New Cleanup Workshop Dates Set for December
7-9
December 7-9, 2021
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
Alexandria, Virginia
If you have already registered for the Workshop, you will not need to re-register. If you need to register, please click here. If you have questions, please contact Autumn Bogus at abogus@la-inc.com or (865)
300-1061.
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NRC issues draft white paper, aims to streamline licensing for microreactors
ECA Staff | 9/16/2021
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has issued a draft white paper to facilitate the development of strategies to streamline the regulatory licensing process for microreactors, a subset of advanced
non-light water reactors that have small site footprints. NRC is considering options that will achieve this streamline "by maximizing standardization and finality through the use of design certification, standard design approval, and topical report approvals” under 10 CFR Part 52.
The draft has not gone through the formal review process, but was released to support an upcoming advanced reactor stakeholder public meeting. The NRC staff intends to use this draft white paper to facilitate discussion at the meeting, but is not soliciting written comments at this time. NRC plans to use the white paper and additional stakeholder feedback to "support potential commercial deployment of micro-reactors,
including so-called fission batteries,” which will “allow for the deployment of large numbers of such reactors.”
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ANS urges Congress to address availability of HALEU for advanced reactor fuel
American Nuclear Society | 9/16/2021
Congress needs to take swift action to build a domestic supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to fuel advanced reactors, the American Nuclear Society declares in a September 14 letter to Sens. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.), chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and John Barrasso (R., Wyo.), the committee’s ranking member.
The letter notes that while many advanced reactor designs—including nine of the 10 designs awarded funding under the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program—require HALEU (uranium enriched to between 5 percent and 20 percent) as reactor fuel, it is currently available only in limited amounts from the DOE via downblending of existing stockpiles of material and from Russian imports.
“Without a substantial domestic HALEU enrichment capability, we risk not having the fuel needed to power advanced nuclear energy as part of our clean energy future,” the letter states. "The maturation of new nuclear technologies and advanced reactor designs underscores the need for securing our domestic nuclear fuel supply chains.”
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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
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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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