The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and contractor UCOR recently finished removing legacy radioactive waste that was stored at the site for more than 50 years, according to a DOE press release.
The material was used by Oak Ridge in the 1970s for experiments for scientists to understand the makeup of the atomic nucleus. Transuranic Waste Processing Center employees completed a shipment of highly radioactive radium-226 and boron, contained in multiple drums in a vessel, out of the state for permanent disposal.
The release said that the team at the facility processed 98% of Oak Ridge’s inventory of contact- and remote-handled transuranic debris waste. The team has also shipped 94% of contact-handled waste and 78% of remote-handled waste to dispose of.
Ohio lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright asking that he award “a majority share” of any funds appropriated to the Department of Energy toward Centrus Energy’s American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio.
The letter was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine (R), Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel (R), and Sens. Bernie Moreno (R) and Jon Husted (R).
“In 2023, Congress appointed $3.4 billion to the Department of Energy to develop domestic uranium enrichment,” the letter, posted on website X by DeWine, said. “It is critical that the Department of Energy prioritize American-owned and operated projects, such as Centrus Energy’s Piketon plant, when spending those dollars.”
President Donald Trump Thursday extended the hiring freeze he placed Jan. 20 on federal civilian employees in the executive branch until July 15, according to a White House memorandum.
The hiring freeze was originally set to run until April 20. The hiring freeze extends to filling vacancies as well as new positions.
The memo noted that the freeze does not affect deadlines set by the Department of Government Agency to reduce government agency workforces, but “continues to apply to all executive departments and agencies regardless of their sources of operational and programmatic funding.”
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chair of the House Appropriations committee, said at a GE Aerospace conference April 9 that the White House would send a “skinny budget,” our outline, to Congress for fiscal 2026 before the end of April.
Cole said the Office of Management and Budget “committed” to sending the “skinny budget” by the end of the month.
A “skinny budget” would usually outline only top-level funding for each Department and major agency, which would include the Department of Energy. A full budget request is expected sometime in May, but there has not been confirmation by the Office of Management and Budget on that.
