HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE
High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Interpretation in Action
SRSCRO Newsletter | 8/20/20
Previous Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO) newsletters have had articles related to Department of Energy's (DOE) proposed actions as it relates to interpretation of what constitutes or defines HLW. The most
recent was in January 2020 where we discussed DOE's release of its Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Commercial Disposal of Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Recycle Wastewater from the Savannah River Site (SRS).
The SRSCRO has been involved in this issue since 2013, when it hosted representatives of the five counties surrounding the SRS on a trip to the Carlsbad, NM community where discussions began regarding some waste currently stored at SRS, which technically does not meet the definition of HLW. It has been reported that SRS has approximately 2,300 existing canisters of vitrified waste waiting to be disposed
of as HLW that may not be HLW by composition.
After seven years, there is actual movement on this subject with DOE's first application of its high-level radioactive waste interpretation for a single waste stream from DOE's Savannah River Site (SRS). On August 6, 2020, DOE issued a Federal Register Notice that included a Finding of No Significant Impact for the Commercial Disposal of Defense Waste Processing Facility Recycle Wastewater from the
Savannah River Site (FONSI) and the availability of the Final Environmental Assessment for the Commercial Disposal of Defense Waste Processing Facility Recycle Wastewater from the Savannah River Site (Final EA) and associated technical documents.
As soon as August 26, 2020, DOE plans to host an Informational Webinar on the DWPF recycle wastewater and final EA decision. DOE will update their webpage to identify the specific date/time and instructions for accessing the Informational Webinar. Webpage links to the FONSI, the Final EA, and associated technical documents are available here.
These documents support the conclusion that recycle wastewater from the SRS Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) meets the criteria for disposal as low-level radioactive waste (LLW) in accordance with its radiological characteristics, and thus can be safely disposed of in a LLW facility outside the state of South Carolina. DOE intends to initiate the shipment of a small quantity (up to 8 gallons)
from the up to 10,000 gallons of DWPF recycle wastewater to the Waste Control Specialists (WCS) site for treatment and disposal.
While 8 gallons does not seem like much, this small action aligns the U.S. with international guidelines for management and disposal of radioactive waste based on radiological risk. The U.S. is the only country that bases HLW determination on the waste's origin, not on the physical and chemical properties of the waste. This initial effort shows first-hand the beneficial application of DOE's High-Level
Waste interpretation. The SRSCRO continues to support DOE efforts to consider safe, risk-based alternative disposal paths for waste based on actual radiological characteristics and risk to human health arising from the waste, rather than artificial former policy standards that base waste classification on origin.
Some of the benefits from a broader application of this interpretation were highlighted in a June 14, 2019 local Op-Ed by James Marra, PhD from the Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness and
Rick McLeod from the SRS Community Reuse Organization.
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CONTRACTING
Contract Update: Major EM Contracts Expiring in 2020
ECA Staff | 8/20/2020
DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) released an updated list of major contracts today, including 13 contracts that are set to expire in 2020. Of those contracts, 7 will expire in September.
Expiring in 2020:
- Waste Isolation Pilot Project Management and Operating Contract (expiring 9/30/20)
- Carlsbad Technical Assistance Contract (expiring 12/4/20)
- Transuranic Waste Processing (Oak Ridge) (expiring 10/26/20)
- Decontamination and Decommissioning Project for the East Tennessee Technology Park (expiring 7/31/20)
- Retrieval and Treatment of Hanford’s Radioactive and Hazardous Tank Waste (Tank Operations Contract) (expiring 9/30/20)
- Hanford 222-S Laboratory Analysis and Testing Services (expiring 9/20/20)
- Paducah Infrastructure Services (expiring 9/30/20)
- Hanford Site Central Plateau Remediation (expiring 9/30/20)
- Hanford Site Infrastructure Services (expiring 11/25/20)
- Design, Construction and Commissioning of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (expiring 9/30/20)
- Savannah River Liquid Waste Program – Treatment, Storage and Disposal of Radioactive Liquid Waste (expiring 9/30/20)
- Security Services for Safeguard of Special Nuclear Material (expiring 10/7/20)
- Environmental Program Services (Nevada) (expiring 11/30/20)
DOE officials are set to discuss contracts and acquisition at the National Cleanup Workshop on September 16. Hear the latest updates and insights on contracting by registering for the virtual conference.
WORKFORCE
NNSA Awards $5M for Local Training
SRSCRO Newsletter | 8/20/2020
Citizens of the local South Carolina/Georgia region are receiving a significant boost in available funding to support training that leads to well-paying careers like those at the Savannah River Site (SRS). On Monday, August 10, 2020, a formal award for $5M was made to the SRS Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO) by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) for development of an enduring
workforce that supports long-term missions. Six area colleges and universities are the subrecipients of a combined $1M a year over the next five years because of this award.
The new NNSA grant program is known as WORC II which stands for Workforce Opportunities in Regional Careers II. The new program is designed specifically in support of NNSA workforce needs related to the proposed plutonium pit mission, the long-standing tritium mission, and the surplus plutonium disposition mission at SRS. The WORC II strategy is focused on identifying the key competencies needed
for NNSA's workforce and aligning regional technical college and university programs to support the associated training and education. This includes using existing training programs and developing new training programs specific to workforce needs.
The WORC II Program does not replace the successful $5M WORC I Program already in place. In fact, WORC II and WORC I Programs will coexist with complementary features between the two. Both programs are administered by the SRSCRO and involve college/university partners.
Academic partners for WORC II are Claflin University, Aiken Technical College, Augusta Technical College, Augusta University, University of South Carolina Aiken and University of South Carolina Salkehatchie. Each partner institution will focus on specific areas of their expertise to provide training and education relevant to NNSA workforce needs. WORC II funding covers costs associated with student
recruitment, training equipment, student scholarships, supplies and instructor salary as approved by NNSA in agreements made with each partner.
WORC II funds will also be used to pilot a middle school STEM mentoring program in the SRSCRO's two-state region.
WORC II funding was first announced by the Under Secretary for Nuclear Security of DOE and NNSA Administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty. Since the announcement in June 2019, the SRSCRO,
local college/university partners and the NNSA Savannah River office have been working to finalize the scope and program details to make WORC II a reality for the local region.
Citizens in the community may contact the academic partners directly to learn more about accessing scholarships that are made possible through WORC II for a variety of training and education programs.
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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