Deep Borehole Nuclear Waste Disposal Just Got A Whole Lot More Likely
Forbes | 6/24/2019
Deep Isolation is a recent start-up company from Berkeley that seeks to dispose of nuclear waste safely at a much lower cost than existing strategies.
The borehole technology was developed to frack natural gas and oil wells, but Deep Isolation realized it could dispose of nuclear waste just as well.
Today the company announced it was partnering with nuclear giant Bechtel National, Inc. to bring Deep Isolation’s patented technology to fruition.
Elizabeth Muller, CEO of Deep Isolation, notes, “Bechtel was the first major industry player that understood the significance of what Deep Isolation is doing. They appreciate the importance of innovation and urgency in solving the nuclear waste problem.”
They should. Bechtel is part of the largest engineering and construction company in the United States, and one of the largest nuclear contractors of all time, having contracts at Hanford, the Nevada Test Site, WIPP in New Mexico, and many other nuclear sites and programs around the world.
In America, it takes that kind of heft to get anything off the ground, especially in the nuclear arena.
The idea of deep borehole disposal for nuclear waste is not new, but Deep Isolation is the first to consider horizontal wells and is the first to actually demonstrate the concept in the field, showing that the technology is not just theoretical. The field demonstration occurred on January 16th when it placed and retrieved a waste canister from thousands of feet underground.
Read more:
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
NNSA chief: Ike White's jump to Environmental Management a win for Energy Department
Aiken Standard | 6/24/2019
A former National Nuclear Security Administration executive's transition away from nuclear surety and toward nuclear cleanup is a net gain for the larger U.S. Department of Energy but represents a notable loss for the agency itself, according to its first-in-command, Lisa Gordon-Hagerty.
William "Ike" White, the former NNSA chief of staff and associate principal deputy administrator, is now a senior adviser to Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar overseeing the DOE Office of Environmental Management, the federal cleanup wing presiding over the Savannah River Site.
White fills roughly the void caused by the departure of Anne Marie White, the now-former assistant secretary for environmental management. Anne Marie White's resignation was effective June 14, according to a personnel memo reviewed and previously reported on by the Aiken Standard.
Anne Marie White is not listed on Environmental Management's leadership website. William "Ike" White is. The two are not related.
In a sit-down interview with the Aiken Standard on June 18, Gordon-Hagerty bid William "Ike" White good luck, coupled with compliments.
"Ike brings us a wealth of … more than three decades of experience in NNSA and the national security space," Gordon-Hagerty said, prompted by a specific question. "So it will be a loss. But, again, it'll be a gain for the department because he has such a breadth and scope of knowledge of the entire department that it's a win-win for everyone."
NEW NUCLEAR
STORAGE & DISPOSITION
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NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP
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"Advancing Goal-Oriented Nuclear Waste Cleanup, Today and Tomorrow"
September 10-12, 2019
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
Alexandria, VA
Join more than 700 attendees, including senior DOE officials, Congressional leaders, DOE contractors, and state, tribal and local government leaders for the largest EM-focused gathering in the D.C. area.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Paul Dabbar, DOE Under Secretary for Science
- Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Co-Chair, House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus
- Ron Woody, ECA Chair; County Executive, Roane County, Tenn.
- Sandra Fairchild, EFCOG Vice Chair; Director, Project Services and Support, Savannah River Remediation
Scheduled sessions at this year's workshop include:
- Insights from the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus Leadership
- 30 Years of EM Cleanup: A Foundation of Success
- EM Contracting: Moving Forward on Contract Management Enhancements
- Legislative Challenges and Opportunities for the EM Program
- Clarifying the Definition of HLW: Challenges and Opportunities
- Continuing Progress on Direct Feed LAW at Hanford
- The Future of the Savannah River Site
- Congressional Staff Perspectives
- Roundtable with DOE Field Office Managers
- Investing in Infrastructure to Enable Cleanup and Future Missions
Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World
Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.
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Read ECA's Latest Publication
Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High-Level Waste Definition:
A Guide for Communities and Recommendations for DOE
This paper was developed as a guide for communities to understand a new interpretation of the statutory definition of high-level nuclear waste proposed by DOE in October 2018. This new interpretation could speed up cleanup at several sites, develop a path forward for waste stranded in interim storage and tanks, and potentially save tens of billions of dollars. The paper provides local communities and other DOE
stakeholders with information needed to enable informed decisions and constructive input to the Department as it determines next steps and implementation.
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Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles
ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local
governments.
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