Friday, June 16, 2017

DOE Releases Draft Request for Proposal for the Low-Level Waste / Mixed Low-Level Waste Disposal Procurement

Office of Environmental Management

DOE Releases Draft Request for Proposal for the Low-Level Waste / Mixed Low-Level Waste Disposal Procurement

June 15, 2017

Cincinnati -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) today issued a draft Request for Proposal (DRFP) seeking comments from industry and the public for the Low-Level Waste/Mixed Low-Level Waste (LLW/MLLW) Disposal procurement. This effort will require contractors to safely dispose of LLW/MLLW; Section 11e.(2) byproduct material; technologically-enhanced, naturally-occurring radioactive material (TENORM); and sealed sources.
DOE is seeking feedback from contractors, other interested parties, and the public regarding the particulars of the draft solicitation document, including suggested changes that will improve the solicitation or the proposals submitted in response to it. The anticipated type of contract, period of performance, amount of funding, and set aside possibilities are described in the draft, but may change before the final request for proposals is released.
This DFRP is for market research purposes only and no proposals are being sought. The announcement is posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website at: https://www.FBO.gov/ and on the procurement website at: http://www.emcbc.doe.gov/SEB/mllw_disposal/

-DOE-

DOE Releases Full Text of EM’s Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Request

EM News Flash | June 15, 2017

DOE Releases Full Text of EM’s Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Request

WASHINGTON, D.C. – DOE released Wednesday the full text of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Congressional Budget Request of $6.5 billion for EM. Access the document here.

This marks EM’s largest budget request in a decade, and provides the resources necessary to continue making safe, steady and significant progress in tackling the environmental legacy of decades of nuclear weapons development and government-sponsored nuclear energy research.

EM’s FY 2018 request provides the resources necessary to achieve progress on the facilities and capabilities necessary to tackle longer-term cleanup challenges, including:

Continuing commissioning and startup of the Savannah River Site Salt Waste Processing Facility;
Continuing progress on the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant’s Low Activity Waste Facility, Analytical Laboratory and Balance of Facilities;
Continuing commissioning and startup of the Idaho Integrated Waste Treatment Unit;
Ramping up activities to increase shipments of transuranic waste from EM sites to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for disposal; and
Completing design and initiating construction of the Oak Ridge Mercury Treatment Facility.

The request also enables EM to continue moving forward with tackling aging and excess facilities across the DOE complex, such as:

Continuing progress on deactivation and decommissioning activities at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant;
Completing deactivation activities and initiating demolition of the large C-400 Cleaning Building at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant; and
Continuing demolition of the remaining facilities at the Oak Ridge East Tennessee Technology Park.

In addition, the request includes approximately $225 million in funding to allow EM to address specific high-risk excess contaminated facilities at two National Nuclear Security Administration sites — the Y-12 National Security Complex and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Access DOE’s entire FY 2018 Congressional Budget Request here. Read DOE’s Budget in Brief, and a fact sheet and press release on the topic.

Like EM on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DOEEnvironmentalManagement

International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA Concludes Safety Review at Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in China

International Atomic Energy Agency
IAEA Concludes Safety Review at Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in China

June 16, 2017An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of nuclear safety experts today (6/15) completed an assessment of long-term operational safety at the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Unit 1 in China.
The Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation (SALTO) review mission was requested by Nuclear Power Operations Management Co., part of China National Nuclear Power Co. (CNNP). The 12-member team, which began its in-depth review on 6 June, focused on aspects essential to the safe Long-Term Operation (LTO) of Unit 1, which was put in commercial operation in 1991.
The design life of the plant's Unit 1 is 30 years. China's National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) requires a Periodic Safety Review (PSR) to be performed every 10 years. The plant license expires in 2021. The plant intends to extend its operating lifetime to 50 years and submitted a license renewal application to NNSA in 2016.
The SALTO team reviewed the plant's organization and programmes related to LTO, including human resources and knowledge management. The findings of SALTO reviews are based on IAEA safety standards.
The IAEA team concluded that the plant had made significant progress on ageing management and preparation for safe LTO and made several recommendations for further enhancements. The plant's LTO project has addressed most of the areas recommended by IAEA safety standards, and is addressing remaining topics.
The team identified several good practices and performances at the plant that will be shared with the nuclear industry globally, including:

An organizational structure in place to support preparation for safe LTO.
Comprehensive implementation of leak rate testing of containment isolation valves.
Revalidation of time-limited ageing analyses of mechanical components.

The recommendations provided by the team for improvements to LTO safety, included:

The plant should make its PSR more comprehensive.
The plant should establish and implement a comprehensive environmental qualification programme.
The plant should implement effective ageing management programmes for civil structures and components.

The plant management said it was committed to implementing the recommendations and requested that the IAEA schedule a follow-up mission in approximately two years.
The team provided a draft report to the plant management. The plant and NNSA will have an opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. A final report will be submitted to the plant, NNSA and the Chinese Government within three months.
The review team comprised experts from Argentina, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, the USA and the IAEA.
Background
General information about SALTO missions can be found on the IAEA Website. A SALTO peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long term operation of nuclear power plants. They complement OSART missions, which are designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. Both SALTO and OSART reviews are not regulatory inspections, nor are they design reviews or substitutes for an exhaustive assessment of a plant's overall safety status.

For more information:

Organization:
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
www.iaea.org

Is Vladimir Putin the Number 1 Threat to America or Its Security Partner in Waiting?

Russia’s leader may be the most vilified foreign leader in recent US history, but until now Americans have never had an opportunity to see, hear and evaluate him for themselves.

https://www.thenation.com/article/is-vladimir-putin-the-number-1-threat-to-america-or-its-security-partner-in-waiting/

DPRK's Bolstering of Nuclear Force Is Just: Rodong Sinmun | OANA NEWS

JAEA: Workers followed flawed procedure before nuclear accident：The Asahi Shimbun

New US bans in breach of nuclear deal: Iranian official - Pars Today

Official: More Hanford nuclear mishaps likely | Northwest | lmtribune.com

Tiny 'swimming robot' will dive deep into deadly Fukushima nuclear power plant to inspect damage - Mirror Online

Probability of Nuclear War

India considers solar as a replacement for coal plants

http://breakingenergy.com/2017/06/15/india-considers-solar-as-a-replacement-for-coal-plants/?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=53210965&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_fz_qRssotrmIWevN_hr5opdaBWbBRd4x8GaxsM7nhxL0WTsgiXq9-0tXAuk9GuFo8zE3rxHWF-zvGsC18b9vbD5DlQA&_hsmi=53210965

The future of oil prices, the bull's viewpoint

The future of oil prices, the bull’s viewpoint

By By Michael McDonald, / Thursday, June 15, 2017 8:52 AM

With the nine-month extension of the OPEC led production cuts the consensus among traders is that oil will likely stay between $50-$60 a barrel this year. But beyond that there a number of different viewpoints as to where prices will go. Some parties feel the medium term future for oil has already been written by

Keep reading →http://breakingenergy.com/2017/06/15/the-future-of-oil-prices-the-bulls-viewpoint/?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=53210965&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8WE73jeSBa8Uxf7lLA2StaeCj_oYrg1VIYrpowL9OtoFEKkfBVC46WP9UR03wQbJo2UcYTncxlNfMFHXsUKw7YqKaTSg&_hsmi=53210965

Resetting U.S.-Gulf Ties: Beyond Summits And Arms Sales

By By Michael Eisenstadt, / Thursday, June 15, 2017 10:00 AM

A sustainable reset will require greater consultation prior to policy initiatives, a greater willingness among GCC states to work together, and a U.S. willingness to reassume a leadership role by fashioning security policy frameworks for its partners. President Trump’s attendance at the recent summits in Riyadh was a first step toward resetting relations with America’s

Keep reading →http://breakingenergy.com/2017/06/15/resetting-u-s-gulf-ties-beyond-summits-and-arms-sales/?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=53210965&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--JB2Yzf8RCyPO0B6r3Ho79ZMAp3a8eG0jiCk6guXGOol80SpCuAax5ZBAUA6S3pJpUqOmWDrrJe1XPOMtrGdmsOAAZpA&_hsmi=53210965

The future of oil prices, the bear’s viewpoint

By By Michael McDonald, / Thursday, June 15, 2017 10:54 AM

There are parties who feel oil is near it’s high point and within a few decades the sun will set on oil as an energy source. Some people who believe most strongly in alternative energy sources and electric vehicles argue that the future lies outside of oil. The think tank RethinkX believes the future of

Keep reading →http://breakingenergy.com/2017/06/15/the-future-of-oil-prices-the-bears-viewpoint/?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=53210965&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8qclvRSD0rCing8Kj5hIdPbhj8h8jvXjmStoyCx0dwG9Bz3BhToV8dUAg-Xq2XimJwlDJamTdkvUhTpRiKijrJL27LHg&_hsmi=53210965

Planning begins for Swedish encapsulation plant

A Collection of SMR Feasibility and Market Reports | Dan Pohl | Pulse | LinkedIn

Nuclear Booms in Asia as New Reactor Ideas Flourish in U.S. – InsideSources

The experts on Trump's climate decision | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

NRC Preliminary Draft Document - Nuclear Power Reactor Testing Needs and Prototype Plants for Advanced Reactor Designs

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently issued a preliminary draft document, “Nuclear Power Reactor Testing Needs and Prototype Plants for Advanced Reactor Designs.” This document describes the relevant regulations governing the testing requirements for advanced reactors, describes the process for determining testing needs to meet the NRC’s regulatory requirements, clarifies when a prototype plant might be needed and how it might differ from the proposed standard plant design, and describes licensing strategies and options that include the use of a prototype plant to meet the NRC’s testing requirements.
The document is available in the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System at accession number ML17025A353. This preliminary draft document is a first step in communicating with stakeholders about prototype testing for advanced reactors. The document will be discussed at a future public meeting on advanced reactor topics, targeted for August 2017.

For more information on the draft document, please contact George Tartal at george.tartal@nrc.gov.

Budget Ax Threatens Manufacturing Program That Puts America First - The Energy Collective

To Slow Climate Change, India Joins the Renewable Energy Revolution - The Energy Collective

Brahma Chellaney: 'Homegrown' power plan will boost Indian nuclear industry- Nikkei Asian Review

Russia to start upgrading Armenian plant in 2018

DOE invests $66 million in advanced nuclear technologies

On Nuclear Waste, Finland Shows U.S. How It Can Be Done - The New York Times

Nuclear scramble on tax credits - Axios

REPORT: US Nuclear Reactors Are Bleeding Money | The Daily Caller

Subsidizing Nuclear Is No Strategy for Long-Term Success

EMRA grants power generation license to Akkuyu Nuclear

Turkey Grants 49-Year Electricity Generation License to Akkuyu NPP Contractor

IAEA Team Advises On Qinshan Unit 1 Aging Management - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

Chinese unit prepares for extended operation

What is little sunfish? Fukushima nuclear plant damage to be inspected by underwater robot

Robot to go under water in Fukushima reactor - The Japan News

Korea Electric Power Corp. At The Cross Roads: Nuclear Power And Coal Under Threat, Renewable Energy Projects Look Interesting - Korea Electric Power Corporation (NYSE:KEP) | Seeking Alpha

London could be getting its first ultra-green, tidal-powered school | Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building

PH to have its first ocean tidal power plant

House panel votes to extend tax credit for nuclear power | TheHill

Hard Lessons from Zion - Highlands Current

Nevada senators express concerns about NRC nominees’ support of nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain - Daily Energy Insider

10 Things You Didn't Know About Kristine Svinicki | National News | US News

Fort Calhoun decommissioning is underway, first step — $1.2 million fuel rod inspection | Money | omaha.com

Subcommittee passes bill to make Yucca Mountain the U.S. nuclear repository | KSNV

State sees 'significant risk' in Vermont Yankee sale | The Brattleboro Reformer | Brattleboro Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic

E&E TV

AN E&E NEWS VIDEO PROGRAM

GRID:
E&E News reporter Sobczak discusses new threats keeping operators on high alert

The Cutting Edge: Friday, June 16, 2017

The grid community has been on high alert all week following a discovery by researchers of malware designed to interrupt physical systems. On today's The Cutting Edge, E&E News reporter Blake Sobczak explains the nature of the threats and how the grid community is responding.

WATCH VIDEO

READ TRANSCRIPT

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Fukushima Update 6/15/17

Fukushima Update 6/15/17 –

Last week’s reports of a significant internal plutonium contamination incident prove false… The suit against restarts of Genkai units #3 & #4 was rejected… The governor of Niigata Prefecture will not judge nuclear restarts for quite a while… Tohoku’s fisheries have physically recovered to 70% of their pre-earthquake/tsunami levels… The head of a popular government inquiry into the Fukushima accident shows his naivety.

http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-accident-updates.html

Barrasso: Senate risks closing nuclear energy watchdog

More Than Half of America's Nuclear Reactors Are Losing Money - Bloomberg

Swimming robot to probe damage at Fukushima nuclear plant - Independent.ie

Backdoors, encryption and internet surveillance: Which way now? | ZDNet

Announcing the ANS Nuclear Grand Challenges | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Innovation and Advancement Headline ANS Annual Meeting | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Regulatory Rulemaking Session Added to Agenda for Annual Decommissioning and Used Fuel Summit

2017 is set to be a challenging year for those involved in nuclear decommissioning and used fuel management. With a new energy policy promising to restart the Yucca Mountain discussion, two interim storage facility projects currently being reviewed and decommissioning projects underway at sites across North America.
The 4^th Annual Nuclear Decommissioning and Used Fuel Strategy Summit (October 2-3, Charlotte) hosts North America’s largest audience from both nuclear decommissioning and used fuel management.
Find out more by downloading the 2017 brochure here
Key features of the summit include:

Case Studies from Key Stakeholders: OPPD, SCE, Duke Energy, OPG, Entergy, 3 Yankees, US NRC, Holtec International, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization and more.

The Most Pressing Issues Covered on the Agenda: Decommissioning contractor models, ageing management, Interim Storage, Yucca Mountain amongst others.

Even more opportunity for you to get involved: Interactive roundtable sessions for both decommissioning and used fuel, a closed-door utility workshop focusing on combating challenging market conditions and preparing for final fuel storage and much more is in store for the summit this October.

Many thanks,
Ben
Ben Moss
Senior Industry Analyst
Nuclear Energy Insider
+44 (0)207 375 7537
BMoss@nuclearenergyinsider.com

Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Friday, June 16, 2017

DOE Releases Draft Request for Proposal for the Low-Level Waste / Mixed Low-Level Waste Disposal Procurement

EM News Flash | June 15, 2017

DOE Releases Full Text of EM’s Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Request

International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA Concludes Safety Review at Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in China

For more information:

﻿ Is Vladimir Putin the Number 1 Threat to America or Its Security Partner in Waiting?

Russia’s leader may be the most vilified foreign leader in recent US history, but until now Americans have never had an opportunity to see, hear and evaluate him for themselves.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

International Atomic Energy Agency
IAEA Concludes Safety Review at Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in China

Is Vladimir Putin the Number 1 Threat to America or Its Security Partner in Waiting?