IN MEMORY
ECA remembers Dr. Pete Lyons
ECA Staff | 5/3/2021
ECA members and staff were saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Pete Lyons. With nearly 50 years of government service and work within the national laboratory system, the impacts of Lyons' career are difficult to capture. Lyons dedicated his time, energy, experience, and vast intellect while serving as the Assistant Secretary in the Office of Nuclear
Energy, as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, and with a four-year term on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Waffl
ECA Executive Director Seth Kirshenberg comments on Dy. Lyons' career: "Pete - as most of us knew Dr Lyons impacted every energy community in the country while he worked in the Senate, NRC and as the leader of the DOE Nuclear Energy Office. He always took the time to meet with colleagues and mentor them (and help them see the long term goals and issues in every policy). Pete will be missed by his friends and
colleagues."
In announcing Dr Lyons retirement in 2011, former Secretary Moniz stated "Pete has been a tremendous public servant throughout his stellar career, and all who have had the privilege of working with and getting to know him through these decades understand that he has been not only a dedicated and accomplished scientist and leader of the highest order, but also one of the most decent and kind individuals one will meet in government
service. We will miss him."
Dr. Lyons has a long list of accomplishments and ECA members will remember him for his leadership and his close personal relationship with them. It is clear the world of energy and New Mexico communities has lost a true champion and leader. Dr. Lyons' work will be remembered as the country continues to move forward on the strong foundation that he implemented. ECA sends our condolences to the Lyons
family.
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NUCLEAR WASTE
How to Move the Nation’s Nuclear Waste Management Program Forward Is Subject of U.S. NWTRB Report
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board | 4/30/2021
On April 30, 2021, the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board released a report to the U.S. Congress and the Secretary of Energy, titled Six Overarching Recommendations for How to Move the Nation’s Nuclear Waste Management Program Forward. The report is the current Board members’ synthesis of their nearly decade-long experience reviewing the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) activities related to
the management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). The report may be downloaded from the Board’s website at https://www.nwtrb.gov.
Although studies have shown that SNF and HLW can be safely stored for an extended period of time if associated recommendations and programs are followed, timely progress toward the long-term solution disposal in an underground geologic repository is still a matter of urgency. Several significant challenges need to be addressed to ensure the development of a successful nuclear waste management program
in the United States. These challenges include the current lack of a plan for developing a repository and concomitant funding, the complex array of stakeholders responsible for implementing different stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, and the unprecedentedly long time-scale for which a repository must be designed to protect the health and safety of the public and the environment. In this report, the Board members offer high-level recommendations to DOE which, if adopted as core principles, will
support the creation of a robust, safe, and effective nuclear waste management capability for the nation, including laying the groundwork for a successful geologic repository.
The report provides the Board member’s six overarching recommendations and associated action items in areas related to (i) an integrated organizational approach, (ii) required infrastructure and personnel needs, (iii) DOE’s research approach, (iv) an iterative, adaptive waste management program approach, (v) engaging with the international community, and (vi) building public trust.
The Board was established in the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987 to perform ongoing evaluation of the technical and scientific validity of DOE activities related to the PRL221vF management and disposal of SNF and HLW. The Board is required to report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to Congress and the Secretary of Energy. Board members are appointed by the President from a list
of nominees submitted by the National Academy of Sciences. The Board is an independent federal agency in the Executive Branch.
PLUTONIUM PIT PRODUCTION
Los Alamos National Laboratory Announces New Directorate For Plutonium Infrastructure
Los Alamos Reporter | 4/30/2021
Los Alamos National Laboratory Director Thom Mason has announced the creation of an additional directorate within the LANL Weapons Program called the Directorate for Plutonium Infrastructure (ALDPI).
In an email to staff, Mason said the new directorate will be responsible for projects supporting the Plutonium Center Of Excellence, the Los Alamos Plutonium Pit Production Project (LAP4) the Chemistry and Material Research Replacement Project , Reinvestment Project and related programmatic equipment installations and capability-based investment projects.
“With this new directorate’s focus on plutonium infrastructure, the Laboratory will be better positioned to expand this portfolio with the advent of LAP4. Capital Projects, along with other directorates, will provide support via matrix deployment and limited direct transfer of personnel to ALDPI,” Mason said.
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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