Vol. 36, No. 20 
DOE market research on data centers draws a crowd
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Budget & Policy
Federal judge issues preliminary injunction holding up plans for more mass layoffs
A federal district judge in California has ruled President Donald Trump lacks authority to carry out mass layoffs and sweeping reorganization of U.S. government agencies without approval from Congress. As a result, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction suspending more large-scale workforce reductions at the Departments of Defense, Energy, Interior […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Chung becomes latest DOE nuclear cleanup exec to depart government
Dae Chung, head of corporate services for the Department of Energy’s $8-billion Office of Environmental Management, plans to retire at the end of the month. “Please join me in congratulating Dae Chung on 32+ years of distinguished federal service as he prepares to retire at the end of this month,” Roger Jarrell, principal deputy assistant […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Harkins officially appointed DOE acting manager at Hanford
The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management has formally made longtime DOE hand Brian Harkins the acting manager of its costliest nuclear cleanup site. DOE’s Environmental Management headquarters in Washington, D.C, Monday appointed Harkins its acting manager for the Hanford Site in Washington state. The move is no surprise, given Harkins has been the […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Murray says funding uncertainty having impact at Hanford
Uncertainty over Department of Energy funding and guidance at the Hanford Site in Washington state threatens to bog down work at the nation’s largest nuclear cleanup site, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash) told Secretary of Energy Chirs Wright Wednesday. “The Hanford Site is on the brink of having to lay off subcontractors and restart an entire […]
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High-Level & Tank Waste
In Senate panel testimony, Jarrell cites liquid waste progress
The current head of the Department of Energy’s $8-billion Office of Environmental Management told a Senate Armed Services Committee panel this week progress is being made toward solidifying liquid radioactive waste left over from the Cold War and Manhattan Project. Roger Jarrell II, DOE’s principal deputy assistant secretary for Environmental Management (EM) also told the […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Los Alamos cleanup bosses talk staffing, fire safety
There is good news and bad news to report on staffing, the head of the Department of Energy’s nuclear cleanup field office at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico told a federal advisory panel last week. “I am happy to report that no federal employees within the EMLA [Environmental Management Los Alamos] field […]
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Defense & Military
Board told it’s time to worry more about military attacks on reactors
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine offers a real-world example of military targeting of nuclear plants, and the issue requires more attention, a National Academies board heard last week in Washington, D.C. A war-gaming study to explore this threat was done recently by Henry Sokolski, who heads the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. He discussed the issue […]
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Budget & Policy
Wrap Up: Expect Trump nuke orders; House passes big bill; DOE transfers land; BWXT completes purchase; Va. Congressman dies; more
President Donald Trump is reportedly expected to sign executive orders on Friday meant to speed nuclear power reactor licensing through expedited regulatory reviews and other changes. According to a Thursday report by Reuters, Trump could sign the executive orders “as soon as” Friday. Reuters also reported Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said Trump will sign […]