COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Regional Coalition Of LANL Communities Board Unanimously Passes Resolution To Dissolve
Los Alamos Reporter | 5/21/21
Members of the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities board voted Friday afternoon to approve a resolution authorizing the direction of the winding down of the RCLC at the point of its termination. The resolution also directs legal counsel Nancy Long, treasurer Los Alamos County Councilor David Izraelevitz and Los Alamos County as the fiscal agent to take all actions necessary and warranted to see that
the termination and all matters that need to be attended to upon that termination, are taken care of in an orderly way and ratifies actions that have been taken to this point to accomplish that.
Long said the resolution is the beginning of the process and that the resolution expresses the will of the board that the RCLC be wound down and terminated officially with the actions that are necessary to accomplish that.
TECHNOLOGY
New mission for SRS drones: Inspect waste sites with engineered protective covers
Aiken Standard | 5/23/21
For the first time, camera-mounted drones recently hovered, dipped, and glided above remediated waste sites at the Savannah River Site to ensure the structural integrity of the protective covers over them.
“This is a new use for our drones, and it’s had a huge impact on meeting the needs of our federal and state regulators who annually conduct site inspections,” said Juana Maddox, project lead for Environmental Management contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. “For a recent aerial inspection, 10 engineered protective covers at waste facilities within SRS were inspected.”
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DEFENSE
Estimated Cost of US Nuclear Modernization Jumps 28 Percent
Government Executive | 5/25/21
The estimated cost of replacing America’s nuclear bombers, missile submarines, and ICBMs just jumped again—from $315 billion in 2015 to $494 billion in 2019 and now to $634 billion, a 28 percent increase, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released Monday.
The report identifies a $140 billion increase in the cost of nuclear delivery systems and weapons, such as ICBMs, as the largest contributor to the jump. “Projected costs for command, control, communications, and early-warning systems have also increased substantially,” it says, adding that if full costs of B-52 and B-21 bombers were included, “the total costs of nuclear forces, with cost growth, would
be $711 billion.”
It’s the second time CBO has raised their projections for the costs of modernizing U.S. nuclear forces.
GAO REPORT
DOD and DOE Face Challenges Mitigating Risks to U.S. Deterrence Efforts
Government Accountability Office | 5/21
Why GAO Did This Study
The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review indicates that DOD’s highest priority is the nuclear deterrent, made up of sea, land, and air legs—referred to as the nuclear triad. DOD has reported that due to prior delays and challenges with aging nuclear triad systems, there is little to no margin for delaying replacement systems without incurring risk to the nuclear deterrent. Similarly, DOE faces a demanding
schedule for infrastructure projects and programs for the life extension and production of warheads and bombs.
In this report, GAO examines (1) the challenges DOD and DOE face in meeting operational needs with existing triad systems; (2) the extent to which DOD and DOE triad acquisition programs face schedule risks, and the implications of delays; and (3) whether DOD and DOE have strategies to mitigate risks to the nuclear deterrent, including acquisition delays. To do this work, GAO analyzed DOD and DOE
documentation, interviewed officials, and leveraged GAO work on acquisition best practices, triad systems, and the nuclear enterprise.
What GAO Recommends
GAO is not making any recommendations because DOD and DOE have ongoing analyses related to a number of potential nuclear triad risk mitigation approaches. However, GAO has made recommendations in prior reports related to triad programs.
LEGISLATION
NUCLEAR WASTE
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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