A retired USGS geologist shares his experience of working on the publicly misunderstood nuclear waste repository and its geology.
Idaho’s IWTU reaches 100 percent radiological operations
After initial runs using a mix of radiological waste and nonradioactive simulant, the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) at the Idaho National Laboratory site has progressed to treating...
DOE-EM outlines its cleanup goals for the coming decade
The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management has released its Strategic Vision 2023–2033, a blueprint of the office’s anticipated cleanup achievements over the next...
U.S., Canada to cooperate on spent fuel management
The United States and Canada will cooperate on spent nuclear fuel management under a statement of intent (SOI) signed between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Nuclear Waste Management...
DOE-EM establishes new acquisition career development program
The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management has launched the EM Career Acquisition Program (ECAP) to build a pipeline of trained, experienced acquisition professionals to...
INL waste treatment plant increases production
Since the launch of operations just over a month ago, the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) at Idaho National Laboratory has increased sodium-bearing waste treatment fivefold. This...
Feds, state reach agreement in Hanford cleanup negotiations
After nearly three years of discussions and more than 60 mediation sessions, the Department of Energy, Washington State Department of Ecology, and the Environmental Protection Agency announced...
WIPP drivers surpass 16 million safe miles
The Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) recently marked a milestone after its drivers exceeded 16 million safe miles without a serious accident or injury—equivalent...
DOE issues revised consent-based siting document
The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy released an updated version of its consent-based siting process on April 25. The DOE will use the process to engage with willing...
NRC to issue guidance on the early use of decommissioning trust funds
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it is considering new guidance on the use of decommissioning trust funds for the disposal of major radioactive components from still operating nuclear...
Radiological operations of Idaho’s IWTU begin
More than a decade after construction was declared completed, Idaho’s long-delayed Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) has begun radiological operations, the Department of Energy’s...