September 29, 2022 – The Department of Energy is responsible for disposing of certain low‐level nuclear waste from medical equipment, metals in nuclear reactors, and cleanup sites. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required DOE to assess the potential environmental effects of various disposal options. No legal options currently exist.

DOE’s assessments were extensive but didn’t give rationales for preferring certain disposal options. They also weren’t clear on the amount of waste that will need disposal—key information for decision makers.

We recommended ways to improve transparency. We also suggested that Congress consider addressing legal barriers to waste disposal. Link to GAO Document

September 29, 2022 – An excavator took the first bite out of the Main Plant Process Building at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) on Sept. 21 in a “controlled deconstruction” of the structure over the next 30 months, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Sept. 22.

Extensive measures are being used to prevent the potential spread of radioactive contamination and safety professionals will provide continuous monitoring and sampling during the deconstruction process, DOC officials said.

An extensive modeling and real‐time monitoring system has been established to help ensure that any potential radiological exposure from demolition activities is kept well below regulatory levels. Link to article

September 27, 2022 – EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White praised recent progress in EM’s cleanup work and laid out a roadmap of future success as he kicked off the first full day of the annual National Cleanup Workshop in Arlington, Virginia on Sept. 22.

White was well received by the large crowd — 630 people attended in person, 91 virtually — who represented private industry, stakeholders around the sites where EM works and employees and contractors from across the EM complex. Link to Update

September 22, 2022 – Newly Elected U.S. Representative Joe Sempolinski tells us he’s hit the ground running in his first week at the Capitol. Link to article

September 22, 2022 –  An excavator took the first bite out of the Main Plant Process Building at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) on Wednesday in a “controlled deconstruction” of the structure over the next 30 months, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday. 

Extensive measures are being used to prevent the potential spread of radioactive contamination and safety professionals will provide continuous monitoring and sampling during the deconstruction process, DOC officials said. Link to article