Nuclear power would get support in bipartisan Senate bill
Roll Call | 8/1/2019
A bipartisan pair of senators unveiled nuclear energy legislation Wednesday, describing it as a serious and pragmatic approach to tackle climate change and connecting it to rising greenhouse gas emissions specifically.
Democrat Chris Coons of Delaware and Republican Martha McSally of Arizona floated the bill, which has support from the nuclear power lobby, as a way to extend the lifespan and efficiency of America’s fleet of nuclear power plants.
“If we’re serious about reducing our carbon emissions, we need to get serious about nuclear energy,” McSally said in a statement.
The legislation would support “advanced nuclear” methods, referring generally to steps to make nuclear power produce less waste and generate electricity more reliably. It would establish a Department of Energy project to cut costs at power stations, increase research and development and create an apprenticeship program for the industry.
NNSA quietly removes metric ton of plutonium from SC as part of court order
Aiken Standard | 8/7/2019
The federal government has quietly moved a total 1 metric ton of weapons-grade plutonium out of South Carolina, chipping away at a stockpile of potentially lethal nuclear material still at the Savannah River Site.
The cross-country move, done to comply with a late 2017 federal court order, was disclosed Wednesday evening by S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, who had sued the U.S. Department of Energy over the stockpile. The DOE had faced a January 2020 deadline to remove the material.
"Today's news that one ton of weapons-grade plutonium has been removed from the state is a victory for South Carolinians and the rule of law," Wilson said in a prepared statement. "The Department of Energy disregarded many of its obligations to the state, and this outcome confirms the state will not sit idly by while the department does so."
Still, roughly 11 metric tons of the nuclear material remain at the Savannah River Site, a 310-square-mile nuclear complex 20 miles south of Aiken and about 130 miles northwest of Charleston. The material is stored at an aging reactor-turned-nuclear-storehouse that has previously been described as in poor condition.
ADVANCED NUCLEAR
WASTE MANAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP
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Aug 5 - Sept 6 Congressional Recess
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.
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
Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation
Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications
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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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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