Reserve your spot at ECA's Annual Meeting
in Washington, DC on January 30-31, 2020!
Senate and House Armed Services Committees Complete Conference on FY20 National Defense Authorization Act
Senate Armed Services Committee | 12/09/2019
U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, today announced details of the Conference Report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy.
This conference report supports a discretionary topline of $738 billion, consistent with the recent bipartisan budget agreement. This includes $71.5 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations funding. In addition, the report authorizes $5.3 billion in emergency disaster recovery to help military installations across the country from extreme weather and natural disasters.
The committee summary of the final conference report is available here.
Draft Environmental Assessment for Defense Waste Processing Facility Stream Now Posted to Federal Register
ECA Staff | 12/10/2019
Today DOE took another step forward in its efforts to evaluate its proposed High-Level Waste interpretation, announcing a 30-day public comment period on “a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) that analyzes the potential environmental impacts of treating and disposing of up to 10,000 gallons of recycle wastewater from the Savannah River Site’s Defense Waste Processing Facility at a commercial low-level
radioactive waste disposal facility located outside the state of South Carolina.”
ECA supports the Department’s efforts to evaluate alternative treatment and disposal options that are demonstrated to be risk-based, protective of human health and the environment, and can expedite the cleanup of wastes in our communities. ECA also appreciates DOE ensuring there is an opportunity for public input and meaningful interaction with its stakeholders.
DOE has scheduled two Informational public meetings:
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
5:00 – 6:30 pm ET
Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center
2 Tenth Street
Augusta, GA 30901
Thursday, December 19, 2019
2:00 pm ET
Online Webinar
The deadline to submit public comments is January 9, 2020. Comments can be sent via email at DWPFEA@em.doe.gov or by mail to Mr. James Joyce, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585.
LEGISLATIVE
What Made the NDAA Cut?
New York Times & Politico | 12/10/2019
U.S. lawmakers announced an agreement on Monday on a $738-billion bill setting policy for the Department of Defense, including new measures for competing with Russia and China, family leave for federal workers and the creation of President Donald Trump's long-desired Space Force.
Other energy provisions:
Climate security: The defense bill establishes a climate security advisory panel with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. One of its charges, according to report, is "ensuring that the intelligence community is adequately prioritizing climate
change in carrying out its activities."
Pipeline sanctions: It also contains text of Sen. Ted Cruz's bill sanctioning companies working on the NordStream 2 and Turk Stream pipelines. In a statement, Cruz vowed to "make sure these sanctions are fully implemented and any violators are tracked and duly designated."
Also, the closely watched USE IT Act, which aims to promote carbon capture and sequestration technologies, did not make it into the final conference report, though Section 223 does establish a program between Defense, Homeland Security and the Energy Department on "blue carbon capture and direct air capture," which is defined in the report as "the removal of dissolved carbon dioxide from
seawater through engineered or inorganic processes."
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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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