January 29, 2018

Republican Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.) is placing a hold on President Trump's nominee to oversee the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup programs.

Barrasso said during a confirmation hearing with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last Thursday that he was placing a hold on Anne White's nomination until the Energy Department committed to ending its process of re-selling excess government-owned uranium on the market. Barrasso said the process hurts his state's uranium mining industry.

The Energy Department frequently sells excess uranium it owns in order to finance cleanup operations and decommission nuclear sites.

 
ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP
More radioactive contamination triggers management change at Hanford
Tri-City Herald | ​​​​​​​January 29, 2018

The Department of Energy is replacing the managers of a critical radioactive clean-up project after the continued spread of contamination on the Hanford site.

The move is intended to rebuild confidence with workers and the public and show the project is being safely managed.

The announcement Monday comes after radioactive contamination was again found on a worker’s personnel vehicle. DOE wants other employee cars retested, including a rental car its contractor had to track down.​​​​​​​ 

IN OTHER NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
​​​​​​​Feb 14  EM Site-Specific Advisory Board, Oak Ridge Reservation; Oak Ridge, TN

Feb 20-22  2018 Nuclear Deterrence Summit; Arlington, VA

March 18-22  2018 Waste Management Symposia; Phoenix, AZ

April 12 2018 ECA Annual Conference; Washington, DC

Sept 11-13  2018 National Cleanup Workshop; Alexandria, VA