Weapons Complex Vol. 25 No. 28 EDITORIAL: WIPP Recovery—Five Months On, Leadership and Accountability Lacking
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Transuranic Waste
WIPP Contractor Facing $2 Million Fee Reduction Due to Feb. 5 Fire
Kenneth Fletcher WC Monitor 7/11/2014 In the first financial penalty levied in relation to the February events at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the Department of Energy has reduced the available fee for contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership by $2 million in connection with the salt truck fire in the WIPP underground, WC Monitor has learned. […]
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Decommissioning
DOE Acknowledges Risk of Missing New Goal to Complete SPRU D&D Project
Department ‘Not Satisfied’ With Performance of URS Mike Nartker WC Monitor 7/11/2014 Unhappy with the current performance of URS at the Separations Process Research Unit (SPRU) D&D project, the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management acknowledged this week that it may not be able to meet its latest goal of completing work at SPRU […]
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Budget & Policy
House Passes FY 2015 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill
Mike Nartker WC Monitor 7/11/2014 In the face of a veto threat from the Obama Administration, the House of Representatives late this week approved its version of the Fiscal Year 2015 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which funds the Department of Energy’s cleanup program. During floor debate, two lawmakers successfully amended the bill to add […]
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Non-Proliferation
White House to Nominate Nonproliferation Aide to Serve as New Deputy Energy Secretary
Administration Pulls Nominee for New DOE Under Secretary for Management Post Mike Nartker WC Monitor 7/11/2014 The White House announced this week plans to nominate Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall from the National Security Council to serve as the next Deputy Secretary of Energy. At the same time, though, the Obama Administration announced with no explanation the withdrawal […]
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Uranium Enrichment & Fuel Cycle
DOE: Push to Suspend Uranium Transfers Would Stop Work at Portsmouth
Kenneth Fletcher WC Monitor 7/11/2014 Pushing back against an effort by ConverDyn to stop the Department of Energy’s uranium transfers, DOE this week told a court that suspending the transfers would force it to halt the highly enriched uranium downblend program and cleanup work at Portsmouth. Last month, uranium conversion company ConverDyn filed in federal […]
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Transuranic Waste
DOE Begins Market Research Study for New Carlsbad Technical Support Contract
Mike Nartker WC Monitor 7/11/2014 The Department of Energy has begun soliciting information to see if the planned follow-on technical and administrative support services contract for the Carlsbad Field Office can be set-aside for small businesses. Late this week, DOE issued a request for information notice seeking capability statements from interested companies. Support services to […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Could Idaho IWTU be Used for Hanford Waste?
Efforts Continue to Startup Idaho Facility Mike Nartker WC Monitor 7/11/2014 As the Department of Energy continues to work to get the Idaho Integrated Waste Treatment Unit up and operating to address liquid waste at the Idaho site, the Department also appears to be already considering future uses for the facility, which could include the […]
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Transuranic Waste
Los Alamos Treatment of WIPP-Bound Waste Noncompliant With Permit
Kenneth Fletcher WC Monitor 7/11/2014 In yet another issue linked to the incidents at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Los Alamos National Laboratory last week reported noncompliances in how it processed waste in a batch of drums suspected of contributing to the WIPP release. The Department of Energy and contractor Los Alamos National Security reported […]
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Non-Proliferation
Opposition Mounts to Shipments of HEU from Germany to Savannah River
Kenneth Fletcher WC Monitor 7/11/2014 Opposition is growing in South Carolina to the Department of Energy’s proposal to bring 900 kilograms of highly enriched uranium from Germany to the Savannah River Site for processing. This month local media in the Savannah River area ran editorials against the plan, and the proposal has become a campaign […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
No Fines for 2012 Safety Incidents at Portsmouth D&D Project
Mike Nartker WC Monitor 7/11/2014 Fluor-B&W Portsmouth, LLC, the D&D contractor at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and two of its subcontractors won’t face fines from the Department of Energy for a set of safety incidents that occurred in 2012. This week, the DOE Office of Enforcement issued FBP a preliminary notice of violation, citing […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
At Richland
Wash. Closure Completes Demolition of Last Reactor Support Facility WC Monitor 7/11/2014 Washington Closure Hanford has demolished the last obsolete reactor support facility around the seven reactors under its contract as it works to finish most Columbia River Corridor cleanup in 2015. It recently completed demolition of the final facility, the 183-B Clearwell, one of […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
At Oak Ridge
DOE to Seek to Renegotiate TRU Waste Milestones WC Monitor 7/11/2014 Sue Cange, the Department of Energy’s acting environmental manager in Oak Ridge, confirmed this week that DOE plans to enter into formal discussions with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in hopes of changing milestones associated with the deliveries of transuranic waste to the […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
At Savannah River
SRR Seeking Interested Companies for Glass Waste Storage, Operations Support WC Monitor 7/11/2014 Liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation is seeking companies able to propose improvements or alternatives for plans involving future storage of vitrified waste, and in a separate effort is looking for support in other areas of work. Savannah River’s Defense Waste Processing […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Wrap Up
WC Monitor 7/11/2014 IN DOE Moses Madera has been named manager of diversity programs and employee concerns at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge office. Before coming to Oak Ridge, Madera was deputy equal employment opportunity officer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. He holds a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical […]