Vaccine mandate debate at SRS moves to federal court, letter from legislators sent to Secretary
Aiken Standard + ECA Staff | 10/20/2021
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A legal battle over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has been transferred to federal court, one day after workers filed their initial complaint.
The lawsuit brought by 79 Savannah River Nuclear Solutions employees against their employer, a Department of Energy contractor, is now in the hands of U.S. District Judge
J. Michelle Childs, documents show.
No rulings or decisions had been made as of Tuesday morning, despite pleas for haste. Donald Brown Jr., an attorney representing the dozens of employees, said the lawsuit was a “matter of urgency, clearly,” as unvaccinated people without exemptions face termination, limited paid leave, a lengthy leave of absence or early retirement.
“These folks have legitimate concerns, and we hope they’ll get some relief,” Brown said last week. “It ought to be their choice” – to get the COVID-19 jabs – “not somebody else’s."
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, which manages SRS, where millions of gallons of nuclear waste are stored and where work on the U.S. nuclear arsenal is conducted, rolled out its COVID-19 vaccine requirements in early September. The company’s rules preceded President Joe Biden’s executive order on private-sector inoculations.
All SRNS employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 30. A first dose was due Oct. 15.
Those who secure exemptions – medical or religious – must test negative every three days, regardless of remote-work status, documents filed with the court show. Such a regimen feels onerous, or punitive, workers have told the Aiken Standard.
On October 15, members of Congress from South Carolina - Reps. Jeff Duncan, Joe Wilson, and William Timmons - and Rep. Rick Allen from Georgia sent a letter to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm posing questions about federal vaccine mandates at Department of Energy (DOE) sites across the nation.
The legislators ask if the DOE has "considered the practical implications of inevitable workforce loss" due to the mandate, as well as how DOE intends to "protect the mission security, for example the plutonium management and disposition at SRS, should there be a critical workforce reduction."
The letter notes that while the legislators "understand the intent of these orders is to protect the health and safety of federal employees and contractors," the concern is about "unintended impacts these orders may have on DOE Defense Nuclear Sites and National Lab workforce and readiness."
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions employs some 5,500 people. Approximately 95% are vaccinated, according to a spokesperson.
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"CAPITALIZING ON A NEW ERA OF CLEANUP
SUCCESS"
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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OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT
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OCTOBER 21
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is inviting public comment on proposed revisions to the National Environmental Policy Act. Two public meetings on the proposed rule will be held online on October 21 from 5:00-8:00 pm ET.
To learn more or register, please visit http://nepa.gov.
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Nuclear energy featured on 'Tomorrow's World Today'
INL News Release | 10/21/2021
“Tomorrow’s World Today,” an Emmy-nominated television show about the latest developments on sustainability, technology and innovation, will feature experts from Idaho National Laboratory during Season 4. “Tomorrow’s World Today” explores the concepts of science and technology that are changing lives today and making a difference tomorrow.
Four consecutive episodes this season will highlight the past, present and future of nuclear energy.
“Nuclear energy is vital for a clean energy future, and we’re glad to see it getting more attention and support than ever,” said Rae Moss, INL’s director of communications. “This was a great opportunity for INL to work with so many organizations and companies on the forefront of advanced nuclear energy.”
The following organizations contributed to the series: U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Nuclear Energy Institute, Electric Power Research Institute, TerraPower, NuScale Power, X-energy, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, Southern Company, Westinghouse, BWX Technologies, Arizona Public Service and Kairos.
The series will touch on a range of nuclear energy topics including how nuclear energy can complement renewable energy generation to help the world reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It will highlight the history of nuclear energy, its safety record and future technologies such as fusion energy. Small modular reactors, microreactors and hybrid energy systems will be featured, along with how fission technology contributes to space
exploration.
"’Tomorrow's World Today’ is proud to have created a platform to help showcase the technology and innovations happening in the world of nuclear energy," said Julian Taylor, the show’s executive producer. "With the amount of information – and misinformation – we've seen surrounding nuclear, we're thrilled that we can take a deep dive for four weeks in order to help our viewers have a better understanding about how we use it today and how it will work for us in
tomorrow's world."
The first episode “Nuclear Power and Zero Carbon,” airs Oct. 23 and features ClearPath’s Spencer Nelson, DOE-NE’s Katy Huff, Oklo’s Emma Redfoot and INL’s Corey McDaniel. “Nuclear Energy Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” airing Oct. 30, features INL’s Don Miley, Electric Power Research Institute’s Rita Baranwal and Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Kathy McCarthy. “Big Power in Small Packages,” airing Nov. 6, features interviews with NuScale’s Jose Reyes, along with
Yasir Arafat and Shannon Bragg-Sitton of INL. “Nuclear Science at Its Best,” airing Nov. 13, features X-energy’s Clay Sell and Ian Davis, INL’s Steve Johnson, and a roundtable discussion among McDaniel, Baranwal, McCarthy and Johnson.
“Tomorrow’s World Today” airs Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. ET on the Science channel and Sundays at 6:30 a.m. ET on the Discovery Channel. Episodes will also be available to stream on DiscoveryGo and ScienceGo the week after they air.
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ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP
NUCLEAR WASTE
NUCLEAR SAFETY
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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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