Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Friday, July 17, 2020
Uphold the nuclear weapons test moratorium | Science
Uphold the nuclear weapons test moratorium | Science: The Trump administration is considering renewing nuclear weapons testing ( [1][1] ), a move that could increase the risk of another nuclear arms race as well as an inadvertent or intentional nuclear war. Following in the long tradition of scientists opposing nuclear weapons due to their harmful effects on both humanity and the planet ([2][2]), we ask the U.S. government to desist from plans to conduct nuclear tests.
During the Cold War, the United States conducted 1030 nuclear weapons tests, more than all other nuclear-armed nations combined ( [3][3] ). In 1996, the United States signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), agreeing not to conduct a nuclear weapons test of any yield ( [4][4] ). The United States has not yet ratified the CTBT but did spearhead the 2016 adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2310, which calls upon all countries to uphold the object and purpose of the CTBT by not conducting nuclear tests ( [5][5] ).
Eight of the nine nuclear-armed states, including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, have observed a moratorium on nuclear testing since 1998 ( [3][3] , [4][4] ). The ninth, North Korea, responding to international pre
During the Cold War, the United States conducted 1030 nuclear weapons tests, more than all other nuclear-armed nations combined ( [3][3] ). In 1996, the United States signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), agreeing not to conduct a nuclear weapons test of any yield ( [4][4] ). The United States has not yet ratified the CTBT but did spearhead the 2016 adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2310, which calls upon all countries to uphold the object and purpose of the CTBT by not conducting nuclear tests ( [5][5] ).
Eight of the nine nuclear-armed states, including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, have observed a moratorium on nuclear testing since 1998 ( [3][3] , [4][4] ). The ninth, North Korea, responding to international pre
The Legacy of the First Nuclear Bomb Test - The New York Times
The Legacy of the First Nuclear Bomb Test - The New York Times: The 75th anniversary of what’s known as the Trinity explosion, the world’s first nuclear weapon test, comes as tensions over nuclear devices intensify.
When Physics Faced the Darkest Part of Reality | Inside Science
When Physics Faced the Darkest Part of Reality | Inside Science: (Inside Science) -- As they sped toward the goal of completing the first atomic bomb in the early months of 1945, physicists, chemists and others among the thousands and thousands of individuals who contributed to the Manhattan Project finally accepted a terrible truth: They had helped to create a weapon of mass destruction that, if abused, had the potential of destroying the
75 Years Ago: The Trinity Nuclear Test – Federation Of American Scientists
75 Years Ago: The Trinity Nuclear Test – Federation Of American Scientists: The first ever nuclear detonation––known as the Trinity test––took place in New Mexico on July 16th, 1945. In the decades that followed, nuclear testing contaminated lands, oceans, and people, and triggered a nuclear arms race that continues to this day.
Coastal Panel Votes 10-0 to Allow Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel at San Onofre - Times of San Diego
Coastal Panel Votes 10-0 to Allow Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel at San Onofre - Times of San Diego: The California Coastal Commission voted 10-0 in a special meeting to allow storage of spent nuclear fuel at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
Vogtle Unit 3 reaches new milestones – Daily Energy Insider
Vogtle Unit 3 reaches new milestones – Daily Energy Insider: Vogtle Unit 3 passed the structural integrity and integrated leak rate tests, demonstrating the new containment vessel at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Waynesboro, Ga., meets construction quality and design requirements. The containment vessel ... Read More »
EDF unveils UK design center focused on nuclear engineering advancements | Power Engineering
EDF unveils UK design center focused on nuclear engineering advancements | Power Engineering: Project owner EDF has unveiled a new engineering design facility in Bristol, England to support the next phase of construction at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. By 2021, some 700 engineers from EDF and partners, Framatome UK, Atkins, Jacobs, Assystem, Anotech and Vulcain, will work at the UK EPR Design Center. The center will bring an...
New Milestone Reached in NuScale’s Push to License Small Modular Reactor
New Milestone Reached in NuScale’s Push to License Small Modular Reactor: NuScale Power has completed its second submittal to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for pre-licensing VDR of its small modular reactor (SMR).
Atomic Weapons Testing While Troops Looked On – Did It Increase Their Cancer Risks?
Atomic Weapons Testing While Troops Looked On – Did It Increase Their Cancer Risks?: A new study reports on 114,270 nuclear weapons test participants that were followed for up to 65 years. Contrary to decades of anecdotal reports, the study concluded that there were no statistically significant occurrence of cancers or adverse health effects from radiation among these soldiers.
Scientists map radioactive soil in Western Europe - UPI.com
Scientists map radioactive soil in Western Europe - UPI.com: Using old data and a new measurement technique, scientists have mapped radioactive soil contamination in Switzerland and several surrounding countries.
International study finds plutonium particles were released during Fukushima accident - Nuclear Engineering International
International study finds plutonium particles were released during Fukushima accident - Nuclear Engineering International: Researchers have found that small amounts of plutonium were included inside cesium-rich microparticles (CsMPs) emitted during the Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2011, the University of Helsinki reports. CsMPs are microscopic radioactive...
EDF unveils UK design center focused on nuclear engineering advancements | Power Engineering
EDF unveils UK design center focused on nuclear engineering advancements | Power Engineering: Project owner EDF has unveiled a new engineering design facility in Bristol, England to support the next phase of construction at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. By 2021, some 700 engineers from EDF and partners, Framatome UK, Atkins, Jacobs, Assystem, Anotech and Vulcain, will work at the UK EPR Design Center. The center will bring an...
Michigan bill opposing high-level nuclear waste dump languishes in Senate committee | News | voicenews.com
Michigan bill opposing high-level nuclear waste dump languishes in Senate committee | News | voicenews.com: The Michigan House of Representative passed a concurrent resolution on Feb. 5 opposing the proposed high-level nuclear waste dump near the shores of Lake Huron in the municipality of South
In Utah, a debate stirs over Estonian radioactive waste - Reuters
In Utah, a debate stirs over Estonian radioactive waste - Reuters: In southeast Utah, nerves are frayed over a pile of radioactive material parked 5,000 miles (8,000 km) away in Estonia.
Radioactive waste landfill developers file complaint in Montana | Bakken News | bismarcktribune.com
Radioactive waste landfill developers file complaint in Montana | Bakken News | bismarcktribune.com: A North Dakota-based disposal company hoping to develop a landfill in Montana's Richland County that would accept radioactive waste is taking legal action against the Montana Department of Environmental Quality,
President Trump's Trinity message touts plutonium pit production expansion | News | aikenstandard.com
President Trump's Trinity message touts plutonium pit production expansion | News | aikenstandard.com: In a missive marking the 75th anniversary of Trinity, the first nuclear bomb test, President Donald Trump championed plutonium pit production, a multibillion-dollar weapons mission with a prospective majority stake
Squeezing Curium Between Diamonds to Reduce Nuclear Waste
Squeezing Curium Between Diamonds to Reduce Nuclear Waste: Squeezing heavy elements between diamonds might open doors for recycling nuclear waste.
Rooppur unit 1 hydraulic tests completed : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Rooppur unit 1 hydraulic tests completed : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Atommash has completed hydraulic tests on the reactor pressure vessel of unit 1 of the Rooppur nuclear power plant under construction for Bangladesh. Atommash is part of Atomenergomash, the engineering division of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom.
Pandemic drives plant operators to employ remote checks : Covid-19 - World Nuclear News
Pandemic drives plant operators to employ remote checks : Covid-19 - World Nuclear News: Nuclear power plant operators are carrying out remote quality and safety related assessments of systems, structures and components to overcome physical distancing and mobility restrictions during the global COVID-19 pandemic, participants in a recent International Atomic Energy Agency webinar said. SSCs must be regularly monitored, replaced and have their quality verified.
The inclusive route to low-carbon electricity : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News
The inclusive route to low-carbon electricity : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News: Successfully decarbonising the electricity sector requires suitable policies for the rapid deployment of all available low-carbon technologies, Jan Horst Keppler, senior economic advisor at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency said yesterday. Keppler spoke during a webinar held to discuss the Paris-based agency’s newly published Policy Brief, Nuclear power and the cost-effective decarbonisation of electricity systems.
Aging Point Lepreau nuclear plant is running like a newborn | CBC News
Aging Point Lepreau nuclear plant is running like a newborn | CBC News: After years of trouble and disappointment, NB Power's 37-year-old flagship generator is setting production records
Energy Cast podcast: The future of next-gen nuclear technologies | Power Engineering
Energy Cast podcast: The future of next-gen nuclear technologies | Power Engineering: Energy Cast is a regular podcast featuring some of the top experts across all links in the industry chain. Those include coal, nuclear, efficiency, renewables, oil and gas, as well as top government researchers. Dauenhauer created it and has been hosting Energy Cast for several years. Click below to listen to the full episode: The...
Tory rebels turn their sights on plan for Chinese-designed nuclear power station | Daily Mail Online
Tory rebels turn their sights on plan for Chinese-designed nuclear power station | Daily Mail Online: The flashpoint will be a new power plant in Bradwell, Essex, which under current plans is to be designed by China General Nuclear Power Corporation.
Trump’s new foreign investment agency: Itching to build on nuclear quicksand - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Trump’s new foreign investment agency: Itching to build on nuclear quicksand - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: A new US agency wants to finance nuclear plants abroad. But without a clear set of rules, the move will do more harm than good.
Pandemic drives plant operators to employ remote checks : Covid-19 - World Nuclear News
Pandemic drives plant operators to employ remote checks : Covid-19 - World Nuclear News: Nuclear power plant operators are carrying out remote quality and safety related assessments of systems, structures and components to overcome physical distancing and mobility restrictions during the global COVID-19 pandemic, participants in a recent International Atomic Energy Agency webinar said. SSCs must be regularly monitored, replaced and have their quality verified.
Romania restarts approach to new Cernavoda units : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Romania restarts approach to new Cernavoda units : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Romania plans to create a Strategic Coordination Committee for the project to build units 3 and 4 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, according to a notice in the government’s official gazette on 14 July. The notice followed another published the same day, stating that the prime minister's 2018 decision to establish a working group for the negotiation of a draft intergovernmental agreement between Romania and China for the project had been abrogated.
Romania restarts approach to new Cernavoda units : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Romania restarts approach to new Cernavoda units : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Romania plans to create a Strategic Coordination Committee for the project to build units 3 and 4 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, according to a notice in the government’s official gazette on 14 July. The notice followed another published the same day, stating that the prime minister's 2018 decision to establish a working group for the negotiation of a draft intergovernmental agreement between Romania and China for the project had been abrogated.
Azerbaijan threatens to land a missile attack on Armenian nuclear power plant - Azerbaijan warns of possible missile strike on Armenian nuclear power plant - 112.international
Azerbaijan threatens to land a missile attack on Armenian nuclear power plant - Azerbaijan warns of possible missile strike on Armenian nuclear power plant - 112.international: Azerbaijan warns of possible missile strike on Armenian nuclear power plant
Next Generation Nuclear Reactors: IAEA and GIF Call for Faster Deployment | IAEA
Next Generation Nuclear Reactors: IAEA and GIF Call for Faster Deployment | IAEA: The IAEA and the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), an initiative involving 13 countries focused on next generation nuclear power technologies, called for greater efforts to support the early deployment of innovative nuclear reactor systems to address climate change.
UK premier reiterates support for nuclear : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
UK premier reiterates support for nuclear : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeated his support for new nuclear power. During Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Commons yesterday, Johnson told a member of parliament representing a constituency in Cumbria, "We believe that nuclear power is a significant potential contributor to our Net Zero ambitions, and I look forward to working with my Honourable Friend to ensure that Cumbria continues its long historic tradition as a pioneer of new nuclear technologies."
DAN SCHINHOFEN: It’s a joke, but it isn’t funny | Pahrump Valley Times
DAN SCHINHOFEN: It’s a joke, but it isn’t funny | Pahrump Valley Times: The Show in Carson City would be laughable if the damage being done to our state was not so serious. The cuts that the Democrat-led Legislature has put forward are also a joke, but not funny. In the midst of a “health crisis,” they are proposing cuts to the Health Department and Education. (You’d think we could use some education during these times.)
Filmmaker portrays nuclear reality | Tempo | taosnews.com
Filmmaker portrays nuclear reality | Tempo | taosnews.com: These times provide continued opportunity for reflection - action and change.As individuals, families and communities struggle to meet daily challenges of the pandemic, there are others who continue to ring
Sen. Peters Pushes Fed Agencies on Ensuring Employee Safety Amid Reopening Plans – MeriTalk
Sen. Peters Pushes Fed Agencies on Ensuring Employee Safety Amid Reopening Plans – MeriTalk: Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., has joined a growing list of legislators expressing concerns regarding Federal agencies reopening their offices amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
Pandemic drives plant operators to employ remote checks : Covid-19 - World Nuclear News
Pandemic drives plant operators to employ remote checks : Covid-19 - World Nuclear News: Nuclear power plant operators are carrying out remote quality and safety related assessments of systems, structures and components to overcome physical distancing and mobility restrictions during the global COVID-19 pandemic, participants in a recent International Atomic Energy Agency webinar said. SSCs must be regularly monitored, replaced and have their quality verified.
Inspection plan for San Onofre’s nuclear waste gets green light from Coastal Commission – Orange County Register
Inspection plan for San Onofre’s nuclear waste gets green light from Coastal Commission – Orange County Register: Unanimous vote comes despite “a little bit of a gnawing feeling,” one commissioner said, and demand from critics for more protections.
Commission Okays Inspection and Maintenance Plan at Retired Nuclear Plant Over ObjectionsVoice of OC
Commission Okays Inspection and Maintenance Plan at Retired Nuclear Plant Over ObjectionsVoice of OC: The plan has drawn criticism from local environmental groups and some nuclear experts, who expressed concern over the thoroughness and safety of the plan.
Inflection point: Software Labeling Standards for the Energy Industry | The Energy Collective Daily
Inflection point: Software Labeling Standards for the Energy Industry | The Energy Collective Daily |
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- Inflection point: Software Labeling Standards for the Energy Industry
- As woods give way to solar farms, state to issue controversial rules that could harm solar industry - The Boston Globe
- Canada makes huge hydrogen commitment
- We now know how many billions of gallons of water Colorado will save by closing coal-fired power plants
- Natural Gas Powers OSU to a Sustainable Future
- DOE Report Stresses Importance of Appalachian Shale Production to COVID Recovery
- Activist Groups Attack Renewable Natural Gas Despite Environmental Benefits
- Natural Gas and Renewables: Friends, NOT Foes
- 5 questions on flaring for investors to ask oil and gas companies
Thursday, July 16, 2020
POLITICS: Is Biden's 100% clean electricity plan doable? -- Wednesday, July 15, 2020 -- www.eenews.net
POLITICS: Is Biden's 100% clean electricity plan doable? -- Wednesday, July 15, 2020 -- www.eenews.net: Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden released a $2 trillion plan yesterday calling for 100% clean electricity in 15 years. Is that possible with existing technology and utility targets?
With U.S. Backing, U.N. Confronts Tehran Over Nuclear Work - WSJ
With U.S. Backing, U.N. Confronts Tehran Over Nuclear Work - WSJ: Rafael Grossi spent more than a decade sleuthing around Iran’s nuclear activities. Now he leads global efforts to contain that work and is facing down Tehran in an increasingly tense test of the United Nations’ atomic agency’s authority.
The Legacy of the First Nuclear Bomb Test - The New York Times
The Legacy of the First Nuclear Bomb Test - The New York Times: The 75th anniversary of what’s known as the Trinity explosion, the world’s first nuclear weapon test, comes as tensions over nuclear devices intensify.
We must not allow a potentially hostile foreign power to get a grip on our nuclear industry
We must not allow a potentially hostile foreign power to get a grip on our nuclear industry: The future of the nation’s most critical infrastructure is in the hands of two foreign powers: France and China
DOE Begins Acquisition Planning for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Operations Acquisition | Department of Energy
DOE Begins Acquisition Planning for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Operations Acquisition | Department of Energy: DOE Begins Acquisition Planning for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Operations Acquisition
Opinion | When America Tested Nuclear Weapons on Itself - The New York Times
Opinion | When America Tested Nuclear Weapons on Itself - The New York Times: Remember when we blew radioactive ash over New Mexico? Now the Trump administration is talking about testing bombs again.
The next threat: A high-level nuclear waste dump near Lake Huron | News | voicenews.com
The next threat: A high-level nuclear waste dump near Lake Huron | News | voicenews.com: No sooner than the Saugeen Ojibway Nation had voted overwhelmingly against Ontario Power Generation's effort to build a deep geological repository for low and intermediate nuclear waste the repository on
Michigan bill opposing high-level nuclear waste dump languishes in Senate committee | State | iosconews.com
Michigan bill opposing high-level nuclear waste dump languishes in Senate committee | State | iosconews.com: The Michigan House of Representative passed a concurrent resolution on Feb. 5 opposing the proposed high-level nuclear waste dump near the shores of Lake Huron in the municipality of South
Senate Democrat Asks Agencies for Their Reopening Plans - Government Executive
Senate Democrat Asks Agencies for Their Reopening Plans - Government Executive: Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., wants to ensure employees are protected from the novel coronavirus upon return.
60 Groups to NRC: Suspend ISP/WCS High-Level Radioactive Waste CIS Dump Proceeding, Till Covid-19 Emergency Ends - YubaNet
60 Groups to NRC: Suspend ISP/WCS High-Level Radioactive Waste CIS Dump Proceeding, Till Covid-19 Emergency Ends - YubaNet: advertisement ANDREWS, TX, July 13, 2020 – A coalition of 60 environmental and environmental justice groups, from 22 states, has written the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding Interim Storage Partners, LLC’s (ISP) proposed Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF) for irradiated nuclear fuel targeting the Waste Control Specialists, LLC (WCS) site in Andrews County, Texas. See the […]
We must not allow a potentially hostile foreign power to get a grip on our nuclear industry
We must not allow a potentially hostile foreign power to get a grip on our nuclear industry: The future of the nation’s most critical infrastructure is in the hands of two foreign powers: France and China
First Fuel Load Completed At Tianwan 5 - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers
First Fuel Load Completed At Tianwan 5 - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers: The latest nuclear news in Nuclear Power Industry about utilities, companies, suppliers in the nuclear energy market.
Barakah Unit Two Construction Completed - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers
Barakah Unit Two Construction Completed - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers: The latest nuclear news in Nuclear Power Industry about utilities, companies, suppliers in the nuclear energy market.
Darlington Unit 2 Overhaul Is Done - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers
Darlington Unit 2 Overhaul Is Done - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers: The latest nuclear news in Nuclear Power Industry about utilities, companies, suppliers in the nuclear energy market.
In their own words: Trinity at 75 - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
In their own words: Trinity at 75 - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: On the 75th anniversary of the first nuclear explosion, a novel retelling of the Trinity test, woven entirely from words the Manhattan Project's protagonists first published in the Bulletin.
Jan Eliasberg: Fiction as a window into the ethics of testing the Bomb - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Jan Eliasberg: Fiction as a window into the ethics of testing the Bomb - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: On the eve of the 75th anniversary of the first atomic bomb test, a spy thriller explores the ethical dilemmas faced by scientists splitting the atom in Nazi Germany and New Mexico.
Explosion at Natanz: Why sabotaging Iran’s nuclear program could backfire - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Explosion at Natanz: Why sabotaging Iran’s nuclear program could backfire - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: If the incident at Natanz was a deliberate act of sabotage intended to set back Iran’s nuclear program, it was dangerously shortsighted.
Trump finalizes rule 'slashing' environmental permitting reviews for wind, pipeline projects
Trump finalizes rule 'slashing' environmental permitting reviews for wind, pipeline projects
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/trump-finalizes-rule-slashing-environmental-permitting-reviews-for-pipeli/581708/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202020-07-16%20Utility%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:28519%5D&utm_term=Utility%20Dive
First Fuel Load Completed At Tianwan 5 - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers
First Fuel Load Completed At Tianwan 5 - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers: The latest nuclear news in Nuclear Power Industry about utilities, companies, suppliers in the nuclear energy market.
UAE closer to completing construction of Arab world’s first nuclear power plant | Arab News
UAE closer to completing construction of Arab world’s first nuclear power plant | Arab News: DUBAI: The UAE completed the construction of the Barakah nuclear power plant’s second unit, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) confirmed on Tuesday. The new reactor, which was the second of four units, has been handed over to its operator, as reported by local newspaper The National. “Today we are one step closer to securing a cleaner, brighter future for
8 cases of inappropriately stored nuclear waste found at northern Japan reprocessing plant - The Mainichi
8 cases of inappropriately stored nuclear waste found at northern Japan reprocessing plant - The Mainichi: TOKYO -- Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. (JNFL) had been inappropriately storing nuclear waste at a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefec
Small Lab Makes Big Breakthrough In Nuclear Fusion Tech | OilPrice.com
Small Lab Makes Big Breakthrough In Nuclear Fusion Tech | OilPrice.com: LPPFusion, a small company specialized in Dense Plasma Focus may have just opened the door to a streamlined, low-cost nuclear fusion future
House appropriators' decision to not fund uranium reserve is 'really bad news' | S&P Global Platts
House appropriators' decision to not fund uranium reserve is 'really bad news' | S&P Global Platts: The recent decision by the US House Committee on Appropriations to not provide $150 million in funding for a uranium reserve requested by the Department of Energy for fiscal 2021 is really, really bad
A Forgotten Legacy: How Nuclear Reactors Built for War Transformed Peacetime Science | Inside Science
A Forgotten Legacy: How Nuclear Reactors Built for War Transformed Peacetime Science | Inside Science: (Inside Science) -- On July 16 this year, on what marks the 75th anniversary of the first nuclear bomb test, a patient may go to the doctor for a heart scan. A student may open her textbook to study the complex chemical pathways green plants use to turn carbon dioxide in the air into sugar.
Report: pandemic recovery is an opportunity to invest in nuclear - Nuclear Engineering International
Report: pandemic recovery is an opportunity to invest in nuclear - Nuclear Engineering International: The COVID-19 pandemic recovery has presented a window of opportunity for governments, according the World Nuclear Association's latest White Paper.“Building a stronger tomorrow: Nuclear power in the post-pandemic world”...
Company Completes Second Submittal For Vendor Design Review :: The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency
Company Completes Second Submittal For Vendor Design Review :: The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency: NuScale Power has completed its second submittal to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for a pre-licensing vendor design review of its small modular reactor design.
The US-based company said completion of the vendor design review will provide assurance to both the regulator and potential customers that the NuScale design will be acceptable to build and operate in Canada.
The company said that with its majority owner Fluor, it has developed an extensive supply chain in Canada through which it can serve customers in Canada and around the globe.
The US-based company said completion of the vendor design review will provide assurance to both the regulator and potential customers that the NuScale design will be acceptable to build and operate in Canada.
The company said that with its majority owner Fluor, it has developed an extensive supply chain in Canada through which it can serve customers in Canada and around the globe.
Digital LNG Trading - Redefining Energy podcast | The Energy Collective Daily
- Digital LNG Trading - Redefining Energy podcast
- Floating Wind JIP report addresses technology challenges
- Handling the net zero pressure
- FT: Floating turbines buoyed by rising demand for clean energy
- Saskatchewan pilots hydrogen to fuel the future
- Utilities Are Better Suited To Handle COVID Uncertainties – That’s Good News For Clean Energy
- Affordable energy
- It's Been an Awful Week for the Fossil-Fuel Industry
- How COVID-19 Has Affected New Zealand’s Oil and Gas Market
- Geopolitics and Upheaval in Oil Markets
- Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud: Anti-Pipeline Leader Admits True Motivation for Activism
- Electric Battery Domination – 100% Electric Cars before 2030
Digital LNG Trading - Redefining Energy podcast | The Energy Collective Daily |
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UK premier reiterates support for nuclear : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
UK premier reiterates support for nuclear : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeated his support for new nuclear power. During Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Commons yesterday, Johnson told a member of parliament representing a constituency in Cumbria, "We believe that nuclear power is a significant potential contributor to our Net Zero ambitions, and I look forward to working with my Honourable Friend to ensure that Cumbria continues its long historic tradition as a pioneer of new nuclear technologies."
House appropriators request more details on US uranium reserve : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
House appropriators request more details on US uranium reserve : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: The US House Committee on Appropriations has denied a funding request from the US Department of Energy for fiscal 2021 for establishing a uranium stockpile. The committee requested further information from the department on the justification for the reserve and how it will be implemented.
Romania restarts approach to new Cernavoda units : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Romania restarts approach to new Cernavoda units : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Romania plans to create a Strategic Coordination Committee for the project to build units 3 and 4 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, according to a notice in the government’s official gazette on 14 July. The notice followed another published the same day, stating that the prime minister's 2018 decision to establish a working group for the negotiation of a draft intergovernmental agreement between Romania and China for the project had been abrogated.
Speech: The golden thread of sustainable development : Perspectives - World Nuclear News
Speech: The golden thread of sustainable development : Perspectives - World Nuclear News: Scott Foster, director of the Sustainable Energy Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, describes how energy is the "golden thread" that connects the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and that nuclear power has a role to play in the energy mix of the future. The following is the text of the presentation Foster gave during the webinar the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency held today to discuss its newly published Policy Brief, Nuclear power and the cost-effective decarbonisation of electricity systems.
Vote with your forward-thinking wallet | Letters | San Luis Obispo | New Times San Luis Obispo
Vote with your forward-thinking wallet | Letters | San Luis Obispo | New Times San Luis Obispo: Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) authored AB 2898 in a last-ditch effort to extend the life of dirty Diablo Canyon Power Plant. This bill...
Keep Diablo open | Letters | San Luis Obispo | New Times San Luis Obispo
Keep Diablo open | Letters | San Luis Obispo | New Times San Luis Obispo: I attended many of the meetings associated with PG&E's proposal to close Diablo Canyon. I was amazed at the lack of pushback by citizens and...
PG&E Helicopters are Out Doing Inspections | News Blog
PG&E Helicopters are Out Doing Inspections | News Blog: If you are hearing buzzing overhead, it might just be a PG&E crew conducting transmission line inspections. According to a new release, the company plans...
PG&E Conducting Line Inspections Using Drones and Helicopters – Redheaded Blackbelt
PG&E Conducting Line Inspections Using Drones and Helicopters – Redheaded Blackbelt: "Inspectors document findings through high-resolution images, which are reviewed by dedicated teams experienced in system maintenance, engineering, construction and maintenance planning to evaluate identified conditions."
PG&E agrees: California should go all-electric in new construction | Greenbiz
PG&E agrees: California should go all-electric in new construction | Greenbiz: So far, it's the only natural gas utility to formally voice its support on the rising push on statewide mandates for building electrification.
'Absolute lack of preparation:' PG&E sued over 2019 fire weeks after bankruptcy exit | Utility Dive
'Absolute lack of preparation:' PG&E sued over 2019 fire weeks after bankruptcy exit | Utility Dive: Utility industry news and analysis for energy professionals.
Nuclear Power Market: Emerging Players Setting the Stage for
Nuclear Power Market: Emerging Players Setting the Stage for: Press release - AMA Research & Media LLP - Nuclear Power Market: Emerging Players Setting the Stage for the Long Term | Orano, KEPCO, GE Hitachi, NIAEP ASC - published on openPR.com
EDF unveils UK design center focused on nuclear engineering advancements | Power Engineering
EDF unveils UK design center focused on nuclear engineering advancements | Power Engineering: Project owner EDF has unveiled a new engineering design facility in Bristol, England to support the next phase of construction at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. By 2021, some 700 engineers from EDF and partners, Framatome UK, Atkins, Jacobs, Assystem, Anotech and Vulcain, will work at the UK EPR Design Center. The center will bring an...
ENEC concludes Barakah Nuclear plant second unit construction
ENEC concludes Barakah Nuclear plant second unit construction: The Emirates Nuclear Energy has completed construction of Unit 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant located in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi.
The next threat: A high-level nuclear waste dump near Lake Huron | News | voicenews.com
The next threat: A high-level nuclear waste dump near Lake Huron | News | voicenews.com: No sooner than the Saugeen Ojibway Nation had voted overwhelmingly against Ontario Power Generation's effort to build a deep geological repository for low and intermediate nuclear waste the repository on
UAE completes construction of Barakah 2 : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
UAE completes construction of Barakah 2 : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation has completed the construction of unit 2 of the Barakah nuclear power plant. The unit, which is in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, has been officially handed over to ENEC subsidiary Nawah Energy Company, which can now start preparations to obtain an operating licence for the unit from the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation.
Speech: The golden thread of sustainable development : Perspectives - World Nuclear News
Speech: The golden thread of sustainable development : Perspectives - World Nuclear News: Scott Foster, director of the Sustainable Energy Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, describes how energy is the "golden thread" that connects the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and that nuclear power has a role to play in the energy mix of the future. The following is the text of the presentation Foster gave during the webinar the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency held today to discuss its newly published Policy Brief, Nuclear power and the cost-effective decarbonisation of electricity systems.
Barakah 2 completed at UAE nuclear plant - Nuclear Engineering International
Barakah 2 completed at UAE nuclear plant - Nuclear Engineering International: The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has completed construction of unit 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. The unit has now been officially handed to Nawah Energy Company, Enec’s operating and maintenance...
Romania restarts approach to new Cernavoda units : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Romania restarts approach to new Cernavoda units : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Romania plans to create a Strategic Coordination Committee for the project to build units 3 and 4 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, according to a notice in the government’s official gazette on 14 July. The notice followed another published the same day, stating that the prime minister's 2018 decision to establish a working group for the negotiation of a draft intergovernmental agreement between Romania and China for the project had been abrogated.
Small Lab Makes Big Breakthrough In Nuclear Fusion Tech | OilPrice.com
Small Lab Makes Big Breakthrough In Nuclear Fusion Tech | OilPrice.com: LPPFusion, a small company specialized in Dense Plasma Focus may have just opened the door to a streamlined, low-cost nuclear fusion future
Now Available: Report on Safety Lessons Learned from Nuclear Power Plant Operating Experiences Worldwide (2015-2017) | IAEA
Now Available: Report on Safety Lessons Learned from Nuclear Power Plant Operating Experiences Worldwide (2015-2017) | IAEA: For the last 50 years, nuclear power plant operators worldwide have shared their experiences on safety-related events through international incident reporting systems to learn from these incidents and contribute to the prevention of accidents.
Expert Acquisition Corps to Advance EM's Procurement Capacities
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Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Coronavirus Deaths Are Rising Right on Cue - The Atlantic
Coronavirus Deaths Are Rising Right on Cue - The Atlantic: There was always a logical explanation for why cases rose through the end of June while deaths did not.
Is AIPAC losing its grip on Democrats? – Mondoweiss
Is AIPAC losing its grip on Democrats? – Mondoweiss: James Zogby discusses how the tides are turning on AIPAC’s influence in Washington.
25 Years After Srebrenica: No Peace or Reconciliation in West Balkans - The Globalist
25 Years After Srebrenica: No Peace or Reconciliation in West Balkans - The Globalist: Imagine it is 1970 -- and still there is no peace or reconciliation between France and Germany. Fast forward to the present and consider the situation in the West Balkans.
Trump and Corruption: Who Cares in the Time of COVID? - The Globalist
Trump and Corruption: Who Cares in the Time of COVID? - The Globalist: The Art of Undermining, or: How easily U.S. President Donald Trump gets away with corruption
US and Mexican Parallels: Inequality, Health and Wealth - The Globalist
US and Mexican Parallels: Inequality, Health and Wealth - The Globalist: How COVID 19 highlights blatant levels of social and economic inequality in the United States and Mexico.
America Should Prepare for a Double Pandemic - The Atlantic
America Should Prepare for a Double Pandemic - The Atlantic: COVID-19 has steamrolled the country. What happens if another pandemic starts before this one is over?
NuScale Completes Next Major Accomplishment for the Vendor Design Review with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission - Odessa American: Business
NuScale Completes Next Major Accomplishment for the Vendor Design Review with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission - Odessa American: Business: PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 14, 2020--
Biden pledges to eliminate carbon from power plants by 2035 as part of $2 trillion clean energy plan
Biden pledges to eliminate carbon from power plants by 2035 as part of $2 trillion clean energy plan: Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden pledged Tuesday to eliminate carbon emissions from power plants by 2035 as part of a plan to spend $2 trillion in his first term on clean energy and infrastructure to combat climate change.
Don't trade domestic energy independence for dependence on foreign lithium
Don't trade domestic energy independence for dependence on foreign lithium: Over the past few months, people have become acutely aware of the problems with relying on foreign countries for vital products. The global pandemic has demonstrated that America depends on foreign suppliers far too much for products vital to our health, from masks to testing swabs to pharmaceuticals.
Green Ribbon Panel establishes guiding principles : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News
Green Ribbon Panel establishes guiding principles : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News: Canada's Green Ribbon Panel has developed four principles it believes are necessary to change the conversation around climate, energy and the economy. The panel - formed in February by a collection of environmental and economic leaders - will focus on the role nuclear with other technologies that anchor Canada's energy sector can play in fighting climate change and growing the economy at home and abroad.
Barakah: UAE completes construction of nuclear plant's second unit - The National
Barakah: UAE completes construction of nuclear plant's second unit - The National: Emirates step closer to generating clean energy for decades, plant's operator says
Global Nuclear Power Market 2020 COVID-19 Updated Analysis By Product (Pressurised water reactor (PWR), Boiling water reactor (BWR), Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR), Gas-cooled reactor (AGR & Magnox), Light water graphite reactor (RBMK & EGP), Fast neutron reactor (FBR)); By Application (Electricity Supply, Others) – The Collegian
Global Nuclear Power Market 2020 COVID-19 Updated Analysis By Product (Pressurised water reactor (PWR), Boiling water reactor (BWR), Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR), Gas-cooled reactor (AGR & Magnox), Light water graphite reactor (RBMK & EGP), Fast neutron reactor (FBR)); By Application (Electricity Supply, Others) – The Collegian: Nuclear Power Industry Overview - Competitive Analysis, Regional and Global Analysis, Segment Analys
UAE closer to completing construction of Arab world’s first nuclear power plant | Arab News
UAE closer to completing construction of Arab world’s first nuclear power plant | Arab News: DUBAI: The UAE completed the construction of the Barakah nuclear power plant’s second unit, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) confirmed on Tuesday. The new reactor, which was the second of four units, has been handed over to its operator, as reported by local newspaper The National. “Today we are one step closer to securing a cleaner, brighter future for
Crews complete closed vessel and safety testing on Vogtle nuclear unit 3 reactor | Power Engineering
Crews complete closed vessel and safety testing on Vogtle nuclear unit 3 reactor | Power Engineering: Georgia Power moved one step closer to fuel loading for its 2.2-GW Vogtle nuclear plant expansion project by completing closed vessel testing on Unit 3. The $25 billion construction project to add Units 3 and 4 in Waynesboro, Ga., is the first new U.S. nuclear power plant addition in numerous years. Lead partner Georgia Power...
Post-Pandemic Energy Shift to Nuclear Power - Modern Diplomacy
Post-Pandemic Energy Shift to Nuclear Power - Modern Diplomacy: The age of clean energy is already here while ongoing pandemic has severely affected global economy and energy markets. Fossil fuel industry and coal-based generation that holds more than 80% share in global energy supplies and electricity generation, suffers to operate at low capacity with decreased energy demand. Global restrictions on travel caused the biggest […]
Local View: Fear, misinformation preventing even a consideration of clean nuclear power | Duluth News Tribune
Local View: Fear, misinformation preventing even a consideration of clean nuclear power | Duluth News Tribune: When filmmaker Michael Moore’s “Planet of the Humans” was released on Earth Day, it angered many environmentalists because it revealed that “renewables” like wind and solar will not be able to stop catastrophic climate change or meet the growing demand for electricity. “Planet of the Humans” was briefly taken down by YouTube due to a copyright issue regarding four seconds of the film that expose the environmental consequences of mining the rare earth metals required by wind and solar. “Planet of the Humans” also showed that highly subsidized, inefficient, intermittent, resource-gobbling solar and wind projects are actually damaging the environment while creating only a tiny percentage of our electricity. Unfortunately, “Planet of the Humans” failed to provide any solutions.
Lawsuit Filed Against PG&E on Behalf of Kincade Fire Victims
Lawsuit Filed Against PG&E on Behalf of Kincade Fire Victims: /PRNewswire/ -- Welty Weaver & Currie, PC, Murray Law Firm, and Schack Law Group have filed a lawsuit against PG&E on behalf of individuals and businesses —...
Regulator Says Nuclear Facilities Operated Safely In 2019 :: The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency
Regulator Says Nuclear Facilities Operated Safely In 2019 :: The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency: Spain’s nuclear regulator, the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), has submitted its annual report to the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, saying that nuclear and radioactive facilities in Spain functioned safely in 2019.
CSN said in its report that facilities have operated to high standards, guaranteeing the radiological protection of workers, the population and the environment.
The preparation and submission of the report is required by law.
CSN said in its report that facilities have operated to high standards, guaranteeing the radiological protection of workers, the population and the environment.
The preparation and submission of the report is required by law.
India, EU agree on civil nuclear pact, to unveil roadmap for boosting ties | Business Standard News
India, EU agree on civil nuclear pact, to unveil roadmap for boosting ties | Business Standard News: Read more about India, EU agree on civil nuclear pact, to unveil roadmap for boosting ties on Business Standard. The EU officials said an announcement on firming up of the civil nuclear cooperation agreement will be made during the summit on Wednesday
UK's U-Battery awarded £10m to deliver innovative nuclear technology
UK's U-Battery awarded £10m to deliver innovative nuclear technology: A U-Battery micro-modular reactor has been selected to progress through to phase 2 of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Advanced Modular Reactor competition.
Oversight of Energy Department During COVID-19 Pandemic | C-SPAN.org
Oversight of Energy Department During COVID-19 Pandemic | C-SPAN.org: Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy about issues facing the department amid the coronavirus pandemic. Secretary Brouillette highlighted the role of the National Laboratories in combating COVID-19 including current research being done to identify particular characteristics of the disease. He also talked about the importance of protecting the nation's electrical grid, rebuilding America's leadership role in the nuclear energy space, developing the nation's nuclear weapon's stockpile, cleaning up nuclear waste sites across the U.S., and expanding America's usage of clean energy.
Crews complete closed vessel and safety testing on Vogtle nuclear unit 3 reactor | Power Engineering
Crews complete closed vessel and safety testing on Vogtle nuclear unit 3 reactor | Power Engineering: Georgia Power moved one step closer to fuel loading for its 2.2-GW Vogtle nuclear plant expansion project by completing closed vessel testing on Unit 3. The $25 billion construction project to add Units 3 and 4 in Waynesboro, Ga., is the first new U.S. nuclear power plant addition in numerous years. Lead partner Georgia Power...
Most work done, but will virus keep Fermi 2 offline much longer? | Toledo Blade
Most work done, but will virus keep Fermi 2 offline much longer? | Toledo Blade: NEWPORT, Mich. — DTE Energy believes it is ready from a technical standpoint to end one of the longest outages in the history of its Fermi 2 nuclear plant. ...
Biden's $2 trillion climate plan aims to reframe debate
Biden's $2 trillion climate plan aims to reframe debate: WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Joe Biden released a $2 trillion plan on Tuesday to boost investment in clean energy and stop all climate-damaging emissions from U.S. power plants by 2035, arguing that...
French auditor calls for financing guarantee for future EPR projects : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
French auditor calls for financing guarantee for future EPR projects : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: EDF must ensure the financing and profitability of its proposed EPR2 reactor before starting construction of any plants based on the design in France, the country's state audit office has said. The EPR2 is a simplified version of the EPR design, construction of which has been hit by delays and cost increases in France and Finland.
Green Ribbon Panel establishes guiding principles : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News
Green Ribbon Panel establishes guiding principles : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News: Canada's Green Ribbon Panel has developed four principles it believes are necessary to change the conversation around climate, energy and the economy. The panel - formed in February by a collection of environmental and economic leaders - will focus on the role nuclear with other technologies that anchor Canada's energy sector can play in fighting climate change and growing the economy at home and abroad.
UAE completes construction of Barakah 2 : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
UAE completes construction of Barakah 2 : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation has completed the construction of unit 2 of the Barakah nuclear power plant. The unit, which is in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, has been officially handed over to ENEC subsidiary Nawah Energy Company, which can now start preparations to obtain an operating licence for the unit from the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation.
Iranian officials defend deal with China
Iranian officials defend deal with China: Iranian officials say they are still working out the details of the Iran-China agreement but defended the agreement on principle.
Roadmap for the Deployment and Buildout of Renewable Hydrogen Production Plants in California | The Energy Collective Daily
Roadmap for the Deployment and Buildout of Renewable Hydrogen Production Plants in California | The Energy Collective Daily |
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- Roadmap for the Deployment and Buildout of Renewable Hydrogen Production Plants in California
- Getting off gas: future risks for energy poor households
- New Jersey Fuel Cell Bill into law
- Advise on EV Charging Station Installation & Business Model
- D11 Problems & Repair Solutions | Energy Central
- Only three coal-fired power plants in Colorado are set to operate past 2030 after Craig Station shutdown date is unveiled
- Canadian Energy Weekly Round-Up: July 13, 2020
Spotlight on National Labs
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Make plans to watch a free webinar on Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory tomorrow from 12:00 - 1:30 pm EDT. Learn about the lab's
history and current ongoing research in the sixth installment of the ANS
Young Members Group "Spotlight on National Labs" series.
LLNL was created in 1952 as a “new ideas” laboratory to augment the
efforts of Los Alamos in accelerating the U.S.’s hydrogen bomb program.
Beginning with the vision of Nobel Prize winner and LLNL namesake E.O.
Lawrence, the laboratory established a matrix organization that allows
experts in various disciplines to assemble as a team and work together
to understand and solve complex problems, a distinguishing feature of
LLNL that is still in use today. The unique LLNL environment has allowed
for advances
in many disparate fields, including high performance computing, laser
technology, element discovery, and nuclear weapons science and
technology.
Panelists
Moderator
Patrick Snouffer, ANS Young Members Group Executive Committee Member Check out the five previous Spotlight on National Labs webinars and others on demand. | ||
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
US Warns Putting China On Law Of The Sea Panel Like ‘Hiring An Arsonist’ « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary
US Warns Putting China On Law Of The Sea Panel Like ‘Hiring An Arsonist’ « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary: In rejecting Chinese claims to the South China Sea, the Trump administration is in the opening throes of a rhetorical offensive, promising more concrete moves
ANS Nuclear Policy Wire July 14, 2020
House Energy and Water Bill Report Released for FY2021
Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee held its full Committee markup on the Energy and Water Development Bill. The
final appropriations bill passed the Committee by a party line vote of
30-21. A time has not been scheduled for Floor consideration of the bill
but it will likely be on the House floor sometime within the next week
or two.
Several funding highlights in the FY2021 House Energy and Water Development Bill Include:
The complete Bill Report can be found HERE. A DOE Nuclear Energy funding table starts on page 155 of the PDF.
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July 14, 2020
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EM Update July 14, 2020
Cleanup
locations at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a Manhattan Project site,
include hillsides, canyon sides, and canyon bottoms. This photo shows
soil cleanup in Los Alamos Canyon, which is adjacent to the former
Technical Area-01 and the center of the laboratory during the Manhattan
Project.
On
July 16, 1945, the world's first nuclear explosion occurred more than
200 miles south of Los Alamos in Alamogordo, New Mexico, in what was
code-named the Trinity Test — a name inspired by the poems of John
Donne.
A
plutonium implosion device was successfully tested at that site 75
years ago. The test indicated that an atomic weapon using plutonium
could be readied for use by the U.S. military.
The
test was completed by staff with the Manhattan Project, whose “secret
cities” — Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Hanford, Washington —
were conceived, built, and operated in secrecy as they supported weapons
development during World War II. Today, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Hanford are among the sites of EM’s cleanup efforts.
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The original gate through which workers entered Los Alamos National Laboratory during the Manhattan Project years.
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Los Alamos
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was established in 1943 as Site Y of the Manhattan Project for a single purpose: to design and build an atomic weapon.
While
the scope of work conducted at DOE’s senior national laboratory has
broadened considerably since the pivotal day of the Trinity Test, LANL’s
primary mission has remained nuclear weapons research and development.
While
executing this mission during the Manhattan Project era and in the
decades that immediately followed, LANL released hazardous and
radioactive materials to the environment through outfalls, stack
releases, and disposal areas. Additionally, mixed low-level and
transuranic (TRU) waste was generated and staged in preparation for
off-site disposition.
The
EM mission at Los Alamos is to safely remediate and reduce risks to the
public, workers, and the environment associated with legacy material,
facilities, and waste sites at LANL. Of the more than 2,100 contaminated
sites at LANL originally identified for remediation, more than half
have been cleaned up and closed. Those range from small spill sites with
a few cubic feet of contaminated soil to large landfills encompassing
several acres.
Some
of those landfills were at Technical Area 21, which was a complex of
Manhattan Project and Cold War buildings that housed LANL’s plutonium
processing facility. It was the site of groundbreaking tritium research
for energy, environment, and weapons defense research.
Much of the Manhattan Project and early Cold War operations took place at what was known as Technical Area 01. Perched on a plateau near a canyon edge, the site was LANL’s original footprint and is now part of the Los Alamos townsite. Remediating legacy materials there has been one of EM’s biggest priorities at LANL.
Much of the Manhattan Project and early Cold War operations took place at what was known as Technical Area 01. Perched on a plateau near a canyon edge, the site was LANL’s original footprint and is now part of the Los Alamos townsite. Remediating legacy materials there has been one of EM’s biggest priorities at LANL.
Over
the coming decade, as LANL continues to advance DOE’s national
security, science, technology and energy missions, EM’s Los Alamos
program will remained focused on protecting human health and the
environment by addressing groundwater contamination plumes, processing
above-ground-stored TRU waste, and retrieving belowground-stored TRU
waste at Technical Area 54 for off-site disposal.
An
aerial view of the K-25 Building’s construction at Oak Ridge during the
Manhattan Project. In 18 months, workers built the world’s largest
building, and its gaseous diffusion technology proved to be the
preferred enrichment method during the Cold War.
Oak Ridge
In
1942, the U.S. government acquired land that became the Oak Ridge Site.
By March 1943, 56,000 acres were sealed behind fences and major
industrial facilities were under construction to develop a
first-of-a-kind weapon, and a secret city of nearly 75,000 people arose
almost overnight to support this world-changing task.
During
the Manhattan Project, the K-25, S-50, and Y-12 plants were built to
explore different methods to enrich uranium, while the X-10 site was
established as a pilot plant for the Graphite Reactor and to explore how
to produce plutonium.
Throughout
the following decades, these sites would each go on to push the
boundaries of science that revolutionized power production, enhanced
national defense, advanced understanding in biology and genetics, and
developed new fields of medicine. While these missions were beneficial
to the world, they also created environmental legacies that EM is now
cleaning and removing to enable the next generation of innovation.
The K-25 plant, present-day East Tennessee Technology Park
(ETTP), enriched uranium using the gaseous diffusion process. Due to
the success of this technique, the original plant was expanded during
the Cold War. It contained five enormous uranium enrichment facilities,
including the largest building in the world when it was constructed, and
hundreds of support facilities.
After
nearly 15 years of large-scale demolition and environmental cleanup,
Oak Ridge’s EM program is completing major cleanup at ETTP this year — a
goal known as Vision 2020 and one of EM’s 2020 priorities.
It will mark the first time in the world an entire enrichment complex
has been removed. The site is being transformed into a multi-use
industrial park that offers opportunities for economic development,
conservation, and historic preservation to the community.
After
nearly 15 years of large-scale demolition, EM has cleared away 13
million square feet of aging, contaminated structures at the East
Tennessee Technology Park at Oak Ridge.
Separately,
Y-12 was built to enrich uranium for the first atomic weapon using an
electromagnetic separation process. The Cold War brought change to Y-12
as new processes for separating lithium were added and uranium
enrichment missions were conducted elsewhere.
EM is ramping up efforts that are addressing Y-12’s primary contaminant, mercury. Those efforts include construction of the new Mercury Treatment Facility,
which is now underway, and funding research for new mercury remediation
technologies. Crews are transitioning to the site to begin deactivating
and demolishing its old, deteriorating facilities. This will eliminate
hazards, enable modernization, and provide space for new missions at
Y-12.
The first mission of X-10, present day Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL), was to develop and test the experimental Graphite Reactor,
which went critical in March 1944. It was used initially as a pilot test
facility for plutonium production. In the years following the Manhattan
Project, 13 research reactors were designed and built onsite, and staff
developed or participated in developing numerous nuclear material
reprocessing methods.
Scientists
there would also go on to research genetics and the biological effects
of radiation. ORNL’s mission continued to grow through the years and has
expanded its capabilities to be at the forefront of supercomputing,
advanced manufacturing, materials research, neutron science, clean
energy, and national security.
EM is supporting ORNL’s missions
by eliminating its inventory of TRU waste and uranium-233, and ramping
up efforts that will deactivate and demolish its large inventory of old,
contaminated facilities. These efforts will eliminate risks, enhance
safety, enable modernization, and make room for the next big scientific
discovery.
Through
EM’s work, these sites have a bright future to continue Oak Ridge’s
rich history of leadership and innovation for the next 75 years.
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In
this photo from World War II, Hanford's B Reactor can be seen between
the water towers at right, along with other facilities that supported
reactor operations. The reactor began operating in September 1944 and
was shut down from 1946-1948. It then went back into service until 1968.
Hanford
Once
a thriving agricultural area known for its early-to-market fruits, the
area in southeastern Washington State now known as the Hanford Site
transformed almost overnight when the Army Corps of Engineers chose it
in 1942 as the site of the Manhattan Project's plutonium production
facilities.
More
than 51,000 workers from across the nation came to Hanford in just a
few months. In just 18 months, these workers constructed and began to
operate a massive industrial complex to fabricate, test, and irradiate
uranium fuel and chemically separate out plutonium. That plutonium was
used for the Trinity Test, and for the atomic weapon used on Nagasaki,
Japan on Aug. 9, 1945.
Hanford
continued to expand its plutonium production capabilities in support of
the Cold War, ending up with nine production reactors and five chemical
separations plants. For more than 40 years, reactors located at Hanford
produced plutonium for America’s defense program. In 1989, the Hanford
Site mission changed to cleaning up liquid and solid waste, taking down
facilities, and restoring the environment to protect the Columbia River.
The
control room of the B Reactor gives visitors to this national historic
landmark a glimpse of what it was like to work inside the world's first
full-scale plutonium production reactor.
Since
1989, Hanford has been the site of an extensive cleanup undertaken by
EM in agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the
Washington State Department of Ecology. Since the cleanup of Hanford
began:
- 1,353 waste sites have been remediated and cleared;
- 18.3 million tons of solid waste has been safely collected and disposed;
- 23 billion gallons of contaminated groundwater has been cleaned and returned to drinking water quality.
All of the nuclear reactors associated with the Manhattan Project were decommissioned and safely placed offline.
-Contributors: Bruce Drake, Steven Horak, Ben Williams
The History of a Park Dedicated to the Manhattan Project Story
This
2016 photo shows a view of the Hanford Site's B Reactor National
Historic Landmark, a vibrant tourism and education draw that is part of
the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.
The
Manhattan Project was an unprecedented, top-secret research and
development program created during World War II to develop an atomic
weapon.
The
beginning of the atomic age is recognized as one of the most important
events of the 20th century. Its profound legacies include the
proliferation of nuclear weapons, vast environmental remediation
efforts, the development of the national laboratory system, and peaceful
uses of nuclear materials such as nuclear medicine.
In
2001, DOE worked with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and
a panel of distinguished historic preservation experts to develop
preservation options for six DOE-owned Manhattan Project-era historic
facilities that the panel found to be of extraordinary historical
significance and worthy of “commemoration as national treasures.”
In
2004, Congress directed the National Park Service (NPS) to work with
DOE to evaluate whether it was appropriate and feasible to establish a
new unit of the national park system dedicated to telling the story of
the Manhattan Project.
After a decade of work by local communities, elected officials, DOE, NPS, and other stakeholders, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park was authorized as part of the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015.
The park includes facilities at the three primary Manhattan Project locations — Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Hanford.
The park includes facilities at the three primary Manhattan Project locations — Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Hanford.
At
Los Alamos, more than 6,000 scientists and support personnel worked to
design and build the atomic weapons. The park currently includes three
areas there: Gun Site, which was associated with the design of the
“Little Boy” bomb; V-Site, which was used to assemble components of the
Trinity device; and Pajarito Site, which was used for plutonium
chemistry research.
A
view of the grand opening of the K-25 History Center at Oak Ridge in
February 2020. The K-25 footprint is part of the Manhattan Project
National Historical Park.
The
Clinton Engineer Works, which became the Oak Ridge Reservation,
supported three parallel industrial processes for uranium enrichment and
experimental plutonium production.
The
park includes the X-10 Graphite Reactor National Historic Landmark,
which produced small quantities of plutonium to support Los Alamos
weapons work; buildings at the Y-12 complex, home to the electromagnetic
separation process for uranium enrichment; and the site of the K-25
building, where gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment technology was
pioneered.
The
Hanford Engineer Works, now the Hanford Site, was home to more than
51,000 workers who constructed and operated a massive industrial complex
to fabricate, test, and irradiate uranium fuel in reactors and then
chemically separate out plutonium to be used in weapons.
The
Hanford landscape is also representative of one of the first acts of
the Manhattan Project — the condemnation of private property and
eviction of homeowners and American Indian tribes to clear the way for
the top-secret work. The park includes the B Reactor National Historic
Landmark, which produced the material for the Trinity Test and plutonium
bomb; and four turn-of-the-century historic buildings that give
visitors a glimpse into the history of the Hanford area before the
arrival of the Manhattan Project.
The
park is managed as a collaborative partnership between DOE, which
continues to own, preserve, and maintain the park facilities and will
work to expand public access to them; and NPS, which administers the
park, interprets the story of the Manhattan Project, and provides
technical assistance to DOE on historic preservation. A memorandum of
agreement between DOE and the U.S. Department of the Interior signed in
November 2015 officially created the park and guides implementation of
the park mission by the two agencies.
 |
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In
this 2018 photo, visitors to the Pajarito Site at Los Alamos learn
about Manhattan Project history. The site includes the Pond Cabin,
Battleship Bunker, and Slotin Building used by scientists developing the
plutonium bomb.
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While
a key component of the national historical park mission within DOE is
enhancing public access to the park facilities, DOE and its contractors
are also working to develop online resources so virtual visitors and
students can learn about the historic facilities and the Manhattan
Project.
This DOE webpage offers a wide range of in-print, online, and in-person Manhattan Project historical resources. The Department also produced podcasts on the history and impact of the Manhattan Project.
At the Los Alamos park unit, the Bradbury Science Museum, operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory, provides numerous electronic resources,
including an overview of the park and Project Y in Los Alamos, and an
overview of Manhattan Project sites on laboratory land. The Bradbury
Science Museum’s online collections database allows visitors to search artifacts, photos, and historic documents from the Manhattan Project. LANL has also produced a video of historic sites and work to preserve them for future generations.
DOE,
in partnership with a local biking club and the National Park Service,
has sponsored an annual bike ride around the B Reactor at the Hanford
Site, as shown here in this 2016 photo.
Oak Ridge's K-25 Virtual Museum offers visitors information about the Manhattan Project and Cold war.
The
Hanford park unit is accessible to virtual visitors through a variety
of resources, including those provided by partners in the community. DOE
offers virtual access to the B Reactor National Historic Landmark via a
360-degree camera system.
The
Hanford History Project (HHP) at Washington State University Tri Cities
preserves DOE’s federal Manhattan Project and Cold War collection of
artifacts and oral histories. Virtual access to these collections, as
well as the HHP’s collections of oral histories, donated archive
materials, documents, and photographs are available at HHP’s website.
The B Reactor Museum Association provides a series of videos with in-depth information on how the B Reactor functions and why it is recognized as a scientific and engineering marvel.
NPS maintains the official park webpage.
B Reactor: Preserving a Transformative Piece of U.S. History
In
this 2016 photo, schoolchildren explore the B Reactor, a popular field
trip destination for elementary, middle, and high schools. EM’s Richland
Operations Office works closely with educational institutions, tribes,
science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) camps, clubs, and
other interested groups to provide access to B Reactor and customized
tours.
The
atomic age began in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945, with the
Trinity Test — the culmination of the top-secret Manhattan Project.
This
first-ever detonation of a nuclear device led to a new era marked by
the development of weapons with previously unimaginable power, and a
complicated legacy that includes the fields of nuclear medicine and
nuclear energy, the growth of a vital national laboratory system, and EM’s vast environmental cleanup.
The B Reactor at the Hanford Site
was the world’s first full-scale plutonium production reactor, and
produced plutonium for the Trinity Test and one of two weapons deployed
in August 1945 during World War II. B Reactor is now part of the
Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Other historic facilities at
Oak Ridge and Los Alamos are also part of the park.
While
it only took 11 months in 1943 to construct B Reactor, preserving the
reactor and later creating the park took considerably longer.
Nonetheless, the decades-long effort exemplifies what is possible
through strong partnerships among Congress, local communities, DOE
headquarters, EM sites, and other federal agencies.
Former
B Reactor workers sought recognition for the facility’s historical
status, resulting in its designation as a National Historic Mechanical
Engineering Landmark in 1976, and a National Historic Civil Engineering
Landmark in 1994.
With
broad community support, the reactor was added to the National Register
of Historic Places in 1992. In 2008, with DOE support, the U.S.
Department of Interior designated B Reactor a National Historic
Landmark. After a decade of a congressionally mandated study by the
National Park Service and DOE, bipartisan legislation was passed by
Congress and signed into law in 2014 establishing the park.
Community
advocates and local leaders in the three Manhattan Project communities
and elsewhere across the nation drove efforts to preserve the reactor.
For
EM and Hanford, the vision and tenacity of community leaders and
organizations — including the B Reactor Museum Association, the Tri
Cities Development Council, local governments, and Visit Tri Cities —
and the work of their representatives in Congress made the park
possible.
EM
and Hanford leadership safely preserved the B Reactor and supported the
creation of the park, recognizing that providing controlled, safe
public access to the historic facilities over time would be a powerful
educational tool in explaining the EM mission and progress to taxpayers.
More
than 12,000 people typically visit the B Reactor each year, and
international visitors have come from more than 90 countries worldwide,
bringing an estimated $3 million in tourism to the local community.
DOE Honors SRS Team With Excellence Award for Coal Ash Cleanup
AIKEN, S.C. – A team from the Savannah River Site
(SRS) that completed cleanup of coal ash-contaminated land a year early
and at a savings of more than $8 million has been recognized by DOE
with the prestigious Project Management Excellence Award.
The
project team remediated and closed the D Area coal ash landfill, two
coal ash basins, and a coal pile runoff basin. It’s an area consisting
of over 90 acres at SRS used to manage ashes from the D-Area Powerhouse,
which provided steam and electricity for SRS missions for more than 59
years.
The
powerhouse was closed in 2012, and DOE-Savannah River (DOE-SR) and
contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) undertook cleanup in
2014.
An
award citation signed by Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette noted the
project team built a strong relationship with the South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental Control and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to negotiate a cleanup schedule.
The award was announced at an EM workforce meeting on July 14.
"Not
only did the team come in ahead of schedule and under budget, but
they’re also being recognized for the strong relationship they developed
with the EPA and state regulators," EM Senior Advisor William "Ike"
White said. "We all know how important those relationships are to
achieving success across EM."
"The
success of the SRS D Area Ash Project is a direct result of a sound
closure plan developed by a core team of DOE-Savannah River and SRNS
project managers and supported by our state and federal environmental
regulators," said Michael D. Budney, manager, DOE-SR Operations Office.
"The strategy of a phased approach provided schedule and financial
flexibility and allowed the team to set the standard for how to clean up
one of the biggest environmental problems facing power generating
facilities across the U.S., whether commercial or federally owned."
Before-and-after
photos of the Savannah River Site ash basin cleanup project. Crews
remediated over 90 acres of federal property.
Remediation
was complicated by immense rains from multiple hurricanes. Each inch of
rain resulted in roughly 1 million gallons of stormwater that had to be
managed and pass toxicity testing before it could be discharged.
Despite the challenges, the $65.8 million project was completed in 2019,
a year ahead of schedule and more than $8 million under budget.
"This
mammoth cleanup task consolidated more than 400,000 cubic yards of coal
ash and was completed more than a year ahead of schedule while saving
millions," said Stuart MacVean, SRNS president and CEO. "We were
pursuing performance excellence, safe operations, and timely completion
with this multi-year project, and those goals were not just met, but
exceeded."
The
project team includes Karen Adams, federal project director; Todd
Alasin, project management support with DOE; Brian Hennessey, Federal
Facilities Agreement project manager with DOE; Susan Bell, SRNS project
manager; Julee Smith, SRNS project controls lead; Drew Murphy, SRNS
buyer; and Don Baston, SRNS design engineering.
Each
year DOE recognizes various projects that have demonstrated excellence
in project management. The Secretary's Excellence Award is presented to a
project team that achieves “exceptional results” in completing a
project within cost and schedule.
EM Prepares for Demolition in Heart of ORNL
Crews
are manually adding 12,000 square feet of fabric to the trusses to
complete the cover for the protective tent at the Building 3026
demolition project at Oak Ridge.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management
(OREM) and its contractor UCOR are preparing to demolish the remaining
structures associated with Building 3026, the former Radioisotope
Development Lab.
“This
project is a big step for our program because it marks the beginning of
the next phase of major cleanup in Oak Ridge,” said Nathan Felosi, ORNL
portfolio federal project director for OREM. “Taking down these hot
cells will remove a longstanding risk from the central campus area.”
Workers
are finalizing the installation of a six-story protective tent to keep
nearby research facilities protected while the final two hot cells from
Building 3026 are demolished. Hot cells are thick, concrete rooms that
are heavily shielded to provide researchers protection from highly
radiative material.
Using
a 175-ton crane, crews set a foundation of 92 16,000-pound blocks for
the protective tent. Workers then began using the crane to erect 20
steel trusses to create the frame. To complete the structure, nearly
12,000 square feet of fabric is being added in two sections.
Building
3026 was originally built in 1945 to support isotope separation and
packaging, but it was later used to examine irradiated reactor fuel
experiments and components. The outer structure and four of the
facility’s hot cells were demolished using funds from the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. However, work has continued on
the remaining structures.
Building 3026 was so severely degraded that the outer structure was demolished more than 10 years ago.
A
175-ton crane is being used to install a six-story protective cover to
keep research facilities near Building 3026 safe during demolition.
Last fall, UCOR completed tasks to eliminate contamination pathways
and prepare the remaining structures for demolition. That included
pumping and grouting a 47-foot-long underground transfer tunnel formerly
used to load radioactive material into the hot cells.
The protective tent will be completed this month, and demolition is scheduled later this year.
As major cleanup is completed at the East Tennessee Technology Park, OREM is transitioning its skilled, experienced workforce to ORNL and the Y-12 National Security Complex to ramp up large-scale cleanup at those sites.
Crews
will work across ORNL’s central campus area to deactivate former
research reactors and other radioisotope laboratory facilities in
preparation for demolition. This work will eliminate hazards across the
site and clear land for future research missions.
-Contributor: Susanne Dupes
Next Mega-Volume Saltstone Disposal Unit Taking Shape at SRS
AIKEN, S.C. – The EM Savannah River Site (SRS) landscape is changing again as Saltstone Disposal Unit (SDU) 8 cell construction work is underway.
“SDUs
are a visual reminder of the progress being made toward the
Department’s goal to safely and efficiently dispose of waste at SRS,
making the community and environment safer,” DOE-Savannah River SDU
Federal Project Director Shayne Farrell said.
SDU
8 is the third 32-million-gallon capacity, mega-volume SDU to be built
by liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation (SRR) at SRS.
Mega-volume SDUs stand 43 feet high and 375 feet in diameter.
SDU
8 work has moved past preparing the site and installing a mudmat. SRR
is now setting rebar in preparation for placing the two-foot-thick
foundation slab, the step that moves the work on the cell to the
construction phase.
Mega-volume
SDU design and construction is based on the first successful
mega-volume SDU, SDU 6, which entered into operation in August 2017.
Construction of the SDU 7 cell is complete, and it is currently being
internally lined to protect the concrete and provide a robust leak
tightness barrier.
All
SDU work is being executed safely with detailed plans and protocols in
place to meet all federal and South Carolina state requirements for
COVID-19 controls. Worker participation and management review of ongoing
safety practices and protocols is keeping workers safe.
Savannah
River Remediation subcontractor employees set rebar in preparation for
the foundation slab at Saltstone Disposal Unit 8.
SDUs
are the safe and permanent destination for decontaminated salt solution
(DSS) at SRS. Salt waste is decontaminated through processes that
remove radioactive isotopes, such as cesium. The Salt Waste Processing
Facility (SWPF) is scheduled to begin hot commissioning in 2020 — an EM priority for 2020 — and will process up to 9 million gallons of waste per year after.
DSS
is transferred to the Saltstone Production Facility and combined with
materials to form saltstone, which is pumped into SDUs while it is still
liquid and then hardens for permanent disposal. SRR’s mission is to
safely store, treat, and dispose of radioactive liquid waste and
operationally close SRS waste tanks.
Work
leading up to cell construction included a large excavation and the
installation of a lower mud mat on SDU 8, followed by installation of
the high-density polyethylene liner and then an upper mud mat. SDU 8
will be pieced together by placing 25 walls around 208 columns that
support the one-foot-thick roof, then wrapped with nearly 350 miles of
reinforcing cable.
“This
SDU program team, including our DOE counterparts and subcontractors,
are a very talented group of dedicated professionals,” said SRR SDU
Project Manager Jon Lunn. “They continue to work safely to help execute
the SRS liquid waste mission.”
As
a strategic approach to maximize resources, SRR is building SDU 9 in
parallel with SDU 8. SDU 9 cell construction preparation work is in
progress. SDU 8 construction is expected to be complete by February
2023.
Hanford Tank Operations Go Digital to Support 24/7 Waste Treatment
Upgraded
digital technology at the Hanford Tank Farms has eliminated reliance on
myriad white boards, clipboards, and paper. The upgrades have also
improved worker safety and efficiency, simplified operations, automated
data collection, and electronically provided timely and accurate
information to the workforce.
RICHLAND, Wash. – New digital systems have significantly upgraded waste tank operations at the Hanford Site as the workforce prepares to support round-the-clock conversion of tank waste into glass in the site’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant when the complex is operating.
EM Office of River Protection
contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) has implemented
a series of digital initiatives over the past several years. They
include a suite of more than 60 software products that provide improved
command and control of operations while reducing repetitive manual data
activities and actions that can generate human error.
“In
the past, we relied heavily on paper records that required more time to
update and generally slowed our ability to communicate compared to
using electronic records,” said Dimple Patel, EM Tank Farms
instrumentation and control safety system oversight engineer. “Today’s
digital technology makes recordkeeping more efficient and communications
much faster, both of which contribute to mission progress.”
The
upgraded digital technology has eliminated reliance on myriad white
boards, clipboards, and paper. The upgrades have also improved worker
safety and efficiency, simplified operations, automated data collection,
and provided timely and accurate information to the workforce.
“We’re
building the infrastructure that will provide critical information
decision-makers need, wherever they are,” said Mirwaise Aurah, WRPS
process and controls systems engineering manager.
Large
wall-mounted touchscreen tablets provide an instant messaging system
covering work activities, weather conditions, sampling plans, event
notifications, and more.
In
a further enhancement, six control rooms scattered throughout tank
operating areas were consolidated into a single central control room.
Through a network of secure wireless systems, technicians in the control
room monitor leak detection systems, tank waste levels, waste transfer
systems, and tank ventilation systems to ensure the integrity and
continued safe operation of Hanford’s waste tanks.
-Contributor: Mike Butler
|
New Equipment Strengthens Environmental Monitoring at SRS |
In
this February 2020 photo, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS)
Scientist Jason Walker, left, inspects a new portable air monitoring
station, while SRNS Environmental Specialist Jesse Baxley records
readings from one of several permanent units at the Savannah River Site.
AIKEN, S.C. – The EM program has added two portable units to its network of 14 permanent air monitoring stations at the Savannah River Site (SRS), helping extend the reach of its study of the atmosphere in and around the site.
“The
geographical coverage and the data obtained by these air sampling
stations is excellent,” said Jason Walker, a scientist with Savannah
River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the site’s management and operations
contractor. “However, with the purchase of two portable sampling units
we can significantly increase our options, placing these
state-of-the-art portable units wherever needed to add to the
versatility of our overall program.”
The
SRS Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program monitors effects SRS
has on the environment. There is one permanent air monitoring station
onsite, 10 at the site perimeter, and three within population centers
near SRS. Initially, each portable system will be temporarily located
near a permanent station, then scientists will compare the data. The
units will then be placed in storage where they can quickly be accessed
and deployed as needed.
“This
will enable us to make small adjustments to further improve the data
received from each permanent station. A portable unit can also be used
to temporarily collect data while a permanent uni