Obama Moves Quickly To Heal NRC

The Obama Administration moved quickly today to replace the controversial head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Chairman Jaczko, by nominating Dr. Allison Macfarlane to lead that agency.  Macfarlane, who received her PhD in geology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technologyin 1992, is currently a professor of Environmental Science and Policy atGeorge Mason University in Fairfax, VA.  She has long been affiliated with programs such as the Program in Science, Technology and Society at MIT and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. The immediate uproar in the nuclear community to her not being a nuclear engineer or physicist was expected. Instead, her specialties include nuclear nonproliferation and other policy issues, but in this new position it will be her experience with nuclear waste and the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle involving deep geologic disposal of high level waste and interim storage of spent fuel, that will be her biggest contribution to the group, and is particularly timely with the focus on spent fuel in the wake of Fukushima. As a geologist myself working in the nuclear field, I know how geology provides a uniquely global and multidisciplinary view to the field and to science in general, and Dr. Macfarlane will bring this valuable addition to the NRC’s toolbox. More

Workers Pour 1 Million Gallons of Grout into Massive Tanks

DOE-EM AIKEN, S.C. – Workers have poured more than 1 million gallons of a cement-like grout into two underground radioactive waste tanks, moving the Savannah River Site (SRS) nearer to closing the massive structures. SRS and liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation are working to fill the 1.3-million-gallon Tanks 18 and 19 with grout, a project that began April 2. Grouting of the tanks, ancillary piping and equipment is scheduled for completion in late summer. As many as six cement trucks operate every hour during weekday business hours to deliver the mixture to the site to pump into the tanks. Closing the two tanks is a significant step in the completion of cleanup of the site’s legacy nuclear waste, according to Terrel Spears, DOE-Savannah River Operations Office Assistant Manager for Waste Disposition Project Terrel Spears. “Eliminating the risk of radioactive legacy nuclear waste is a priority, and operational closure of these tanks is significant to meeting our critical mission,” Spears said. SRR President and Project Manager Dave Olson said grouting the tanks will reduce risk for workers, the public and the environment. “SRR is committed to safely dispositioning waste and closing waste tanks to reduce risk in a cost-effective manner and in compliance with regulatory commitments,” Olson said. “The lessons learned in closing the tanks provide us useful information that we will use to close additional tanks.” Tanks 18 and 19 will be the first tank closures at SRS since 1997, when two were closed.

Obama taps George Mason professor to head nuclear agency - The Hill's E2-Wire

Obama taps George Mason professor to head nuclear agency - The Hill's E2-Wire

President Obama nominated George Mason University Professor Allison Macfarlane Thursday to serve as chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Macfarlane has been a professor of environmental science at the university since 2006 and served on a federal panel tasked with determining a long-term solution for the country’s nuclear waste.

She has been critical of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada, a long-delayed project that the Obama administration abandoned in 2009. Macfarlane wrote a 2006 book titled, Uncertainty Underground: Yucca Mountain and the Nation's High-Level Nuclear Waste. The book, according to the GMU website, "explores the unresolved technical issues" with Yucca Mountain.

Current NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko, who has come under fire from his colleagues and Republicans for his leadership style, announced earlier this week that he intends to step down once the Senate confirms his replacement.

Obama nominated Macfarlane as one of five NRC commissioners and said he intended to appoint her as chairwoman of the panel once she is confirmed by the Senate.

Obama taps Yucca Mtn critic to lead nuclear agency

Obama taps Yucca Mtn critic to lead nuclear agency

DOE finds performance issues at Hanford vit plant, raising concerns about Bechtel management

By Annette Cary, Tri-City Herald

Posted: 9:20am on May 5, 2012; Modified: 7:04pm on May 7, 2012

Significant performance issues at the Hanford vitrification plant have raised serious concerns about Bechtel National's management system, according to a newly released Department of Energy report. The concern came to light in the most recently released weekly staff report of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, which said that DOE had identified a Priority Level 1 finding "associated with the potential breakdown in contractor management and their less than adequate performance." "This finding was identified as a result of several recent DOE oversight activities in which inadequate performance was an issue," the defense board staff report said. "The report concludes that these performance issues 'could have significant impacts on the successful completion of the (vitrification plant) project.' " DOE project director Dale Knutson sent Bechtel a letter March 20 saying that based on the cumulative impact of issues identified, "It is important for BNI (Bechtel) to step back, identify the underlying organizational processes and values driving these findings, and address them effectively." The Herald obtained the letter and attached reports this week.

Last shield door delivered to Hanford Waste Treatment Plant

Originally printed at http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/Last-shield-door-delivered-to-Hanford-Waste-Treatment-Plant-150998885.html
By Tyler Slauson May 10, 2012

U.S. DEPT. OF ENERGY NEWS RELEASE -- The last massive shield door has been delivered to the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant, also known as the “Vit Plant.” It weighs 102 tons and will be installed in the High-Level Waste Facility. “Receipt of the last of the shield doors represents a significant milestone in progress on the project, and they are an integral part of the plant’s safety infrastructure,” said Joe St. Julian, area project manager for the facility for Bechtel National Inc., which is designing and building the Vit Plant. The Vit Plant has more than 100 nuclear-quality shield doors, ranging from 3 to 119 tons. They will provide radiation protection and maintain contamination boundaries during plant operations. The doors will be installed throughout the Pretreatment, High- Level Waste and Low-Activity Waste facilities. “The delivery of this shield door represents an extensive degree of teamwork between the vendor and within the Vit Plant Project team. They have done an excellent job,” said Gary Olsen, the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of River Projection, High- Level Waste Facility federal project manager. “The door is an instrumental component in our safety protection measures for operations, and the team has worked closely to ensure it meets all necessary requirements to support its function,” he said.

Appeals Court Hears Arguments Over Yucca Mountain - ABC News

Appeals Court Hears Arguments Over Yucca Mountain - ABC News

Is Yucca Mountain Still Dead?

May 3, 2012, 2:01 PM By MATTHEW L. WALD New York Times

As I reported in this article, two states with big volumes of military and civilian nuclear wastes are suing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to try to force it to adhere to the terms of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, which called for the development of a waste repository at Yucca Mountain, near Las Vegas. Yucca Mountain was chosen by Congress as the repository site in 1987. Its chief backers were senators from other states that were also under consideration as waste sites, including Texas and Washington. Nevada, lacking allies, could not stop it.The commission has discontinued work on evaluating the Energy Department’s onetime plan for a repository there since President Obama decided to kill the project. (The Energy Department has sought to withdraw its application for a license.)

The initial choice had a thin veneer of science to it – Yucca was one of several sites under consideration mostly because it was remote and the government already owned it. Further scientific and engineering work, though, exposed substantial problems with the site.

Still, the circumstances under which the project died were deemed political ones, even by the Government Accountability Office.

SRS nuclear waste could go to New Mexico facility | The Augusta Chronicle

SRS nuclear waste could go to New Mexico facility | The Augusta Chronicle

Energy Department Announces New Investments to Train Next Generation of Nuclear Energy Leaders, Advance University-Led Nuclear Innovation

May 8, 2012 - 6:05pm http://energy.gov/articles/energy-department-announces-new-investments-train-next-generation-nuclear-energy-leaders

WASHINGTON – Underscoring President Obama’s commitments to keep college affordable, expand opportunities for American families nationwide, and promote education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced more than $47 million in scholarships, fellowships, research grants and university research reactor upgrades to train and educate the next generation of leaders in America’s nuclear industry. The 143 awards announced today under the Department’s Nuclear Energy University Programs and Integrated University Program will support nuclear energy R&D and student investment at 46 colleges and universities around the country. These efforts at the Department of Energy build on President Obama’s commitment to work with Congress to help keep college education affordable for America’s students by keeping interest rates low on student loans. “We must invest in the next generation of American scientists and engineers in order to fulfill our commitment to restarting America’s nuclear industry and making sure that America stays competitive in the 21st century,” said Secretary Chu. “The awards announced today - from scholarships and fellowships to university-led nuclear research projects – are part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to keep college affordable for students nationwide. These investments will help train and educate our future energy leaders, while developing the innovations we need to create new jobs and export opportunities for American-made nuclear technologies.” 

EM’s Tracy Mustin Celebrates Milestone at New Mexico Lab ALBUQUERQUE, N.MMay

May 3, 2012. – EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Tracy Mustin joined other DOE officials and local and state leaders Wednesday to celebrate the completion of the Cold War legacy waste cleanup at Sandia National Laboratories. “The State of New Mexico and the Department of Energy share a common vision of keeping people and our environment safe,” Mustin said at the event. “This final shipment of legacy remote-handled transuranic (TRU) waste from Sandia National Laboratories represents important and continued progress in DOE’s commitment to reducing the nation’s nuclear waste footprint by cleanup of EM sites across the complex.”

EM Program Updates: EM Announces New Oak Ridge Office Assistant Manager

by em-hq@em.doe.gov (DOE Environmental Management)

WASHINGTON, D.C. –WASHINGTON, D.C. – EM announced today that Mark Whitney has been selected as the Oak Ridge Office Assistant Manager for Environmental Management, effective August 2012. “Mark is an engaging leader with a broad understanding of DOE-wide programs and policies and has a history of proven success developing and implementing strategies to improve organizational performance,” said David Huizenga, Senior Advisor for EM. “I am pleased Mark has agreed to take on this important role and devote his talents to the nuclear waste cleanup mission in his home state of Tennessee.” The Oak Ridge Reservation is one of DOE’s most unique and complex sites, encompassing three major campuses and spanning almost 34,000 acres. Each campus performs a diverse set of missions, but all share a crucial need for environmental cleanup. The EM program addresses this need by removing the hazards left behind from research and defense operations during the Manhattan Project and Cold War. Whitney has served as the Acting Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation at the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration since July 2011, overseeing the day-to-day operations of a $2.3 billion nuclear security and nonproliferation program. He has been a member of the U.S. Government’s Senior Executive Service since 2005, serving in various positions at DOE headquarters and internationally. “I look forward to working with Sue Cange and the EM Oak Ridge Organization as we continue this important cleanup mission for the community and the nation,” said Whitney. Cange has been the Acting Oak Ridge Office Assistant Manager for EM since Oct. 6, 2011. She will continue in her role as Deputy Assistant Manager.

Alexander praises funds appropriated for Oak Ridge, Y-12 | Nooga.com

Alexander praises funds appropriated for Oak Ridge, Y-12 | Nooga.com

Report: Hanford vessels fail to meet requirements | Regional News - The News Tribune

Report: Hanford vessels fail to meet requirements | Regional News - The News Tribune

More signs of trouble at Hanford vit plant | Yakima Herald-Republic

More signs of trouble at Hanford vit plant | Yakima Herald-Republic

DOE wants dismissal from Hanford whistleblower case - Mid-Columbia News | Tri-City Herald : Mid-Columbia news

DOE wants dismissal from Hanford whistleblower case - Mid-Columbia News | Tri-City Herald : Mid-Columbia news

Report: Hanford vessels fail to meet requirements

The Energy Department and a contractor building a waste treatment plant at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site procured and installed tanks that did not always meet requirements of a quality assurance program or the contract, a federal audit concluded Monday. 

Published: 04/30/12 2:56 pm | Updated: 04/30/12 5:16 pmBY SHANNON DININNY; ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Energy Department and a contractor building a waste treatment plant at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site procured and installed tanks that did not always meet requirements of a quality assurance program or the contract, a federal audit concluded Monday.

Critics say new Hanford Nuclear Reservation waste permit has big holes

Washington's new blueprint for dealing with dangerous waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation tops 16,000 pages, covering the maze of polluted land and water at the former nuclear weapons production site. But Hanford activists say it leaves crucial issues unaddressed; namely, imports of new radioactive waste and the ultimate cleanup plan for leaking storage tanks and much of 43 miles of contaminated ditches. Washington's Department of Ecologyissued a draft of the 10-year"dangerous waste permit" Tuesday. It's now up for public comment, including a hearing scheduled for May 16 in Portland. Activists, led by Heart of America Northwest, say Washington regulators are giving a free pass to the U.S. Department of Energy, which operates the nation's largest nuclear cleanup site. The department wants to bury and cap most of the contamination instead of removing it, they say, and to bring more nuclear waste to Hanford. The state permit does nothing to stop that, said Gerry Pollet, executive director of the Hanford watchdog group.  "They're saying, 'We're going to give you a permit even though this is a non-compliant facility and there's no closure plan,'" Pollet said. "The public doesn't have anything to look at." 

H.R. 5325: Making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes.

May 02, 2012 — Introduced

H.R. 5325: Making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen [R-NJ11]

This bill or resolution is in the first stage of the legislative process. It was introduced into Congress on May 2, 2012. It will typically be considered by committee next. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr5325

Mark Whitney to be DOE's environmental chief in Oak Ridge

Knoxville News May 1, 2012 Mark Whitney will be the U.S. Department of Energy's new cleanup chief chief in Oak Ridge, effective in August, DOE announced today. Whitney currently serves as the National Nuclear Security Administration's acting principal assistant deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation. He's held that job since July 2011. He's been a member of the government's Senior Executive Service since 2005. In a statement, David Huizenga, DOE's senior advisor for EM, said: "Mark is an engaging leader with a broad understanding of DOE-wide programs and policies and has a history of proven success developing and implementing strategies to improve organizational performance. I am pleased Mark has agreed to take on this important role and devote his talents to the nuclear waste cleanup mission in his home state of Tennessee." Sue Cange currently serves as acting assistant manager for EM and DOE said she would return to her role as deputy assistant manager.

Hastings worries about key DOE jobs being vacant

May 02, 2012  By Annette Cary, Herald staff writer

Letting the key Department of Energy headquarters position responsible for overseeing Hanford cleanup remain vacant since July 15 is unacceptable, said Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., in a letter to President Obama this week. He also made his wishes clear in a separate letter to DOE on another key position that soon will be vacant, the federal project director for the Hanford vitrification plant. Ines Triay, the last DOE assistant secretary of environmental management, resigned from the position in July. It's the top position for DOE environmental cleanup with responsibility for an approximately $5 billion annual budget. David Huizenga was named to fill in as acting assistant secretary, but that expired after 210 days, the maximum time allowed by law. He's now serving as senior adviser for environmental management. "It's unacceptable that after nearly a year this administration has failed to even nominate a new leader for this program," Hastings said in the letter. "I request that an assistant secretary be nominated without further delay." No explanation has been given for the delay in nominating someone. Naming Huizenga a senior adviser does not provide the DOE environmental cleanup program with any level of certainty or sense of continuity, Hastings said. It also does not provide Huizenga with the authority and accountability needed to meet challenges in the DOE cleanup program, he said. "I believe that having an assistant secretary in place would help strengthen the environmental management program and put the federal government in a better position to meet its legal cleanup obligations," Hastings said.

In a letter to Huizenga, Hastings advised DOE headquarters to work closely with the DOE Hanford Office of River Protection manager to select a new federal project director. Dale Knutson has been on loan from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory since May 2010 to fill the position, but DOE does not plan to renew the contract when it expires at the end of the month. It plans to put a federal employee in the position. "I am hopeful that in determining the types of candidates to consider the department will seek to do everything possible to ensure continuity in this key position," he said. Hastings told Huizenga he is concerned that not having a federal project director in place as Bechtel National prepares a proposed new cost and schedule for the $12.2 billion vitrification plant would harm or delay the process. Hastings also reminded DOE that he inserted language into the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 saying DOE must notify Congress of any changes to the Office of River Protection responsibility or reporting structure. The law is clear that the Office of River Protection manager, now Scott Samuelson, is in charge of the vitrification plant and reports directly to the assistant secretary for environmental management, Hastings said. "Attempts to circumvent this law have resulted in confusion and uncertainty that are ultimately detrimental" to the vitrification plant project, he said. Shortly before Knutson was named project director, DOE changed the reporting structure for the position, giving the project director a direct line to officials at DOE headquarters, apparently catching Congress by surprise. The reporting structure was clarified three months ago to indicate that the manager of the Office of River Protection is responsible for the vit plant.

-- Annette Cary: 582-1533; acary@tricityherald.com; more Hanford news at hanfordnews.com

Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/05/02/1924702/hastings-worries-about-key-doe.html#storylink=cpy

Senate follows House with more questions about construction of Savannah River Site's MOX plant

By Rob Pavey, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. | 30 April 2012

April 30--U.S. Senate budget writers followed their House counterparts this week with questions about the rising costs of the mixed oxide fuel plant under construction at Savannah River Site.

In particular, the projected annual cost of operating the facility -- after it is completed -- has risen from $156 million to $499 million in just two budget years, according to a new draft of the 2013 Senate Energy & Water De­velopment Appropriations bill.

The National Nuclear Security Administration, an arm of the Energy Department that manages nuclear weapons programs, "has failed to provide a sufficient justification for this increase," the report said.

The $4.8 billion MOX plant is the centerpiece of a plan to dispose of 34 metric tons of plutonium from dismantled nuclear warheads by blending the material with uranium to make commercial reactor fuel. The facility is 60 percent complete and scheduled to open in 2016, with fuel production under way by 2018.The Senate Appropriations Committee also wrote that it supports NNSA's proposal to abandon plans for a standalone facility to disassemble plutonium "pits" from surplus warheads but questioned the costs that went into planning a facility that NNSA now says is not needed.

The Department of Energy's $12.2 Billion Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant – Quality Assurance Issues – Black Cell Vessels

The Office of Inspector General received allegations concerning aspects of the quality assurance program at the Department of Energy's $12.2 billion Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) project in Hanford, Washington. The WTP is a key element in the Department's strategy for remediating its significant legacy inventory of high-level nuclear waste.
RESULTS OF AUDIT
Our review substantiated the allegation. In short, we found that the Department had procured and installed vessels in WTP that did not always meet quality assurance and/or contract requirements. For the vessels that we reviewed, we identified multiple instances where quality assurance records were either missing or were not traceable to the specific area or part of the vessel. We also found that the Department paid the WTP contractor a $15 million incentive fee for production of a vessel that was later determined to be defective.
Read report here.