ENERGY COMMUNITIES ALLIANCE
Local Elected Officials Focus on Cleanup, Small Business Contracting, and Opportunity to Engage on Carbon Free Energy Development with the New Administration During ECA Board Meeting
ECA Staff | 4/5/2021
Last week Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) members held their semi-annual board meeting to discuss challenges, accomplishments, on-going environmental cleanup and nuclear initiatives in host communities across the DOE nuclear complex. ECA has prioritized the following:
- Involvement of local governments in DOE (including NNSA) decision making.
- Funding of environmental cleanup and including local government input into resource allotment.
- Supporting the current and future workforce at DOE facilities and economic development of host communities.
- Creating a high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel storage and disposal program.
- Ensuring local small businesses can meaningfully participate in EM procurements and if their team wins the bid that the small business can immediately work on the contract without having to go through other separate procurements.
- Supporting the development of new nuclear technologies.
- Integrating ECA’s DOE contracting reform recommendations and principles.
- Promoting intra-agency cooperation and communication across DOE program offices, headquarters, and sites to avoid delays, confusion and inconsistent decision-making.
- Investing in host communities and the DOE complex.
When discussing the relationship between ECA communities and DOE, ECA Chair Ron Woody highlighted in his remarks, "communication and collaboration continue to fuel progress and maintain forward momentum. No matter if the issues are ones we agree or disagree on, it is a mark of a good relationship when the communication channels remain open. Open dialogue is all we can ask, and it is a
foundational tool to accomplishing goals."
ECA was joined by Ike White, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Environmental Management, and other DOE-EM officials to discuss the cleanup mission, the high-level radioactive (HLW) waste Interpretation, expectations under the new Administration, and federal collaboration with communities impacted by DOE activities. Alignment was the keyword of the conversation, with Mr. White
noting that EM’s biggest successes came when there was alignment between department officials, regulators, communities, and appropriators on the Hill providing financial support. He cited that alignment for the success of the direct-feed low-activity waste (DFLAW) program at Hanford, and said he hoped that kind of alignment can be reached on DOE’s HLW Interpretation as well. White stated EM is also looking at how to improve communications to help foster common understanding and
cooperation among all the parties involved in the EM mission. Specifically, he mentioned there could have been more transparency on intent and goals for small business contracting at Hanford yet said his office is now looking again at how proposals come into DOE.
White also noted the continued workforce development challenges that will be faced by the nuclear complex as retirements draw nearer, challenges associated with unexpected discoveries of contamination, and small business contracting issues. ECA recently sent a letter to White addressing concerns of the local community that DOE was unintentionally putting small businesses in the Tri-City
out of business. Read the full letter here.
ECA members appreciated Mr. White’s engagement and openness in working together on our common goal: cleanup of the sites.
Key issues raised during discussions among ECA members addressed high-level waste disposal needs and the future of a geologic repository program, providing education and building support for the HLW interpretation, new energy production development on DOE property, and re-industrialization. Much of the conversation centered around economic development and challenges of property transfers
for federal property. One ECA member noted there is an opportunity given there is significant DOE property not in productive use; another expressed concern over the varying lengths of time it can take for DOE to transfer property.
ECA continues to plan the 2021 National Cleanup Workshop in September while also planning for more webinars to be hosted as we approach the re-emergence of in-person meetings. ECA thanks all members who joined the call as well as the Office of Environmental Management officials for their time and presentations.
ECA’s planned upcoming meetings include:
- DOE Order 435.1 Informational Webinar (closed) – April 13, 2021
- “Engaging Energy Communities in Advanced Nuclear Demonstration Projects” Webinar (open) – May 4, 2021
- High-Level Waste Review (open) – Summer 2021
- 2021 National Cleanup Workshop (open) – September 8-10, 2021
- 2021 Intergovernmental Meeting (closed) – November 2021
You can find past webinars from ECA on our YouTube page here.
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WASTE SHIPMENTS
DOE planning to increase down-blended plutonium shipments to Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Carlsbad Argus | 4/7/2021
Federal nuclear waste managers are planning to ramp up shipments of plutonium from a site in South Carolina for final disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southeast New Mexico.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) began preparing equipment at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, South Carolina used to package and inspect drums of the waste before shipping to WIPP where it will be permanently disposed of in the repository’s underground salt formation.
The plutonium waste will be inspected to verify that it meets the criteria required for emplacement at WIPP, which is used to dispose of low-level transuranic (TRU) nuclear waste – mostly clothing items and equipment radiated during nuclear activities.
NUCLEAR POWER
Partnership formed for advanced reactor deployment in Washington State
World Nuclear News | 4/6/2021
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by Energy Northwest, Grant County Public Utility District and X-energy to form a partnership to support the development and commercial demonstration of the USA's first advanced nuclear reactor. The TRi Energy Partnership aims to construct a plant based on X-energy's Xe-100 reactor design at Energy Northwest's existing Columbia site in
Washington.
The MoU was signed on 1 April in Richland, Washington, by Energy Northwest CEO Brad Sawatzke, X-energy CEO Clay Sell and Grant PUD CEO Kevin Sawatzke.
Through the MoU, the partners will collaborate and share resources to evaluate their mutual goal of siting, building and operating a Xe-100 advanced nuclear power plant with the potential to generate up to 320 MWe. Through the TRi Energy Partnership, the parties will evaluate each step of the project and identify the best approach to licensing, permitting, construction, operation and
ownership.
CLIMATE INITIATIVES
NUCLEAR ENERGY
GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY
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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