November 5, 2019 – Employees at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Site routinely communicate their efforts to be good stewards of the environment to a variety of people, from stakeholders in the surrounding community to the site’s cleanup crews.

These robust, easy-to-understand communications — highlighted on WVDP’s website and social media, and in employee messages, newsletters, and meetings — have drawn positive feedback. An auditor on behalf of the International Organization for Standardization commended WVDP for its effective communication plan focused on keeping internal and external stakeholders informed of environmental work and cleanup progress. Link to Update

October 30, 2019 – Communities surrounding DOE sites are impacted in many ways whenever DOE begins a new contracting process. The approach to—and ultimate success of—these contracts is vital to the overall nuclear security and nuclear waste cleanup mission in the United States, the health and viability of the communities that host these sites, the strength of the future workforce, and the sustainability of businesses—both small and large—that take on these unique tasks. Contracts provide a basis for community members and Congress to gauge cleanup progress, which in turn can increase trust and confidence in the cleanup.

ECA communities at all of DOE’s sites continue to ask the Office of Environmental Management (EM) for regular briefings on the timing of the contracts. Each contract delay impacts the community and adds uncertainty for the workers, local governments and their budgets, and small businesses who may serve as subcontractors. ECA has advocated for contracts to include community engagement requirements, emphasize longer-term contracts (five years versus three years with two one-year options), and include community cleanup priorities clearly in the contract scope. Link to Update

October 29, 2019 – Workers recently tore down a former waste storage structure, bringing EM’s total number of buildings removed at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Site to date to 65.

EM WVDP Director Bryan Bower commended crews from cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) for demolishing the structure safely.

“The CHBWV team continues to make great progress in completing the demolition of on-site structures as part of our cleanup efforts,” Bower said. Link to Update

Regarding the letter by K. Neutron, San Diego (“Nuclear waste can be dealt with safely,” Oct. 19):

Nuclear advocates always seem to come up with grand ideas to “solve” the high-level nuclear waste problem but they always result in making more waste. Originally there was no waste problem because the waste would be reprocessed and used again in breeder reactors. The only reprocessing facility was West Valley in upstate New York and it shuttered after only five years because it contaminated the land and water around it. It remains a Superfund site to this day. Without reprocessing, nuclear fuel will remain in fuel pools and dry storage at reactor sites all over the country. Link to Letter

October 24, 2019 – STATE OF NEW YORK NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION Division of Materials Management 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233‐7256 Phone: (518) 402‐8651 Fax: (518) 402‐9024 EPA ID No. NYD980779540 PUBLIC NOTICE OF CLOSURE PLAN

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) as operator of the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP)has notified the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Department) of its intention to commence final closure of the LAG Storage Addition #2 (LSA #2) Hardstand at the WVDP facility in West Valley, NY 14171‐9799. Link to Notice