Acting NNSA administrator to step down on Inauguration DayANS Nuclear CafePower & OperationsJanuary 14, 2021, 10:56AM|Nuclear News StaffBooklessThe acting head of the National Nuclear Security Administration will resign January 20, Inauguration Day, according to a report in the Aiken (S.C.) Standard. William Bookless, who has more than four decades of experience in the nuclear security field, will also retire from federal service that day, the agency confirmed to the Standard.The NNSA has made no official announcement or named a replacement for Bookless as of Thursday morning.To continue reading, log in or create a free account!
U.S., Canada complete nuclear material shipping effortRadwaste SolutionsWaste ManagementJanuary 13, 2021, 7:02AM|Radwaste Solutions StaffA four-year campaign to repatriate 161 kilograms of highly enriched uranium liquid target residue material (TRM) from Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario, Canada, to the Savannah River Site in Aiken, S.C., has been completed, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) announced on January 12.The campaign was conducted under the U.S.-Origin Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance Program, established in 1996 to return U.S.-origin spent nuclear fuel and other weapons-grade nuclear material from civilian sites worldwide. Other partners involved in the effort included the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM), Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), and Savannah River National Laboratory as well as state and tribal governments.The TRM is the by-product of the production of medical isotopes from AECL’s now-shuttered National Research Universal reactor. The repatriation of the material, begun in 2017 and completed in 2020, involved 115 separate truck shipments, covering some 150,000 miles, according to the announcements.ExpandTags:aeclcanadian nuclear laboratorieschalk river laboratoriesh canyonnational research universal reactornnsaoffice of environmental managementsavannah river national laboratorysavannah river sitesrnsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
The year in review 2020: Waste ManagementRadwaste SolutionsWaste ManagementJanuary 8, 2021, 2:50PM|Radwaste Solutions StaffHere is a look back at the top stories of 2020 from our Waste Management section in Newswire and Nuclear News magazine. Remember to check back to Newswire soon for more top stories from 2020.Waste Management sectionFirst-ever cleanup of uranium enrichment plant celebrated at Oak Ridge: The completion of the decades-long effort to clean up the former Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant was celebrated on October 13, with Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette joining U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, and other state and community leaders at the East Tennessee Technology Park, where the uranium enrichment complex once stood. Read more.ExpandTags:bwxtcoviddan brouillettedoeeast tennessee technology parkfederal registerfluorhanfordllwnnsanrcnuclear wasteoak ridge gaseous diffusion plantsalt waste processing facilitysavannah river sitesurplus plutonium disposition programShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Congress set to pass year-end funding billNuclear NewsDecember 22, 2020, 12:08PM|Nuclear News StaffThe final text of the approximately 5,600-page Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 was released on December 22. While the timing of final passage is still fluid, the Senate was expected to approve it and send it on to President Trump to sign into law, according to John Starkey, American Nuclear Society government relations director.Below are some key funding highlights from the legislation pertaining to nuclear energy.ExpandTags:ardpdefensedivision zdoddoeenrichmentfundinghaleulwrsmobile micro reactor strategynnsanrcsmrtrisouraniumShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
NNSA reportedly hacked as part of “extensive espionage operation”Nuclear NewsSecurityDecember 18, 2020, 9:30AM|Nuclear News StaffIn an exclusive story published yesterday, the news website Politico reports that networks of the National Nuclear Security Administration and other federal entities have been hacked “as part of an extensive espionage operation.” Citing officials familiar with the matter, the story says that network breaches have been identified at the NNSA’s Office of Secure Transportation (which is responsible for the transport of government-owned special nuclear materials), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the Department of Energy’s Richland Field Office, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. According to the story, the hackers are believed to have gained access to the networks “by compromising the software company SolarWinds, which sells IT management products to hundreds of government and private-sector clients.” ExpandTags:cybersecuritycybersecurity and infrastructure security agencyfederal energy regulatory commissionlos alamos national laboratorynnsasandia national laboratoriesShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
NNSA to review its “dilute and dispose” option for surplus PuRadwaste SolutionsWaste ManagementDecember 17, 2020, 9:31AM|Radwaste Solutions StaffThe Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) evaluating alternatives for the safe disposal of 34 metric tons of surplus plutonium through its Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program (SPDP). The NNSA published in the December 16 Federal Register its intent to prepare the EIS, which will examine the agency’s preferred alternative, “dilute and dispose,” also known as “plutonium downblending,” and other identified alternatives for disposing of the material.The NNSA is offering the public the opportunity to comment on the proposed scope of the EIS until February 1. In light of the COVID-19 health crisis, the agency will host an Internet- and phone-based virtual public scoping meeting in place of an in-person meeting. The date of the meeting will be provided in a future notice posted on the NNSA website.ExpandTags:doeeisnnsaspdpsrssurplus plutoniumwippShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
DOE to provide $12 million for nuclear data researchNuclear NewsResearch & ApplicationsDecember 8, 2020, 3:03PM|Nuclear News StaffThe U.S. Department of Energy plans to provide up to $12 million for new research on nuclear data in support of crosscutting research. The aim of the program is to expand and improve the quality of data needed for a wide range of nuclear-related activities, from basic research in nuclear science to isotope production and nuclear nonproliferation efforts.“Increasingly, precise data on the properties of atomic nuclei are central to enabling groundbreaking advances in medicine, commerce, and national security,” said Chris Fall, director of the DOE’s Office of Science, on December 7. “This program targets crosscutting opportunities to enhance the curation of existing nuclear data archives, as well as research to lay the groundwork for new applications in areas of national need.”ExpandTags:doefunding opportunity announcementnnsaoffice of scienceresearchShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
WIPP could run out of disposal space, GAO saysRadwaste SolutionsWaste ManagementDecember 4, 2020, 9:29AM|Radwaste Solutions StaffThe aboveground portion of WIPP’s current ventilation system. Photo: GAOA study of the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico has found that the repository faces long-term issues with ensuring sufficient physical space and statutory capacity to dispose of the federal government’s inventory of transuranic (TRU) waste. WIPP is the United States’ only repository for the disposal of TRU waste generated by the DOE’s nuclear weapons research and production.The Government Accountability Office study, Better Planning Needed to Avoid Potential Disruptions at Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (CAO-21-48), was published on November 19.ExpandTags:doegaonnsatru wastewippShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
2020 ANS Virtual Winter Meeting: Medical isotopes production and applicationsNuclear NewsNovember 16, 2020, 5:28PM|Nuclear News StaffThe Monday session “Advancement in Medical Isotopes Production and Applications” of the 2020 ANS Virtual Winter Meeting was sponsored by the Isotopes & Radiation Division and co-chaired by Lin-Wen Hu of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and James Bowen of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.Radioisotopes produced from nuclear reactors and accelerators are widely used for medical diagnostics and cancer therapy. Technetium-99m (decay product of molybdenum-99), for example, is used in more than 80 percent of nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures. The session featured speakers who discussed the advancement and status of domestic production and applications of medical isotopes.ExpandTags:ans winter meetingdoeisotopesmolybdenum-99murrnnsashineShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Gordon-Hagerty resigns as NNSA administratorNuclear NewsSecurityNovember 10, 2020, 10:04AM|Nuclear News StaffLisa E. Gordon-Hagerty has resigned as administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration and undersecretary of energy for nuclear security, the Department of Energy announced on November 6. William Bookless, who had been serving as NNSA principal deputy administrator for the past year-and-a-half, was named as acting administrator. Bookless spent more than three decades as a senior physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory prior to joining the NNSA.ExpandTags:brouillettedoegordon-hagertyjim inhofennsaShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
New NNSA website helps in nuclear safeguards reportingNuclear NewsSecurityNovember 5, 2020, 6:59AM|Nuclear News StaffThe National Nuclear Security Administration has launched RAINS—the Reporting Assistant for International Nuclear Safeguards website—intended to assist users with the requirements surrounding international nuclear safeguards.Nuclear safeguards are designed to verify that all nuclear material declared by a nation-state is not diverted for non-peaceful uses; detect any misuse of declared facilities or locations outside facilities; and detect any undeclared nuclear material or activities in the nation-state.ExpandTags:iaeannsarains websitesafeguardsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
GAO: Concerns persist on DOE Order 140.1Nuclear NewsSecurityNovember 3, 2020, 12:00PM|Nuclear News StaffThe Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on October 29 outlining potential issues regarding a 2018 Department of Energy order on how the department, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and their contractors interact with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) and its staff. DNFSB is the independent agency responsible for ensuring that DOE facilities are protective of public health and safety.According to the 81-page GAO report, provisions of DOE Order 140.1, issued in May 2018, restricted DNFSB’s access to information essential to its mission, and a subsequent revision of that order has not eliminated concerns that it would hinder DNFSB in carrying out its oversight responsibilities.ExpandTags:dnfsbdoennsaoversightsafetyShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
U.S., Canada sign MOU on safeguards and nonproliferationNuclear NewsNonproliferationOctober 19, 2020, 9:29AM|Nuclear News StaffBrent Park, the NNSA’s deputy administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, and Richard Sexton (on screen), president and chief executive officer of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, show the signed agreement. Photo: NNSAThe United States and Canada have signed a memorandum of understanding—Cooperation and Exchange of Information in Nuclear Security, Safeguards, and Nonproliferation Matters—to enable a more effective collaboration between the two countries in the areas of nuclear safety and security.The five-year agreement was signed virtually on October 16 by Brent Park, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s deputy administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, and two Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) executives: Richard Sexton, president and chief executive officer, and Shannon Quinn, vice president of Science, Technology, and Commercial Oversight.ExpandTags:aeclbrent parkcanadadoemounnsanonproliferationnuclear securitysafeguardsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
A national security argument for U.S. leadership on nuclear powerANS Nuclear CafePower & OperationsOctober 13, 2020, 9:43AM|ANS Nuclear CafeA recent commentary from Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy—the second in a series by the center’s Matt Bowen titled “Why the United States Should Remain Engaged on Nuclear Power”—examines the geopolitical and national security implications of the United States’ relinquishing the international nuclear energy marketplace to China and Russia.ExpandTags:civil nuclear energy programsnational securitynnsanonproliferationShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
NNSA assists in removal of HEU from KazakhstanRadwaste SolutionsWaste ManagementSeptember 24, 2020, 9:33AM|Radwaste Solutions StaffThe last remaining batch of unirradiated high-enriched uranium in Kazakhstan has been eliminated, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration has announced.The action fulfills a pledge made by the United States and Kazakh governments one year ago at the 2019 International Atomic Energy Agency’s General Conference, according to a September 22 NNSA news release.ExpandTags:heu minimizationiaeaigr research reactorkazakhstannnsaShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Norway working to eliminate HEURadwaste SolutionsWaste ManagementSeptember 22, 2020, 6:58AM|Radwaste Solutions StaffExperts from the United States and Norway are cooperating to make Norway free of high-enriched uranium, according to a September 21 statement from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.ExpandTags:heulisa gordon-hagertynnsanorwayShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
DOE ends dispute with South Carolina on Pu removalRadwaste SolutionsWaste ManagementSeptember 2, 2020, 11:59AM|Radwaste Solutions StaffThe DOE is working to remove plutonium stored at its Savannah River Site.The Department of Energy has reached a settlement with the state of South Carolina to remove 9.5 metric tons (t) of plutonium from the state, the agency announced on August 31. Under the settlement, which resolves litigation over the storage of surplus plutonium at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C., the state will receive an upfront lump sum of $600 million in economic and impact assistance payments. In return, the DOE will be allowed more time (through 2037) to remove the plutonium from the state without the threat of lawsuits.The settlement stems from the DOE's termination of the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility in 2018. The MOX facility was intended to meet a nonproliferation agreement between the United States and Russia to dispose of 34 t of weapons-grade plutonium by converting it to nuclear fuel for commercial power reactors. Reported to be 70-percent completed when construction was halted, the MOX facility was approximately $13 billion over budget and 32 years behind schedule, according to the DOE.ExpandTags:doennsapitplutoniumsecuritysouth carolinasrstruwaste managementwippShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
NNSA site tour continues for administratorNuclear NewsPower & OperationsAugust 24, 2020, 2:57PM|Nuclear News StaffNNSA Administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty spoke during the agency's 20th Anniversary Celebration event that recognized milestones at the Pantex Plant. Source: NNSACoinciding with the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty is continuing with her trip to visit NNSA’s eight laboratories, plants, and sites.Last week, Gordon-Hagerty was at the Pantex Plant, in Amarillo, Texas, for a 20th Anniversary Celebration of the NNSA.So far, the tour of sites, which began in July, has taken Gordon-Hagerty to the Savannah River Site in Aiken, S.C.; Sandia National Laboratories and the NNSA Albuquerque Complex in Albuquerque, N.M.; and Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M., in addition to the Pantex Plant. She is expected to complete the tour by year’s end.ExpandTags:gordon-hagertynnsapantex plantShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
The National Atomic Testing Museum presents Distinguished Lecture Series webinarNuclear NewsResearch & ApplicationsJuly 29, 2020, 3:07PM|Nuclear News StaffBrent Park, NNSA deputy administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. Photo: NNSAThe National Atomic Testing Museum is hosting a free webinar on July 30 at 9 p.m. (EDT) featuring Brent Park, the National Nuclear Security Administration's deputy administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. Registration is required.The webinar is part of the museum’s Distinguished Lecture Series.Park, a nuclear physicist with 30 years of experience at Department of Energy national laboratories, currently leads the NNSA's efforts to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation and reduce the threat of nuclear and radiological terrorism around the world.ExpandTags:brent parknational atomic testing museumnnsasmithsonian institutionShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Grants will enhance nuclear medicine and radiology services in AfricaNuclear NewsResearch & ApplicationsJuly 28, 2020, 2:57PM|Nuclear News StaffRepresentatives from African countries assembled in 2019 at an event hosted by Nigeria to discuss the need for assistance in nuclear medicine and radiology. Photo: NNSAThe U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration has awarded grants totaling $1.5 million to support an increase in medical staff and the building of facilities and equipment in sub-Saharan Africa, the agency announced on July 27.The grants of $750,000 each were awarded to the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).ExpandTags:africannsanuclear medicineradiologyrsnasnmmiShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook