PLUTONIUM
Disposal of Surplus Plutonium in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - Final Report Public Release
National Academies of Science | 4/30/2020
The National Academies of Sciences (NAS) will soon release its report evaluating the viability of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration’s (DOE/NNSA) conceptual plans for diluting 34
metric tons (MT) of surplus plutonium and disposing as transuranic waste in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico.
The report reviews DOE/NNSA’s dilute and dispose process, current WIPP capacity, and requirements of the Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA). While the report highlights some uncertainties, it validates the feasibility of the dilute and dispose approach.
In 2018 an Interim Report was
released that evaluates DOE-NNSA’s plans to ship, receive, and emplace surplus plutonium in WIPP and its understanding of the impacts of these plans on WIPP and WIPP-bound waste streams. An overview can be found here.
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ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP
DOE Marks Major Progress in Groundwater Cleanup Mission at Nevada Site
Department of Energy | 4/29/2020
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) environmental cleanup program has reached a significant milestone in its legacy cleanup mission at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), completing approximately half of the planned groundwater characterization
activities.
The DOE Environmental Management program in Nevada recently completed groundwater characterization activities at the Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain (RM/SM) section of the NNSS. The State of Nevada’s Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) approved DOE’s closure report on April 1.
With the earlier completion of work at Frenchman Flat, about half of all groundwater characterization areas at the NNSS have now reached the long-term monitoring stage.
“With Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain now in long-term monitoring, we are nearly halfway to the safe, secure, and successful completion of our groundwater characterization mission at the NNSS,” said Todd Shrader, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Environmental Management.
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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