432 words/18 November 2009/Platts Commodity News/PLATT/English/Copyright 2009. Platts. All Rights Reserved. /Washington (Platts)--18Nov2009/254 pm EST/1954 GMT
Republicans on Wednesday criticized the US Department of Energy's apparent plan to kill the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository proposal by slashing its budget, stopping all licensing activities in December and shifting already-appropriated funds to other programs.
The plans were revealed in a leaked October 23 draft memo from DOE Chief Financial Officer Steve Isakowitz outlining the department's fiscal year 2011 budget request for the Yucca Mountain repository, located about 100 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada.
In a letter sent Wednesday to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Republican Representatives Joe Barton of Texas and Greg Walden of Oregon said abandoning the Yucca Mountain license application would waste $6 billion in taxpayer money already spent on the project.
"Secretary Chu could set back the US nuclear waste disposal program for decades, cost US taxpayers potentially billions of dollars, and unfortunately be the most significant decision of his tenure," said Barton, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in a statement.
CRESP Newstories and Links related to risk-based cleanup of the nation’s nuclear weapons production facility waste sites and cost-effective, risk-based management of potential future nuclear sites and wastes. CRESP seeks to improve the scientific and technical basis for environmental management decisions by the Department of Energy (DOE) and by fostering public participation in that search.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
Scientists convene at SRS ecology lab this week
The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. /McClatchy-Tribune Regional News/319 words/17 November 2009/KRTAG
English/Distributed by McClatchy - Tribune Information Services
Nov. 17--Scientists and scholars from seven National Environmental Research Parks will gather at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Conference Center in New Ellenton, S.C. on Thursday and Friday to discuss issues including climate change and its impacts, data collection and coordination across sites, environmental stewardship and new ideas about public education and outreach.
SREL will be hosting the workshop for representatives from all seven environmental research park sites: Los Alamos (New Mexico), Hanford (Washington), Nevada, Oak Ridge (Tennessee), Fermilab (Illinois), Idaho, and Savannah River.
The first day of the workshop will involve a limited group of NERP representatives, including officials from the Savannah River Site, who will discuss research aspects at the various NERP sites. During the Friday workshop, representatives will discuss NERPs' interaction with the public. Topics will include formulation of a Department of Energy data collection network, future NERP workshops and publications and education and outreach initiatives at NERPs.
English/Distributed by McClatchy - Tribune Information Services
Nov. 17--Scientists and scholars from seven National Environmental Research Parks will gather at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Conference Center in New Ellenton, S.C. on Thursday and Friday to discuss issues including climate change and its impacts, data collection and coordination across sites, environmental stewardship and new ideas about public education and outreach.
SREL will be hosting the workshop for representatives from all seven environmental research park sites: Los Alamos (New Mexico), Hanford (Washington), Nevada, Oak Ridge (Tennessee), Fermilab (Illinois), Idaho, and Savannah River.
The first day of the workshop will involve a limited group of NERP representatives, including officials from the Savannah River Site, who will discuss research aspects at the various NERP sites. During the Friday workshop, representatives will discuss NERPs' interaction with the public. Topics will include formulation of a Department of Energy data collection network, future NERP workshops and publications and education and outreach initiatives at NERPs.
Where to Now in Solving Nuclear Waste Problem?
Tim BROWN /606 words/16 November 2009/Manawatu Standard/TEVEST/11/English/© 2009 Fairfax New Zealand Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Despite our searches, we have yet to find a power source that does not have a downside. Even renewable resources such as wind, sun and water all have costs in some form. There are no free lunches in the power-supply business.
Nuclear power has been used successfully for many years in many parts of the world.
Britain's plants have been operating without problems for more than 55 years. There have been only two major accidents, at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
Public pressure caused the closure of four plants in Italy and that resulted in Italy being held to ransom for power by Russia. An Italian nuclear engineer reliably advises me that the new reactors are environmentally friendly. That, however, is not the problem. Nuclear waste remains for a long time, up to 100,000 years.
Despite our searches, we have yet to find a power source that does not have a downside. Even renewable resources such as wind, sun and water all have costs in some form. There are no free lunches in the power-supply business.
Nuclear power has been used successfully for many years in many parts of the world.
Britain's plants have been operating without problems for more than 55 years. There have been only two major accidents, at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
Public pressure caused the closure of four plants in Italy and that resulted in Italy being held to ransom for power by Russia. An Italian nuclear engineer reliably advises me that the new reactors are environmentally friendly. That, however, is not the problem. Nuclear waste remains for a long time, up to 100,000 years.
Seattle crowd opposes Hanford cleanup delays
By JOHN STANG / SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF/1230 words/16 November 2009/SeattlePI.com/SEPI/
English/© 2009 Hearst Communications Inc., Hearst Newspapers Division. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights reserved.
A tentative agreement to stretch out the timetable to convert the Hanford nuclear reservation's worst radioactive wastes into more benign glass drew little support at a Seattle meeting last Thursday.
If adopted, the agreement would delay start-up of a massive waste- glassification complex from 2011 to 2019. And completion of the glassification would shift from 2028 to 2047.
The agreement -- actually a negotiated settlement to a state lawsuit against the federal Department of Energy -- also gives a federal judge the power to enforce the new schedule if the feds balk at it in the future.
The feds and state have been holding public hearings on the proposed agreement around Washington. In a few weeks, the state and feds will use the public feedback to figure out if the tentative agreement should be changed. About 110 people showed up at a Thursday hearing at the Quality Inn near the Seattle Center. Most, if not all, opposed the proposed delays.
English/© 2009 Hearst Communications Inc., Hearst Newspapers Division. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights reserved.
A tentative agreement to stretch out the timetable to convert the Hanford nuclear reservation's worst radioactive wastes into more benign glass drew little support at a Seattle meeting last Thursday.
If adopted, the agreement would delay start-up of a massive waste- glassification complex from 2011 to 2019. And completion of the glassification would shift from 2028 to 2047.
The agreement -- actually a negotiated settlement to a state lawsuit against the federal Department of Energy -- also gives a federal judge the power to enforce the new schedule if the feds balk at it in the future.
The feds and state have been holding public hearings on the proposed agreement around Washington. In a few weeks, the state and feds will use the public feedback to figure out if the tentative agreement should be changed. About 110 people showed up at a Thursday hearing at the Quality Inn near the Seattle Center. Most, if not all, opposed the proposed delays.
Ocean of radiation hiding; Nevada water still reeling from nuclear tests
Ralph Vartabedian /552 words/13 November 2009/Record Searchlight/RCSRCH/B4/English/© 2009 Record Searchlight. All rights reserved.
YUCCA FLAT, Nev. - A sea of ancient water tainted by the Cold War is creeping deep under the volcanic peaks, dry lake beds and pinyon pine forests covering a vast tract of Nevada.
Over 41 years, the federal government detonated 921 nuclear warheads underground at the Nevada Test Site, 75 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Each explosion deposited a toxic load of radioactivity into the ground and directly into aquifers.
When testing ended in 1992, the U.S. Energy Department estimated that more than 300 million curies of radiation had been left behind, making the site one of the most radioactively contaminated places in the nation.
During the era of weapons testing, Nevada embraced its role almost like a patriotic duty. There seemed to be no better use for an empty desert. But today, as Nevada faces a water crisis and a population boom, state officials are taking a new measure of the damage.
They successfully pressured federal officials for a fresh environmental assessment of the 1,375-square-mile test site, a step toward a potential demand for monetary compensation, replacement of the lost water or a massive cleanup.
YUCCA FLAT, Nev. - A sea of ancient water tainted by the Cold War is creeping deep under the volcanic peaks, dry lake beds and pinyon pine forests covering a vast tract of Nevada.
Over 41 years, the federal government detonated 921 nuclear warheads underground at the Nevada Test Site, 75 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Each explosion deposited a toxic load of radioactivity into the ground and directly into aquifers.
When testing ended in 1992, the U.S. Energy Department estimated that more than 300 million curies of radiation had been left behind, making the site one of the most radioactively contaminated places in the nation.
During the era of weapons testing, Nevada embraced its role almost like a patriotic duty. There seemed to be no better use for an empty desert. But today, as Nevada faces a water crisis and a population boom, state officials are taking a new measure of the damage.
They successfully pressured federal officials for a fresh environmental assessment of the 1,375-square-mile test site, a step toward a potential demand for monetary compensation, replacement of the lost water or a massive cleanup.
A mountain of a problem
537 words/13 November 2009/Augusta Chronicle/AGCR/All/A6/English/© 2009 Augusta Chronicle. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved.
No one signed up for this.
While the federal government does its best to get into an area it doesn't belong - your health care - it is retreating from one of its most solemn and necessary national security obligations: storage of nuclear waste.
Now, after the investment of more than 20 years, some $13 billion - and study after study, expert after expert - the Obama administration has decided the federal government won't have a national nuclear waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain, Nev.
Scientists long ago studied several dozen possible sites for a nuclear waste repository and decided on Yucca Mountain - largely because it is geologically the safest site.
It is also a national security issue, in that Yucca would have provided one secure location for storage of nuclear waste, instead of dozens of sites throughout the states.
But perhaps to assuage Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada - who is facing a tough re-election battle next year - the Obama administration has announced it is abandoning Yucca.
There are a great number of problems with that - not the least of which is the fact that the country has no Plan B.
No one signed up for this.
While the federal government does its best to get into an area it doesn't belong - your health care - it is retreating from one of its most solemn and necessary national security obligations: storage of nuclear waste.
Now, after the investment of more than 20 years, some $13 billion - and study after study, expert after expert - the Obama administration has decided the federal government won't have a national nuclear waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain, Nev.
Scientists long ago studied several dozen possible sites for a nuclear waste repository and decided on Yucca Mountain - largely because it is geologically the safest site.
It is also a national security issue, in that Yucca would have provided one secure location for storage of nuclear waste, instead of dozens of sites throughout the states.
But perhaps to assuage Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada - who is facing a tough re-election battle next year - the Obama administration has announced it is abandoning Yucca.
There are a great number of problems with that - not the least of which is the fact that the country has no Plan B.
Secretary Chu Announces Determination of No Adverse Material Impact for Uranium Transfer to Fund Portsmouth Cleanup
357 words/12 November 2009/Department of Energy Documents/DOEDOC/English/© 2009 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. /Public Affairs Department/(202) 586-4940 ... Thursday, November 12, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary Chu announced today that the Department of Energy has issued a final determination and market impact study for the proposed uranium transfer to fund accelerated cleanup activities at the Portsmouth Site in Piketon, Ohio, which will create between 800 to 1,000 new jobs for the community. The market review and determination confirms that the proposed transfer of uranium will not have an adverse material impact on the domestic uranium industries.
Under the determination, DOE's Office of Environmental Management will be able to transfer as much as 300 metric tons of uranium per quarter in calendar years 2009 and 2010 for cleanup at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, so long as the total transfer during that period does not exceed 1,125 metric tons of uranium. The uranium transfers will be consistent with the policies reflected in the Department's Excess Uranium Management Plan and will comply with all applicable laws to ensure minimal impact on the domestic uranium market. The Department believes that the proposed uranium transfer would raise $150-$200 million per year.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary Chu announced today that the Department of Energy has issued a final determination and market impact study for the proposed uranium transfer to fund accelerated cleanup activities at the Portsmouth Site in Piketon, Ohio, which will create between 800 to 1,000 new jobs for the community. The market review and determination confirms that the proposed transfer of uranium will not have an adverse material impact on the domestic uranium industries.
Under the determination, DOE's Office of Environmental Management will be able to transfer as much as 300 metric tons of uranium per quarter in calendar years 2009 and 2010 for cleanup at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, so long as the total transfer during that period does not exceed 1,125 metric tons of uranium. The uranium transfers will be consistent with the policies reflected in the Department's Excess Uranium Management Plan and will comply with all applicable laws to ensure minimal impact on the domestic uranium market. The Department believes that the proposed uranium transfer would raise $150-$200 million per year.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Life after Yucca Mountain; Report: Energy Department on verge of abandoning nuke dump application
360 words/11 November 2009/Las Vegas Sun/LVSN/News4/English/Copyright 2009 Las Vegas Sun. All Rights Reserved.
We have cheered the Obama administrationÕs decision to eventually shutter the ill-conceived Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project by starving it of federal funding. Nonetheless, our optimism has been tempered because the Energy Department still has a pending license application before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build a permanent dump for the nationÕs high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
What we eagerly await is the day when the Energy Department abandons the application so that the idea of forcing a potentially deadly nuke waste dump, on a state that does not want it, is buried for good.
That day could come as early as next month, according to The Energy Daily, which frequently writes on nuclear power issues. The publication, citing internal Energy Department documents, reported Monday on its Web site that the agency plans to abandon the license request in December as part of its fiscal 2011 budget. The story also noted that the only money the agency is seeking for Yucca Mountain that year is for the purpose of closing the project. If that is the case, we can hardly wait.
We have cheered the Obama administrationÕs decision to eventually shutter the ill-conceived Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project by starving it of federal funding. Nonetheless, our optimism has been tempered because the Energy Department still has a pending license application before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build a permanent dump for the nationÕs high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
What we eagerly await is the day when the Energy Department abandons the application so that the idea of forcing a potentially deadly nuke waste dump, on a state that does not want it, is buried for good.
That day could come as early as next month, according to The Energy Daily, which frequently writes on nuclear power issues. The publication, citing internal Energy Department documents, reported Monday on its Web site that the agency plans to abandon the license request in December as part of its fiscal 2011 budget. The story also noted that the only money the agency is seeking for Yucca Mountain that year is for the purpose of closing the project. If that is the case, we can hardly wait.
Yucca critic wants clarity
Keith Rogers /450 words/11 November 2009/The Las Vegas Review-Journal/LVGS/5B/English/© 2009 The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved.
/By KEITH ROGERS/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL//
A Department of Energy memo that calls for ending next month the pursuit of a license for the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository has the state's leading project opponent wondering whether federal budget officers mistakenly wrote "December 2009" instead of December 2010.
"Somewhere in the memo, it did say they plan to stop licensing in December '09, which doesn't make much sense to me, considering the president just signed the legislation ... funding it until Sept. 30," said Yucca Mountain opponent Bruce Breslow, executive director of the state Agency for Nuclear Projects.
"The best guess I have is it's a typo that should have said 2010," he told Nevada's Nuclear Projects Commission on Tuesday.
/By KEITH ROGERS/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL//
A Department of Energy memo that calls for ending next month the pursuit of a license for the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository has the state's leading project opponent wondering whether federal budget officers mistakenly wrote "December 2009" instead of December 2010.
"Somewhere in the memo, it did say they plan to stop licensing in December '09, which doesn't make much sense to me, considering the president just signed the legislation ... funding it until Sept. 30," said Yucca Mountain opponent Bruce Breslow, executive director of the state Agency for Nuclear Projects.
"The best guess I have is it's a typo that should have said 2010," he told Nevada's Nuclear Projects Commission on Tuesday.
DOE ponders options, cost of K-25 cleanup
11 November 2009/The Knoxville News Sentinel/KXVL/Copyright 2009 Scripps Howard Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Nobody is saying how much money it’s going to cost or when exactly it’s going to get finished, but Bechtel Jacobs Co. has presented the Department of Energy with a bunch of options — 22, all told — for completing the demolition of the massive K-25 building in Oak Ridge.
“Each one has a different price tag, or each one takes a longer or shorter time,” Joe Nemec, president of Bechtel Jacobs, DOE’s cleanup manager, said of the various plans.
The complicating issue is the presence of radioactive technetium-99, which was introduced into the uraniumenrichment processes decades ago and requires special treatment. The amounts of Tc-99 are relatively small, but the material is highly radioactive and mobile in the environment. Therefore, debris that’s contaminated with technetium won’t qualify for disposal at DOE’s Oak Ridge nuclear landfill and must be sent to the Nevada Test Site for disposal in the desert.
Nobody is saying how much money it’s going to cost or when exactly it’s going to get finished, but Bechtel Jacobs Co. has presented the Department of Energy with a bunch of options — 22, all told — for completing the demolition of the massive K-25 building in Oak Ridge.
“Each one has a different price tag, or each one takes a longer or shorter time,” Joe Nemec, president of Bechtel Jacobs, DOE’s cleanup manager, said of the various plans.
The complicating issue is the presence of radioactive technetium-99, which was introduced into the uraniumenrichment processes decades ago and requires special treatment. The amounts of Tc-99 are relatively small, but the material is highly radioactive and mobile in the environment. Therefore, debris that’s contaminated with technetium won’t qualify for disposal at DOE’s Oak Ridge nuclear landfill and must be sent to the Nevada Test Site for disposal in the desert.
BRIEF: Energy Daily: DOE abandoning Yucca Mountain plans
By Keith Rogers, Las Vegas Review-Journal /McClatchy-Tribune Regional News/151 words/10 November 2009/Las Vegas Review-Journal (MCT)/KRTLV/English/Distributed by McClatchy - Tribune Information Services
Nov. 10--Internal Department of Energy budget documents obtained by a Washington, D.C.-area trade publication show the department is abandoning its effort to license the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.
"All license defense activities will be terminated in December 2009," according to the budget request cited by the publication, The Energy Daily.
The Energy Department has submitted its plans to build the repository in Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was expected to take three to four years to complete that review.
Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.
Nov. 10--Internal Department of Energy budget documents obtained by a Washington, D.C.-area trade publication show the department is abandoning its effort to license the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.
"All license defense activities will be terminated in December 2009," according to the budget request cited by the publication, The Energy Daily.
The Energy Department has submitted its plans to build the repository in Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was expected to take three to four years to complete that review.
Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.
YUCCA MOUNTAIN: Memo casts doubt on license for Yucca repository: Budget documents suggest Obama administration might be ending effort
Keith Rogers, Las Vegas Review-Journal /McClatchy-Tribune Regional News/751 words/10 November 2009/Las Vegas Review-Journal (MCT)/KRTLV/English/Distributed by McClatchy - Tribune Information Services
Nov. 10--The Obama administration intends to stop the pursuit of a license for the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in December, according to internal budget documents from the Department of Energy.
"All license defense activities will be terminated in December 2009," said a draft Program Decision Memorandum that was attached to an Oct. 23 memo from DOE Chief Financial Officer Steve Isakowitz.
The documents obtained by the Review-Journal said that decisions for a revised 2011 budget request "are draft until signed by the deputy secretary. ... We do not expect the information to change."
Pre-hearings began this year in Las Vegas on whether to build a maze of tunnels inside Yucca Mountain to store 77,000 tons of highly radioactive spent reactor fuel and defense waste. The location is about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
On Monday, DOE spokeswoman Stephanie Mueller declined to say whether the memos actually mean the federal agency is going to withdraw its Yucca Mountain license application.
Doing so without having an alternative site selected or having a commission in place to chart the future of the nuclear waste program could spur more lawsuits from the nuclear industry over the government's failure to take possession of the waste as called for in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and its amendments.
In an e-mail, Mueller said that "the administration's position on Yucca Mountain has not changed."
She wrote that "the president and Secretary (Steven) Chu have made it clear that nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain is not an option, period."
Nov. 10--The Obama administration intends to stop the pursuit of a license for the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in December, according to internal budget documents from the Department of Energy.
"All license defense activities will be terminated in December 2009," said a draft Program Decision Memorandum that was attached to an Oct. 23 memo from DOE Chief Financial Officer Steve Isakowitz.
The documents obtained by the Review-Journal said that decisions for a revised 2011 budget request "are draft until signed by the deputy secretary. ... We do not expect the information to change."
Pre-hearings began this year in Las Vegas on whether to build a maze of tunnels inside Yucca Mountain to store 77,000 tons of highly radioactive spent reactor fuel and defense waste. The location is about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
On Monday, DOE spokeswoman Stephanie Mueller declined to say whether the memos actually mean the federal agency is going to withdraw its Yucca Mountain license application.
Doing so without having an alternative site selected or having a commission in place to chart the future of the nuclear waste program could spur more lawsuits from the nuclear industry over the government's failure to take possession of the waste as called for in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and its amendments.
In an e-mail, Mueller said that "the administration's position on Yucca Mountain has not changed."
She wrote that "the president and Secretary (Steven) Chu have made it clear that nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain is not an option, period."
Different disposal plan may be needed
By Rob Pavey, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. /McClatchy-Tribune Regional News/594 words/10 November 2009/The Augusta Chronicle (MCT)/KRTAG/English/Distributed by McClatchy - Tribune Information Services
Nov. 10--If the nation's primary option for permanent disposal of nuclear waste doesn't materialize, communities across South Carolina and Georgia must mobilize to determine a path for its nuclear waste, according to an economic development group hoping to stir more interest in the topic.
Savannah River Site's Community Reuse Organization, in a paper unveiled Monday, calls for more dialogue and interest in a topic its vice chairman, David Jameson, believes will have lingering implications for the Aiken-Augusta community.
"The government's about-face on this critical issue leaves state and local leaders with more questions than answers," he said in a statement Monday. "The Federal government has broken faith with communities across the nation. It has violated its promise to provide permanent storage of nuclear waste. As a result, we must come to terms with our own lingering -- perhaps permanent -- role as caretaker for a large part of the nation's highly radioactive defense waste."
Nov. 10--If the nation's primary option for permanent disposal of nuclear waste doesn't materialize, communities across South Carolina and Georgia must mobilize to determine a path for its nuclear waste, according to an economic development group hoping to stir more interest in the topic.
Savannah River Site's Community Reuse Organization, in a paper unveiled Monday, calls for more dialogue and interest in a topic its vice chairman, David Jameson, believes will have lingering implications for the Aiken-Augusta community.
"The government's about-face on this critical issue leaves state and local leaders with more questions than answers," he said in a statement Monday. "The Federal government has broken faith with communities across the nation. It has violated its promise to provide permanent storage of nuclear waste. As a result, we must come to terms with our own lingering -- perhaps permanent -- role as caretaker for a large part of the nation's highly radioactive defense waste."
Board says to empty tanks more quickly
Annette Cary;Herald staff writer /Cary Annette/893 words/9 November 2009/Tri-City Herald/TRIC/B1
\English\c) 2009 The Tri-City Herald. All Rights Reserved.
More aggressive deadlines for emptying radioactive waste from leakprone underground tanks should be included in a proposed settlement agreement, the Hanford Advisory Board says.
That was one of several recommendations the board made last week concerning a proposed agreement between the Department of Energy and the state of Washington that would end a lawsuit brought by the state.
The board continues its opposition to further consideration of bulk vitrification for supplemental treatment of low activity radioactive waste. It also continues to press for the start of treatment of low activity waste at the main vitrification plant under construction, the Waste Treatment Plant, before the entire plant is ready to operate.
In addition the board earlier had advised that a cost and schedule outlook for remaining environmental cleanup work be completed before the state agreed to changes in legal deadlines. But when members were asked if that was a deal breaker for them, they said no.
\English\c) 2009 The Tri-City Herald. All Rights Reserved.
More aggressive deadlines for emptying radioactive waste from leakprone underground tanks should be included in a proposed settlement agreement, the Hanford Advisory Board says.
That was one of several recommendations the board made last week concerning a proposed agreement between the Department of Energy and the state of Washington that would end a lawsuit brought by the state.
The board continues its opposition to further consideration of bulk vitrification for supplemental treatment of low activity radioactive waste. It also continues to press for the start of treatment of low activity waste at the main vitrification plant under construction, the Waste Treatment Plant, before the entire plant is ready to operate.
In addition the board earlier had advised that a cost and schedule outlook for remaining environmental cleanup work be completed before the state agreed to changes in legal deadlines. But when members were asked if that was a deal breaker for them, they said no.
There is love for nuke dumps
By NICK CALACOURAS /320 words/8 November 2009/Northern Territory News/Sunday Territorian/NORTHT/1English/Copyright 2009 News Ltd. All Rights Reserved
RESIDENTS in Sweden actually fought to have a nuclear waste dump in their town, according to an environmental scientist.
Darwin-based environmental scientist Pamela Jones recently returned from a tour of the two nuclear waste dumps in the Swedish towns of Forsmark and Osterhamn -- similar to the facility expected to be built in the Territory.
She said the people in these municipalities voted on the issue before it was built -- and 80 per cent were in favour of the facility.
``The closer to the facility, the higher the vote was in favour of it,'' she said. ``They wanted to be close to this facility.''
RESIDENTS in Sweden actually fought to have a nuclear waste dump in their town, according to an environmental scientist.
Darwin-based environmental scientist Pamela Jones recently returned from a tour of the two nuclear waste dumps in the Swedish towns of Forsmark and Osterhamn -- similar to the facility expected to be built in the Territory.
She said the people in these municipalities voted on the issue before it was built -- and 80 per cent were in favour of the facility.
``The closer to the facility, the higher the vote was in favour of it,'' she said. ``They wanted to be close to this facility.''
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Power for U.S. From Russia’s Old Nuclear Weapons
November 10, 2009/By ANDREW E. KRAMER
MOSCOW — What’s powering your home appliances?
For about 10 percent of electricity in the United States, it’s fuel from dismantled nuclear bombs, including Russian ones.
“It’s a great, easy source” of fuel, said Marina V. Alekseyenkova, an analyst at Renaissance Capital and an expert in the Russian nuclear industry that has profited from the arrangement since the end of the cold war.
But if more diluted weapons-grade uranium isn’t secured soon, the pipeline could run dry, with ramifications for consumers, as well as some American utilities and their Russian suppliers.
Already nervous about a supply gap, utilities operating America’s 104 nuclear reactors are paying as much attention to President Obama’s efforts to conclude a new arms treaty as the Nobel Peace Prize committee did.
MOSCOW — What’s powering your home appliances?
For about 10 percent of electricity in the United States, it’s fuel from dismantled nuclear bombs, including Russian ones.
“It’s a great, easy source” of fuel, said Marina V. Alekseyenkova, an analyst at Renaissance Capital and an expert in the Russian nuclear industry that has profited from the arrangement since the end of the cold war.
But if more diluted weapons-grade uranium isn’t secured soon, the pipeline could run dry, with ramifications for consumers, as well as some American utilities and their Russian suppliers.
Already nervous about a supply gap, utilities operating America’s 104 nuclear reactors are paying as much attention to President Obama’s efforts to conclude a new arms treaty as the Nobel Peace Prize committee did.
New Nuclear Power Plants Will Spur U.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/ Nuclear Energy Institute / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/ November 10, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Increased use of nuclear energy to meet rising electricity demand with a clean-air energy source will provide a major boost to the American economy, an industry infrastructure expert told the U.S. Senate Finance Committee today.
“Congress has set a high bar in climate change legislative proposals and must have a significant contribution from nuclear energy—the largest source of carbon-free electricity—to achieve its goals. New nuclear power plants also will serve other national imperatives, as construction of new plants will create tens of thousands of jobs in project development, construction, operations and manufacturing,” said Carol Berrigan, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s senior director of industry infrastructure.
Berrigan pointed out that nuclear energy provides 72 percent of the U.S. electricity supply that comes from sources that do not emit greenhouse gases or other controlled air pollutants. The 104 reactors operating in 31 states also generate substantial economic value. In 2008, companies in the nuclear energy industry procured more than $14 billion in materials, fuel and services from more than 22,500 domestic suppliers in all 50 states.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Increased use of nuclear energy to meet rising electricity demand with a clean-air energy source will provide a major boost to the American economy, an industry infrastructure expert told the U.S. Senate Finance Committee today.
“Congress has set a high bar in climate change legislative proposals and must have a significant contribution from nuclear energy—the largest source of carbon-free electricity—to achieve its goals. New nuclear power plants also will serve other national imperatives, as construction of new plants will create tens of thousands of jobs in project development, construction, operations and manufacturing,” said Carol Berrigan, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s senior director of industry infrastructure.
Berrigan pointed out that nuclear energy provides 72 percent of the U.S. electricity supply that comes from sources that do not emit greenhouse gases or other controlled air pollutants. The 104 reactors operating in 31 states also generate substantial economic value. In 2008, companies in the nuclear energy industry procured more than $14 billion in materials, fuel and services from more than 22,500 domestic suppliers in all 50 states.
Energy Daily: DOE abandoning Yucca Mountain plans
By KEITH ROGERS/ LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Internal Department of Energy budget documents obtained by a Washington, D.C.-area trade publication show the department is abandoning its effort to license the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.
"All license defense activities will be terminated in December 2009," according to the budget request cited by the publication, The Energy Daily.
The Energy Department has submitted its plans to build the repository in Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was expected to take three to four years to complete that review. Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.
Internal Department of Energy budget documents obtained by a Washington, D.C.-area trade publication show the department is abandoning its effort to license the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.
"All license defense activities will be terminated in December 2009," according to the budget request cited by the publication, The Energy Daily.
The Energy Department has submitted its plans to build the repository in Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was expected to take three to four years to complete that review. Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.
Different disposal plan may be needed
By Rob Pavey, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. / McClatchy-Tribune Regional News/ 594 words/ 10 November 2009/ The Augusta Chronicle (MCT)
Nov. 10--If the nation's primary option for permanent disposal of nuclear waste doesn't materialize, communities across South Carolina and Georgia must mobilize to determine a path for its nuclear waste, according to an economic development group hoping to stir more interest in the topic.
Savannah River Site's Community Reuse Organization, in a paper unveiled Monday, calls for more dialogue and interest in a topic its vice chairman, David Jameson, believes will have lingering implications for the Aiken-Augusta community.
"The government's about-face on this critical issue leaves state and local leaders with more questions than answers," he said in a statement Monday. "The Federal government has broken faith with communities across the nation. It has violated its promise to provide permanent storage of nuclear waste. As a result, we must come to terms with our own lingering -- perhaps permanent -- role as caretaker for a large part of the nation's highly radioactive defense waste."
Nov. 10--If the nation's primary option for permanent disposal of nuclear waste doesn't materialize, communities across South Carolina and Georgia must mobilize to determine a path for its nuclear waste, according to an economic development group hoping to stir more interest in the topic.
Savannah River Site's Community Reuse Organization, in a paper unveiled Monday, calls for more dialogue and interest in a topic its vice chairman, David Jameson, believes will have lingering implications for the Aiken-Augusta community.
"The government's about-face on this critical issue leaves state and local leaders with more questions than answers," he said in a statement Monday. "The Federal government has broken faith with communities across the nation. It has violated its promise to provide permanent storage of nuclear waste. As a result, we must come to terms with our own lingering -- perhaps permanent -- role as caretaker for a large part of the nation's highly radioactive defense waste."
Why the U.S. Needs Nuclear Power
By Aris Candris /945 words/9 November 2009/The Wall Street Journal/(Copyright (c) 2009, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)
As America climbs out of one of its worst recessions in decades, we must keep in mind that long-term economic growth requires an abundant, affordable supply of electricity.
By 2030, electricity demand in the U.S. is expected to grow by 21% from its current level, according to the U.S. Energy Administration. To meet our needs we have several options.
One is to increase our dependence on fossil energy sources. Unfortunately, this will only add to the environmental burden caused by burning carbon-based fuels. Another option, the Obama administration's goal, is to increase the supply of energy sources that reduce the country's carbon footprint. These sources include solar, wind, hydro, biofuels and geothermal energy, as well as new domestic sources of natural gas, which burns cleaner than oil or coal.
As America climbs out of one of its worst recessions in decades, we must keep in mind that long-term economic growth requires an abundant, affordable supply of electricity.
By 2030, electricity demand in the U.S. is expected to grow by 21% from its current level, according to the U.S. Energy Administration. To meet our needs we have several options.
One is to increase our dependence on fossil energy sources. Unfortunately, this will only add to the environmental burden caused by burning carbon-based fuels. Another option, the Obama administration's goal, is to increase the supply of energy sources that reduce the country's carbon footprint. These sources include solar, wind, hydro, biofuels and geothermal energy, as well as new domestic sources of natural gas, which burns cleaner than oil or coal.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Idaho’s Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project
With funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho Site is shipping radioactive waste years ahead of schedule.
The site committed to shipping 1,300 cubic meters of low level waste (LLW) and mixed low level waste (MLLW) out of Idaho and retrieving 1,200 cubic meters of stored transuranic (TRU) waste.
In addition to the shipping and retrieval goals, the AMWTP will support the treatment of problematic sludge waste and the shipment of 21 legacy concrete vaults to the Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility for permanent disposal.
The site committed to shipping 1,300 cubic meters of low level waste (LLW) and mixed low level waste (MLLW) out of Idaho and retrieving 1,200 cubic meters of stored transuranic (TRU) waste.
In addition to the shipping and retrieval goals, the AMWTP will support the treatment of problematic sludge waste and the shipment of 21 legacy concrete vaults to the Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility for permanent disposal.
WIPP receives 8,000th waste shipment
132 words/5 November 2009/16:22/Associated Press Newswires/APRS/English/(c) 2009. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) - The federal government's nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico has received its 8,000th shipment of transuranic waste.
The shipment arrived at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant late Wednesday. It came from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The manager of the U.S. Department of Energy's Carlsbad Field Office, Dave Moody, says reaching this milestone is a testament to the department's commitment to cleaning up and reducing the nation's nuclear waste footprint.
Officials say that hours after the 8,000th shipment rolled in, WIPP received its 300th shipment of remote-handled transuranic waste from the Vallecitos Nuclear Center in California.
The waste consists of tools, rags, protective clothing, sludge, soil and other materials contaminated with radioactive elements.
CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) - The federal government's nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico has received its 8,000th shipment of transuranic waste.
The shipment arrived at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant late Wednesday. It came from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The manager of the U.S. Department of Energy's Carlsbad Field Office, Dave Moody, says reaching this milestone is a testament to the department's commitment to cleaning up and reducing the nation's nuclear waste footprint.
Officials say that hours after the 8,000th shipment rolled in, WIPP received its 300th shipment of remote-handled transuranic waste from the Vallecitos Nuclear Center in California.
The waste consists of tools, rags, protective clothing, sludge, soil and other materials contaminated with radioactive elements.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
NRC ANNOUNCES SENIOR LEADERSHIP CHANGES
No. 09-181 / November 4, 2009
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced several senior leadership changes that include new heads of the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR), Office of Enforcement and Office of Investigations.
James T. Wiggins, previously Deputy Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), is the new head of NSIR. Wiggins is a long-time NRC employee who previously served as the Deputy Regional Administrator for Region I, in Pennsylvania, and as Deputy Director of the Office of Research. He received a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University.
Roy P. Zimmerman, who previously headed NSIR, is the new head of Enforcement. Zimmerman is also a long-time NRC employee who has held a variety of positions in headquarters, including senior positions in NRR and the Office of Research and positions in two NRC regional offices. Zimmerman received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine (Mechanical) Engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Cheryl L. McCrary, currently the Deputy Director of the Office of Investigations, has been promoted to head that office. McCrary’s more than 25-year federal law enforcement career includes positions with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the U.S. Secret Service, and the NRC’s Office of the Inspector General. She also headed the NRC’s Region II Investigations Field Office in Atlanta. McCrary received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University at Northridge and is a graduate of the 2008 SES Candidate Development Program.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced several senior leadership changes that include new heads of the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR), Office of Enforcement and Office of Investigations.
James T. Wiggins, previously Deputy Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), is the new head of NSIR. Wiggins is a long-time NRC employee who previously served as the Deputy Regional Administrator for Region I, in Pennsylvania, and as Deputy Director of the Office of Research. He received a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University.
Roy P. Zimmerman, who previously headed NSIR, is the new head of Enforcement. Zimmerman is also a long-time NRC employee who has held a variety of positions in headquarters, including senior positions in NRR and the Office of Research and positions in two NRC regional offices. Zimmerman received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine (Mechanical) Engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Cheryl L. McCrary, currently the Deputy Director of the Office of Investigations, has been promoted to head that office. McCrary’s more than 25-year federal law enforcement career includes positions with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the U.S. Secret Service, and the NRC’s Office of the Inspector General. She also headed the NRC’s Region II Investigations Field Office in Atlanta. McCrary received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University at Northridge and is a graduate of the 2008 SES Candidate Development Program.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Work on largest vit plant building continues
Work has begun on the interior fittings of the Hanford vitrification plant’s largest building as it continues to rise. The Pretreatment Facility, which will stand 120 feet high, is now at 77 feet high in places and continues to rise steadily as concrete and steel are installed.
The facility will be used to separate radioactive waste now held in underground tanks into high level and low activity waste streams for separate treatment for final disposal. It’s the largest building planned on the vit plant’s 65-acre campus and measures 540 feet long and 215 feet wide.
“Up until now, we’ve primarily concentrated on the exterior structural framework of the facility,” said Leon Lamm, area project manager for the Pretreatment Facility, in a statement. “Now we are integrating efforts to install commodities inside the building.”
The facility will be used to separate radioactive waste now held in underground tanks into high level and low activity waste streams for separate treatment for final disposal. It’s the largest building planned on the vit plant’s 65-acre campus and measures 540 feet long and 215 feet wide.
“Up until now, we’ve primarily concentrated on the exterior structural framework of the facility,” said Leon Lamm, area project manager for the Pretreatment Facility, in a statement. “Now we are integrating efforts to install commodities inside the building.”
Faces of the Recovery Act: Jobs at Savannah River Site
YOUTUBE Video From: US Department of Energy October 30, 2009
Bill to ban nuclear waste imports advances in House
By JOAN LOWY /Associated Press Writer/389 words/3 November 2009/13:18/Associated Press Newswires/APRS/English/(c) 2009. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A House panel on Tuesday voted to block the importation of foreign nuclear waste into the United States in response to a Salt Lake City company's plan to bury low-level radioactive waste from Italy at a site in Utah.
The Energy and Commerce Committee's energy subcommittee approved by a voice vote a bill sponsored by Reps. Jim Matheson, D-Utah; Bart Gordon, D-Tenn.; and Lee Terry, R-Neb. to prohibit the importation of low-level radioactive waste unless it originated here or served a strategic national purpose as determined by the president.
A companion version of the bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.
At issue is 20,000 tons of low-level waste from Italy that a U.S. company, EnergySolutions Inc., wants to process in Tennessee before disposing of the remaining 1,600 tons at a private site about 70 miles west of Salt Lake City. It's the largest amount of low-level radioactive waste the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has ever been asked to allow into the country.
A commission official told lawmakers last month that the commission doesn't have the authority to turn down an import request as long as the proposal meets safety and security regulations.
Without legislation to prevent importation of waste, the U.S. risks becoming the world's nuclear dumping ground, said Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., the panel's chairman.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A House panel on Tuesday voted to block the importation of foreign nuclear waste into the United States in response to a Salt Lake City company's plan to bury low-level radioactive waste from Italy at a site in Utah.
The Energy and Commerce Committee's energy subcommittee approved by a voice vote a bill sponsored by Reps. Jim Matheson, D-Utah; Bart Gordon, D-Tenn.; and Lee Terry, R-Neb. to prohibit the importation of low-level radioactive waste unless it originated here or served a strategic national purpose as determined by the president.
A companion version of the bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.
At issue is 20,000 tons of low-level waste from Italy that a U.S. company, EnergySolutions Inc., wants to process in Tennessee before disposing of the remaining 1,600 tons at a private site about 70 miles west of Salt Lake City. It's the largest amount of low-level radioactive waste the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has ever been asked to allow into the country.
A commission official told lawmakers last month that the commission doesn't have the authority to turn down an import request as long as the proposal meets safety and security regulations.
Without legislation to prevent importation of waste, the U.S. risks becoming the world's nuclear dumping ground, said Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., the panel's chairman.
Nuclear Engineering; Study results from S. Levy and colleagues in the area of nuclear engineering published
Nuclear Engineering; Study results from S. Levy and colleagues in the area of nuclear engineering published
617 words/3 November 2009/Science Letter/SCLT/52/English/(c) Copyright 2009 Science Letter via NewsRx.com
2009 NOV 4 - (VerticalNews.com) -- According to recent research published in the journal Nuclear Engineering and Design, "Interim, centralized, engineered (dry cask) storage facilities for USA light water power reactor spent nuclear fuel (SNF) should be implemented to complement and to offer much needed flexibility while the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is funded to complete its evaluation of the Yucca Mountain License and to subject it to public hearings. The interim sites should use the credo reproduced in Table 1 [Bunn, M., 2001."
617 words/3 November 2009/Science Letter/SCLT/52/English/(c) Copyright 2009 Science Letter via NewsRx.com
2009 NOV 4 - (VerticalNews.com) -- According to recent research published in the journal Nuclear Engineering and Design, "Interim, centralized, engineered (dry cask) storage facilities for USA light water power reactor spent nuclear fuel (SNF) should be implemented to complement and to offer much needed flexibility while the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is funded to complete its evaluation of the Yucca Mountain License and to subject it to public hearings. The interim sites should use the credo reproduced in Table 1 [Bunn, M., 2001."
Updated: Secretary Chu Announcement of $151 Million in ARPA-E Grants
Updated: Secretary Chu Announcement of $151 Million in ARPA-E Grants
26 October 2009, Department of Energy Documents/ © 2009 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc./ Public Affairs Department/ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Secretary Chu Announcement of $151 Million in ARPA-E Grants
(San Francisco, Calif.) - Today, Secretary Chu announced the first $151 million in grant funding through the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy. Secretary Chu made the announcement at the headquarters of Google Inc. in Mountain View, California. Below are his remarks:
Sometimes a great idea can change the world.
The transistor made possible modern computers, the internet, and Silicon Valley. The hybrid strains of wheat and the Green Revolution helped us feed a growing planet. Linking our computers together through the Internet unleashed an Information Age - in no small part because of the great ideas that have come out of Google.
We are here today because this place reminds us that, occasionally, radical innovation can alter the landscape of an entire industry. And we're here to announce a portfolio of bold new research projects, any one of which could do for energy what Google did for the Internet.
I'm pleased to announce the first $151 million in funding through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy. ARPA-E was funded for the first time in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to pursue truly transformational solutions to the energy problem.
26 October 2009, Department of Energy Documents/ © 2009 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc./ Public Affairs Department/ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Secretary Chu Announcement of $151 Million in ARPA-E Grants
(San Francisco, Calif.) - Today, Secretary Chu announced the first $151 million in grant funding through the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy. Secretary Chu made the announcement at the headquarters of Google Inc. in Mountain View, California. Below are his remarks:
Sometimes a great idea can change the world.
The transistor made possible modern computers, the internet, and Silicon Valley. The hybrid strains of wheat and the Green Revolution helped us feed a growing planet. Linking our computers together through the Internet unleashed an Information Age - in no small part because of the great ideas that have come out of Google.
We are here today because this place reminds us that, occasionally, radical innovation can alter the landscape of an entire industry. And we're here to announce a portfolio of bold new research projects, any one of which could do for energy what Google did for the Internet.
I'm pleased to announce the first $151 million in funding through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy. ARPA-E was funded for the first time in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to pursue truly transformational solutions to the energy problem.
EPA STAFF, ACTIVISTS RAISE FEARS OVER NUCLEAR WASTE PANEL NOMINEE
EPA STAFF, ACTIVISTS RAISE FEARS OVER NUCLEAR WASTE PANEL NOMINEE
2 November 2009
Superfund Report, SUFR, Vol. 23, No. 22
Copyright (c) 2009 Inside Washington Publishers. All Rights Reserved. Also available in print and online as part of www.InsideEPA.com.
EPA staff and activists are raising concerns over President Obama's nomination of Jessie Roberson to join a panel overseeing the Energy Department's (DOE) nuclear waste cleanup program, noting Roberson was head of the same program at the Bush DOE and often clashed with EPA and others on controversial cleanup policies.
The White House Oct. 14 announced Roberson's nomination to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), an independent federal agency that provides safety oversight of the former nuclear weapons manufacturing sites DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM) is responsible for cleaning up. Roberson served as head of the EM office during former President George W. Bush's first term in office.
The Obama administration announcement touts Roberson's experience as an industry consultant -- including a stint as director of nuclear regulatory programs for the Exelon Corporation -- but does not mention her often controversial tenure as Bush EM assistant secretary, where she clashed with EPA, Congress and tribes.
2 November 2009
Superfund Report, SUFR, Vol. 23, No. 22
Copyright (c) 2009 Inside Washington Publishers. All Rights Reserved. Also available in print and online as part of www.InsideEPA.com.
EPA staff and activists are raising concerns over President Obama's nomination of Jessie Roberson to join a panel overseeing the Energy Department's (DOE) nuclear waste cleanup program, noting Roberson was head of the same program at the Bush DOE and often clashed with EPA and others on controversial cleanup policies.
The White House Oct. 14 announced Roberson's nomination to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), an independent federal agency that provides safety oversight of the former nuclear weapons manufacturing sites DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM) is responsible for cleaning up. Roberson served as head of the EM office during former President George W. Bush's first term in office.
The Obama administration announcement touts Roberson's experience as an industry consultant -- including a stint as director of nuclear regulatory programs for the Exelon Corporation -- but does not mention her often controversial tenure as Bush EM assistant secretary, where she clashed with EPA, Congress and tribes.
HAZARDOUS WASTE; Los Alamos has trouble containing all its waste
HAZARDOUS WASTE; Los Alamos has trouble containing all its waste
239 words
2 November 2009
Greenwire
GRWR
English
© 2009 E&E Publishing, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the homes of the nation's nuclear weapons industry, has had trouble containing all of its waste, some of which has percolated through the region's fractured geology toward some drinking water sources.
This waste is not a health threat, officials say, though monitoring of water runoff in canyons that feed into the Rio Grande has found, at times, elevated concentrations of a rocket fuel ingredient and various radioactive byproducts of nuclear fission.
"We are seeing no human or ecological risk," said Danny Katzman, director of the lab's water stewardship program. "We won't be surprised on occasion to see a higher-than-normal reading. But those higher values last for 40 minutes during a flood, and maybe two hours out of a year."
239 words
2 November 2009
Greenwire
GRWR
English
© 2009 E&E Publishing, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the homes of the nation's nuclear weapons industry, has had trouble containing all of its waste, some of which has percolated through the region's fractured geology toward some drinking water sources.
This waste is not a health threat, officials say, though monitoring of water runoff in canyons that feed into the Rio Grande has found, at times, elevated concentrations of a rocket fuel ingredient and various radioactive byproducts of nuclear fission.
"We are seeing no human or ecological risk," said Danny Katzman, director of the lab's water stewardship program. "We won't be surprised on occasion to see a higher-than-normal reading. But those higher values last for 40 minutes during a flood, and maybe two hours out of a year."
Changing Climate: RiskMetrics Grabs KLD, Beefs Up Analysis of Environmental Risks from
Changing Climate: Risk Metrics Grabs KLD, Beefs Up Analysis of Environmental Risksfrom WSJ.com: Environmental Capital by Keith Johnson
Here’s a sign that whatever happens in the U.S. or overseas with climate-change gymnastics, big investors are taking the issue seriously.
RiskMetrics Group, the big risk-analysis firm, just snapped up KLD Research, which specializes in environmental, social, and governance issues for investors. That basically means that RiskMetrics’ traditional approach to figuring out what risks hang over companies—from exchange rates to commodity prices–will now include plenty of emphasis on environmental issues, including climate change.
The tie-up comes as many institutional investors are increasingly pressing big companies to be more forthright about their exposure to potential risks (and opportunities) from climate change. Witness the growth of Ceres.
And it comes just after the Securities and Exchange Commission made it easier for shareholders to ask companies about social and environmental risks—including climate change.
Here’s a sign that whatever happens in the U.S. or overseas with climate-change gymnastics, big investors are taking the issue seriously.
RiskMetrics Group, the big risk-analysis firm, just snapped up KLD Research, which specializes in environmental, social, and governance issues for investors. That basically means that RiskMetrics’ traditional approach to figuring out what risks hang over companies—from exchange rates to commodity prices–will now include plenty of emphasis on environmental issues, including climate change.
The tie-up comes as many institutional investors are increasingly pressing big companies to be more forthright about their exposure to potential risks (and opportunities) from climate change. Witness the growth of Ceres.
And it comes just after the Securities and Exchange Commission made it easier for shareholders to ask companies about social and environmental risks—including climate change.
MARK PETERS NAMED ARGONNE'S NEW DEPUTY LAB DIRECTOR FOR PROGRAMS
MARK PETERS NAMED ARGONNE'S NEW DEPUTY LAB DIRECTOR FOR PROGRAMS
2 November 2009, States News Service, SNS
(c) 2009 States News Service
The following information was released by Argonne National Laboratory:
Mark Peters was recently appointed deputy director for programs for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. Peters assumed his duties as one of the top administrators at the laboratory Sunday.
"I've had the opportunity in the last year to work closely with Mark during the development of the lab's energy strategy," Argonne Director Eric Isaacs said. "Mark's unique viewpoint and skill set will complement those of the entire executive management team. Moreover, his technical background, experience and energy will be a tremendous asset to Argonne, especially as he leads the development of the lab's long- and short-term strategic plans for science and technology."
In his new role, Peters, 45, will work closely with Argonne scientists, engineers, senior management and UChicago Argonne, LLC, which manages the lab for DOE; serve on the lab's policy-making bodies; and oversee and direct Argonne's Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program to ensure the highest-potential and highest-quality proposals are funded.
2 November 2009, States News Service, SNS
(c) 2009 States News Service
The following information was released by Argonne National Laboratory:
Mark Peters was recently appointed deputy director for programs for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. Peters assumed his duties as one of the top administrators at the laboratory Sunday.
"I've had the opportunity in the last year to work closely with Mark during the development of the lab's energy strategy," Argonne Director Eric Isaacs said. "Mark's unique viewpoint and skill set will complement those of the entire executive management team. Moreover, his technical background, experience and energy will be a tremendous asset to Argonne, especially as he leads the development of the lab's long- and short-term strategic plans for science and technology."
In his new role, Peters, 45, will work closely with Argonne scientists, engineers, senior management and UChicago Argonne, LLC, which manages the lab for DOE; serve on the lab's policy-making bodies; and oversee and direct Argonne's Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program to ensure the highest-potential and highest-quality proposals are funded.
Why the World May Turn to Nuclear Power
Why the World May Turn to Nuclear Power
Richard Stieglitz; Rick Docksai
1 November 2009, Futurist, IACA, 16, Volume 43; Issue 6; ISSN: 00163317
© 2009 Futurist. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Demand for fossil fuels may decline, but demand for electric power will soar. Nuclear power, resisted by many, may provide a long-term solution, and it has come a long way since Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.
Within the next 10 years, the world's major economies will choose nuclear power as the clean, high-capacity baseload (i.e., primary) electricity. Nuclear power is experiencing a worldwide rebirth, with 12 countries building 45 new reactors. Nuclear power currently generates 16% of the world's electricity, but by 2030 it will approach 30%.
The global warming situation is dire, and fossil fuels are a major cause: 90% of carbon-dioxide pollution comes from the fossil fuels that generate electricity and provide transportation. Solar energy and wind power are attractive, clean energy sources and will proliferate, but a high-capacity baseload energy is vital: The wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine all the time. Countries are already choosing nuclear as a substitute for the fossil-fueled power plants that intensify the destructive climate changes related to global warming. They will continue to do so as years progress.
Richard Stieglitz; Rick Docksai
1 November 2009, Futurist, IACA, 16, Volume 43; Issue 6; ISSN: 00163317
© 2009 Futurist. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Demand for fossil fuels may decline, but demand for electric power will soar. Nuclear power, resisted by many, may provide a long-term solution, and it has come a long way since Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.
Within the next 10 years, the world's major economies will choose nuclear power as the clean, high-capacity baseload (i.e., primary) electricity. Nuclear power is experiencing a worldwide rebirth, with 12 countries building 45 new reactors. Nuclear power currently generates 16% of the world's electricity, but by 2030 it will approach 30%.
The global warming situation is dire, and fossil fuels are a major cause: 90% of carbon-dioxide pollution comes from the fossil fuels that generate electricity and provide transportation. Solar energy and wind power are attractive, clean energy sources and will proliferate, but a high-capacity baseload energy is vital: The wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine all the time. Countries are already choosing nuclear as a substitute for the fossil-fueled power plants that intensify the destructive climate changes related to global warming. They will continue to do so as years progress.
RECOGNIZING NUCLEAR WORKERS
RECOGNIZING NUCLEAR WORKERS
30 October 2009
US Fed News
Copyright 2009. HT Media Limited. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn. (3rd CD), issued the following news release:
The Nuclear Worker Day of Remembrance Resolution, designating October 30, 2009, to be a national day of remembrance passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Congressman Zach Wamp cosponsored the legislation to honor the thousands of men and women who supported the nation's nuclear efforts during the Cold War.
"Many of our citizens have been called upon to serve our country in tanks, airplanes, ships and submarines. Others were in plants and factories serving our country in a different venue, but one that was just as patriotic and sacrificial," said Congressman Wamp. "On October 30, people will come together across the country to remember and honor all those who worked to create the deterrent that made the world safer."
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has played a critical role in the defense of our country from the Manhattan Project forward. From 1942, almost three-quarters of a million people have worked in the nuclear industry. Thousands of those workers became ill as a result of exposure to toxic substances or chemicals during their work at a Department of Energy facility.
30 October 2009
US Fed News
Copyright 2009. HT Media Limited. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn. (3rd CD), issued the following news release:
The Nuclear Worker Day of Remembrance Resolution, designating October 30, 2009, to be a national day of remembrance passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Congressman Zach Wamp cosponsored the legislation to honor the thousands of men and women who supported the nation's nuclear efforts during the Cold War.
"Many of our citizens have been called upon to serve our country in tanks, airplanes, ships and submarines. Others were in plants and factories serving our country in a different venue, but one that was just as patriotic and sacrificial," said Congressman Wamp. "On October 30, people will come together across the country to remember and honor all those who worked to create the deterrent that made the world safer."
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has played a critical role in the defense of our country from the Manhattan Project forward. From 1942, almost three-quarters of a million people have worked in the nuclear industry. Thousands of those workers became ill as a result of exposure to toxic substances or chemicals during their work at a Department of Energy facility.
Moratorium on waste imports has questions
Moratorium on waste imports has questions
Annette Cary;Herald staff writer
30 October 2009
Tri-City Herald
English
(c) 2009 The Tri-City Herald. All Rights Reserved.
Concerns were raised about whether the state can make the federal government stick to its moratorium on importing certain radioactive wastes to the Hanford nuclear reservation at a public hearing Thursday night in Richland.
About 40 people attended the hearing on a proposed settlement agreement reached by the state of Washington and the Department of Energy to resolve a lawsuit brought by the state against DOE almost a year ago. The state sued after it became clear DOE could not meet legal deadlines in the Tri-Party Agreement to empty leak-prone underground tanks of radioactive waste and treat the waste.
The proposed settlement agreement would extend deadlines to dates DOE and the state say are realistic. And in one concession for doing that, the state won a commitment from DOE not to import several types of waste to Hanford until the vitrification plant is fully operational to treat the waste. That’s scheduled for 2022.
While new environmental cleanup deadlines could be enforced either by a federal court order under a consent decree or through the Tri-Party Agreement, neither would cover the moratorium on importing waste to Hanford.
The Department of Justice has given its word in a letter to the state that wastes DOE already had decided to send to Hanford would not be sent at least while the moratorium is in effect. That includes low-level radioactive waste, some of it mixed with hazardous chemicals, that was to be buried in Hanford landfills. It also includes transuranic waste, typically waste contaminated with plutonium, and transuranic waste mixed with hazardous chemicals that were to be stored at Hanford.
Annette Cary;Herald staff writer
30 October 2009
Tri-City Herald
English
(c) 2009 The Tri-City Herald. All Rights Reserved.
Concerns were raised about whether the state can make the federal government stick to its moratorium on importing certain radioactive wastes to the Hanford nuclear reservation at a public hearing Thursday night in Richland.
About 40 people attended the hearing on a proposed settlement agreement reached by the state of Washington and the Department of Energy to resolve a lawsuit brought by the state against DOE almost a year ago. The state sued after it became clear DOE could not meet legal deadlines in the Tri-Party Agreement to empty leak-prone underground tanks of radioactive waste and treat the waste.
The proposed settlement agreement would extend deadlines to dates DOE and the state say are realistic. And in one concession for doing that, the state won a commitment from DOE not to import several types of waste to Hanford until the vitrification plant is fully operational to treat the waste. That’s scheduled for 2022.
While new environmental cleanup deadlines could be enforced either by a federal court order under a consent decree or through the Tri-Party Agreement, neither would cover the moratorium on importing waste to Hanford.
The Department of Justice has given its word in a letter to the state that wastes DOE already had decided to send to Hanford would not be sent at least while the moratorium is in effect. That includes low-level radioactive waste, some of it mixed with hazardous chemicals, that was to be buried in Hanford landfills. It also includes transuranic waste, typically waste contaminated with plutonium, and transuranic waste mixed with hazardous chemicals that were to be stored at Hanford.
More Hanford workers could be compensated
More Hanford workers could be compensated
Annette Cary;Herald staff writer
29 October 2009
Tri-City Herald
(c) 2009 The Tri-City Herald. All Rights Reserved.
Less than 10 percent of former Hanford construction workers who likely would qualify for compensation for illnesses have applied to a federal program, said a Building Trades National Medical Screening Program official.
Representatives of the program held a meeting in Pasco on Wednesday night to discuss the screening and a Department of Labor program that provides compensation for Hanford workers who developed illnesses because of exposure to radiation or hazardous chemicals at the nuclear reservation. Nearly 100 attended.
As many as 25,000 former Hanford building trades workers may have developed illnesses covered by the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, said Knut Ringen, principal investigator for the building trades screening program. But he estimated that less than 10 percent of those have applied.
The compensation program pays $150,000 in compensation for cancers likely caused by radiation exposure and up to $250,000 for wage loss and impairment caused by exposure to toxic substances, which could include radiation, chemicals, solvents, acids and metals. Medical expenses are covered, and if workers have died, their survivors may be eligible for compensation.
Annette Cary;Herald staff writer
29 October 2009
Tri-City Herald
(c) 2009 The Tri-City Herald. All Rights Reserved.
Less than 10 percent of former Hanford construction workers who likely would qualify for compensation for illnesses have applied to a federal program, said a Building Trades National Medical Screening Program official.
Representatives of the program held a meeting in Pasco on Wednesday night to discuss the screening and a Department of Labor program that provides compensation for Hanford workers who developed illnesses because of exposure to radiation or hazardous chemicals at the nuclear reservation. Nearly 100 attended.
As many as 25,000 former Hanford building trades workers may have developed illnesses covered by the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, said Knut Ringen, principal investigator for the building trades screening program. But he estimated that less than 10 percent of those have applied.
The compensation program pays $150,000 in compensation for cancers likely caused by radiation exposure and up to $250,000 for wage loss and impairment caused by exposure to toxic substances, which could include radiation, chemicals, solvents, acids and metals. Medical expenses are covered, and if workers have died, their survivors may be eligible for compensation.
Tribe needs nuclear waste solution
Tribe needs nuclear waste solution
Indian Country Today, Oneida, N.Y.
McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
28 October 2009
Indian Country Today (MCT)
Distributed by McClatchy - Tribune Information Services
Oct. 28--RED WING, Minn. -- The Prairie Island Indian Community called on President Barack Obama to follow the law and deliver on the federal government's decades-old mandate and promise to establish a permanent repository for the nation's commercial nuclear waste.
The tribe's urging comes after Congress approved the FY 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill which cuts funding for the proposed national nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev., to record low levels. High-level, radioactive nuclear waste from the nation's nuclear power plants is currently accumulating at "temporary" storage sites in 39 different states, including Minnesota. The Prairie Island Indian Community, near Red Wing, Minn., is located less than 600 yards from a nuclear power plant and nuclear waste storage site operated by Xcel Energy.
Indian Country Today, Oneida, N.Y.
McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
28 October 2009
Indian Country Today (MCT)
Distributed by McClatchy - Tribune Information Services
Oct. 28--RED WING, Minn. -- The Prairie Island Indian Community called on President Barack Obama to follow the law and deliver on the federal government's decades-old mandate and promise to establish a permanent repository for the nation's commercial nuclear waste.
The tribe's urging comes after Congress approved the FY 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill which cuts funding for the proposed national nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev., to record low levels. High-level, radioactive nuclear waste from the nation's nuclear power plants is currently accumulating at "temporary" storage sites in 39 different states, including Minnesota. The Prairie Island Indian Community, near Red Wing, Minn., is located less than 600 yards from a nuclear power plant and nuclear waste storage site operated by Xcel Energy.
Moratorium on shipping radioactive waste to Hanford broadened
Moratorium on shipping radioactive waste to Hanford broadened
Annette Cary;Herald staff writer
Cary Annette
28 October 2009
Tri-City Herald
(c) 2009 The Tri-City Herald. All Rights Reserved.
The Department of Energy is adding another type of radioactive waste to those that won’t be sent to Hanford until the vitrification plant is fully operational.
Tuesday, DOE prepared a statement saying that even though its agreement with Washington and Oregon did not cover greater-than-class-C low-level radioactive waste, “this waste will not be imported to Hanford for the duration of the moratorium that defers the importation of waste to Hanford.”
Greater-than-class-C low, or GTCC, waste is more radioactive than the waste Hanford now is burying in its landfill for radioactive waste, the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility.
As part of a proposed settlement with the states over a lawsuit brought against DOE, DOE had agreed to recommend in a draft environmental study not to import certain kinds of waste to Hanford until the vit plant is operating to treat high level radioactive tank waste. That’s expected to be about 2022. Federal law requires the environmental study before a final decision on the moratorium is made.
Annette Cary;Herald staff writer
Cary Annette
28 October 2009
Tri-City Herald
(c) 2009 The Tri-City Herald. All Rights Reserved.
The Department of Energy is adding another type of radioactive waste to those that won’t be sent to Hanford until the vitrification plant is fully operational.
Tuesday, DOE prepared a statement saying that even though its agreement with Washington and Oregon did not cover greater-than-class-C low-level radioactive waste, “this waste will not be imported to Hanford for the duration of the moratorium that defers the importation of waste to Hanford.”
Greater-than-class-C low, or GTCC, waste is more radioactive than the waste Hanford now is burying in its landfill for radioactive waste, the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility.
As part of a proposed settlement with the states over a lawsuit brought against DOE, DOE had agreed to recommend in a draft environmental study not to import certain kinds of waste to Hanford until the vit plant is operating to treat high level radioactive tank waste. That’s expected to be about 2022. Federal law requires the environmental study before a final decision on the moratorium is made.
Industry Fears DOE Nuclear Waste Panel Might Exclude Company Experts
Industry Fears DOE Nuclear Waste Panel Might Exclude Company Experts
28 October 2009
Energy Washington Week, IEPA, Vol. 6, No. 43
Copyright © 2009, Inside Washington Publishers. All rights reserved. Also available in print and online as part of www.EnergyWashington.com.
Amid growing nuclear power industry expectations that DOE could be planning an imminent announcement of its long-anticipated "blue ribbon" panel on the future of nuclear waste storage, possibly as soon as the end of this month, the industry is apprehensive because so far they have no indications from DOE that the department's panel will include industry representatives.
The industry sees the resolution of waste storage issues as essential in planning for new nuclear power plants and thus is eagerly awaiting forward movement on the long-delayed DOE panel of experts. At the same time, the industry wants a place on the panel and has sent the names of possible industry experts who could serve, but has not received any reply from DOE. In addition, says a source with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), DOE has distanced itself from industry and has not responded to NEI invitations to meet.
NEI, state and other industry sources have been pressing DOE for months to give some indication as to when the panel will be formed. They have monitored press accounts in which DOE officials and Energy Secretary Steven Chu have said the announcement will be soon, but have seen months go by without action. The NEI source says that they are definitely hearing something from administration channels -- although the source could not elaborate -- that something may actually occur "soon," despite the inaction following previous rumors of a DOE announcement.
28 October 2009
Energy Washington Week, IEPA, Vol. 6, No. 43
Copyright © 2009, Inside Washington Publishers. All rights reserved. Also available in print and online as part of www.EnergyWashington.com.
Amid growing nuclear power industry expectations that DOE could be planning an imminent announcement of its long-anticipated "blue ribbon" panel on the future of nuclear waste storage, possibly as soon as the end of this month, the industry is apprehensive because so far they have no indications from DOE that the department's panel will include industry representatives.
The industry sees the resolution of waste storage issues as essential in planning for new nuclear power plants and thus is eagerly awaiting forward movement on the long-delayed DOE panel of experts. At the same time, the industry wants a place on the panel and has sent the names of possible industry experts who could serve, but has not received any reply from DOE. In addition, says a source with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), DOE has distanced itself from industry and has not responded to NEI invitations to meet.
NEI, state and other industry sources have been pressing DOE for months to give some indication as to when the panel will be formed. They have monitored press accounts in which DOE officials and Energy Secretary Steven Chu have said the announcement will be soon, but have seen months go by without action. The NEI source says that they are definitely hearing something from administration channels -- although the source could not elaborate -- that something may actually occur "soon," despite the inaction following previous rumors of a DOE announcement.
GAO NUCLEAR WASTE RECOMMENDATIONS PROMPT FEARS OF PRECEDENT
GAO NUCLEAR WASTE RECOMMENDATIONS PROMPT FEARS OF PRECEDENT
27 October 2009
Defense Environment Alert
DEFA, Vol. 17, No. 22
Copyright (c) 2009 Inside Washington Publishers. All Rights Reserved. Also available in print and online as part of http://www.insideepa.com/.
Environmentalists are expressing concerns over recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations for the Department of Energy (DOE) to reevaluate whether the planned scope of a key nuclear waste cleanup is necessary and required by law, saying it could set a negative precedent for radioactive cleanups around the country.
But DOE is disputing certain aspects of GAO's recommendations, a move that is stopping the suggestions from prompting immediate concerns among EPA and state regulators, one source familiar with the issue says.
At issue is a Sept. 30 report GAO issued relative to the Hanford site, a former Manhattan Project nuclear weapons facility in Washington state that is considered one of the largest nuclear waste cleanup sites in the world. The site's cleanup has been plagued by years of delays, cost overruns and disputes between DOE, regulators and environmentalists. The report, titled Uncertainties and Questions about Costs and Risks Persist with DOE's Tank Waste Cleanup Strategy at Hanford, deals primarily with DOE's efforts to clean up hundreds of leaking underground nuclear waste storage tanks.
27 October 2009
Defense Environment Alert
DEFA, Vol. 17, No. 22
Copyright (c) 2009 Inside Washington Publishers. All Rights Reserved. Also available in print and online as part of http://www.insideepa.com/.
Environmentalists are expressing concerns over recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations for the Department of Energy (DOE) to reevaluate whether the planned scope of a key nuclear waste cleanup is necessary and required by law, saying it could set a negative precedent for radioactive cleanups around the country.
But DOE is disputing certain aspects of GAO's recommendations, a move that is stopping the suggestions from prompting immediate concerns among EPA and state regulators, one source familiar with the issue says.
At issue is a Sept. 30 report GAO issued relative to the Hanford site, a former Manhattan Project nuclear weapons facility in Washington state that is considered one of the largest nuclear waste cleanup sites in the world. The site's cleanup has been plagued by years of delays, cost overruns and disputes between DOE, regulators and environmentalists. The report, titled Uncertainties and Questions about Costs and Risks Persist with DOE's Tank Waste Cleanup Strategy at Hanford, deals primarily with DOE's efforts to clean up hundreds of leaking underground nuclear waste storage tanks.
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