SITE UPDATE
A Year in Review for WIPP Site
DOE-EM | 3/17/2021
Last week, an overview of WIPP accomplishments and future projects was provided to the Northern New Mexico Citizens' Advisory Board (NNMCAB). The overview is a beneficial exercise in educating on issues of environmental monitoring, remediation, waste management, and long-term environmental stewardship at the Los Alamos National
Laboratory (LANL).
For an overview, WIPP opened in 1999 and has enabled cleanup of 22 legacy TRU waste sites throughout the U.S. In the nearly 20 years of operation, WIPP shipments include:
- Total shipments received as of 2/3/2021: 12,842
- Total loaded miles traveled as of 2/3/2021: 15,377,309
- Total CH containers emplaced since 1999: 184,640
- Total RH containers emplaced since 1999: 775
- Shipments received in FY20: 180
- Shipments from LANL in FY20: 46
- Loaded miles in FY20: 203,323
- Shipments received in FY21 as of 2/3/2021: 70
Infrastructure projects for WIPP continue. This includes numerous general plant projects (GPP) to upgrade and modernize WIPP in order to complete missions. The Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System (SSCVS) will increase worker safety. Also included in the upgrades are the 700-C
series fans - bringing the 700-C fan online will increase airflow underground. Finally, the push for utility shaft #5 continues but the sinking of the shaft is currently on hold.
Below find an update on contractors at WIPP:
- CTAC - Currently Northwind Portage
- November 2015 - April 2021
- $51.8 million
- M&O - Currently Nuclear Waste Partnership
- April 2012 - September 2021 - 2, six month options available through September 2022
- $2.8 billion
- DOE TRANSCOM Tech Support Services - currently Aleut Aerospace Engineering, LLC
- July 2019 - May 2022
- $9 million
- TRANSPORTATION - Currently CAST Specialty Trucking
- June 2017 - August 2024
- $112 million
A summary for the year can be found below:
- FY 2021 budget is in execution -- $226M
- Consent Order - working towards 13 proposed milestones plus well R-72 during FY 2021
- FY 2022 budget is being formulated and submitted to the Office of Management and Budget
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HEARING
Full Committee Hearing on Nuclear Energy
U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources | 3/21/2021
The hearing will be held on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. The purpose of the hearing is to examine the latest developments in the nuclear energy sector with a focus on ways to maintain and expand the use of nuclear energy in the United States and abroad.
NATIONAL REACTOR INNOVATION CENTER
What Inspires Us: an Interactive Webinar on Nuclear Narratives
NRIC-INL | 3/21/2021
Inspiring others to understand the benefits of nuclear energy involves more than just laying out the facts. Thoughtful and personal storytelling bridges gaps between inspired individuals early in their careers and those who are unfamiliar with the field. Telling our personal stories and motivations for working in nuclear creates common ground. Human stories are our strongest tools when speaking to the
public. Breakout sessions will guide you in telling your own personal story through critique and practice with a group.
April 1, 2021 ECA Board of Directors meeting
April 6, 2021 ECA and ECOS: Budget Review
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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