ENERGY COMMUNITIES ALLIANCE
ECA communities contact Congress about change to DOE budget process in NDAA
ECA Staff | 6/29/2020
Several ECA communities have contacted their Congressional delegations about a potential change in the Senate's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would give the Department of Defense and NNSA more control over the DOE budget.
As mentioned in our last ECA Update, Section 3111 of the Senate’s NDAA would require the Secretary of Energy to
send the proposed NNSA budget request to the Nuclear Weapons Council (NWC) for a review to “determine whether it is adequate to implement Department of Defense (DOD) nuclear weapons objectives.” If the NWC believes the NNSA budget is inadequate, the council can send back new funding levels to the Secretary of Energy, who is required to implement those new levels before submitting the final budget to the Office of Management and Budget.
In a zero-sum game for defense funding, the Office of Environmental Management’s cleanup budget, Legacy Management budget and others would almost certainly be cut without the Secretary of Energy’s input.
The Senate's NDAA bill text is available here and the bill report is available here.
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CONTRACTS
DOE Issues Final RFP for New Savannah River National Laboratory Management and Operating Contract
Department of Energy | 6/26/2020
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) issued a Final Request for Proposal (RFP) for the new, standalone management and operating (M&O) contract for the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), located at the Savannah River Site near Aiken,
South Carolina.
The new SRNL contract is anticipated to have a value of approximately $380M per year and is anticipated to include a five-year base period and potential award terms for up to five additional years. The multi-program, Federally Funded Research and Development Center work performed under the new contract will include operations and maintenance of SRNL’s nuclear and
non-nuclear facilities and DOE mission roles focused in the following areas:
- Environmental Management
- National Security
- Science Discovery
- Energy Security
- Legacy Management
Any questions pertaining to the Final RFP shall be submitted in writing to SRNL@emcbc.doe.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, July 6, 2020. Contract award is anticipated in early FY 2021.
The RFP can be found on the SRNL procurement website HERE.
WASTE SHIPMENTS
Nevada, Energy Department settle fight over secret plutonium shipments
Reno Gazette Journal | 6/26/2020
Nevada ended a two-year legal battle Friday with the U.S. Energy Department over the secret shipment of weapons grade plutonium to a site near Las Vegas.
Nevada said it would drop its lawsuit after the federal government agreed to remove the radioactive material already trucked there and abandon any future plans to send more.
Gov. Steve Sisolak said in a statement it was a significant victory in the effort to “keep weapons grade material out of our state.”
Nevada said the shipment of one-half metric ton (600 pounds) of the plutonium over its objections from the Savannah River Site in South Carolina in 2018 amounted to a “secret plutonium smuggling operation.” The U.S. government argued secrecy was necessitated by national security concerns.
Details of the settlement were not disclosed in the court filing. But the statement released by Sisolak and Ford said the Energy Department will begin removing the plutonium next year and complete removal no later than Dec. 31, 2026.
Most importantly, they said, the agreement states that none of the more than 10 metric tons (22,000 pounds) of additional surplus plutonium the Energy Department may be forced to remove from South Carolina in the next 18 months will be sent to Nevada.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
OTT Summer 2020 Webinar Series: Funding and Partnering Opportunities with the DOE
Department of Energy | 6/9/2020
The Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) is excited to launch a stimulating summer webinar series, Funding and Partnering Opportunities with the U.S. Department of Energy, in collaboration with The Urban Tech Hub @Company and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). The series includes 11 distinct webinars over the course of the summer that will cover current and future funding and
partnering opportunities with the Department. These events will be informative, engaging workshops led by DOE senior leaders and program managers from across the complex.
NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE
NOMINATIONS
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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