Monitors a host of energy and nuclear issues from a public interest perspective
“NNSA Nuclear Plan Shows More Weapons, Increasing Costs, Less Transparency”
The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) new Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan (SSMP) doubles the number of new nuclear warhead programs compared with the previous plan from 2019.
“Under Trump, the nuclear weapons industry has boomed – Expansion could be scaled back as President-elect Biden and Congress prioritize pandemic and recession problems.”
SRS Watch in “DOE publishes reactor impact statement”
Idaho Falls Post Register, December 21, 2020
“The U.S. Department of Energy has released the draft environmental impact statement for a test reactor it would like to build at Idaho National Laboratory.”
Congress has finally posted funding language for Fiscal Year 2021.
Full Omnibus bill: https://rules.house.gov/sites/democrats.rules.house.gov/files/BILLS-116HR133SA-RCP-116-68.pdf
Division D – Energy & Water funding:
https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20201221/BILLS-116RCP68-JES-DIVISION-D.pdf
page 108
Plutonium Pit Production.-The agreement reiterates House direction regarding plutonium pit production and clarifies that the plan to complete a resource-loaded integrated master schedule shall include all pit production-related project and program activities that shall provide additional details within high-level milestones for projects based on GAO best practices.
DOE Announces Release of Draft EIS on Versatile Test Reactor (VTR); Lacking Justification and Due to Proliferation Risks, VTR Project Must Not Go Forward – SRS Watch news,
DOE needs to fully reveal what’s going on with the start-up of the new high-level waste processing facility – Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) – at SRS.
Unjustified Plutonium Bomb Plant (PBP) proposed for SRS faces new challenges from key member of US House
News article in Charleston (South Carolina) Post &
“Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program” – Federal Register on December 16, 2020
“Public scoping” comment period begins December 16,
Chairman of House Armed Services Committee Reveals Great Skepticism in NNSA’s Ability to Covert SRS MOX Facility to Plutonium Pit Production, Refers to $6 Billion Project as Potential “Rat Hole”
Representative Adam Smith Asserts that Failed Plutonium Fuel (MOX) Project at SRS is “Pretty Close to White Collar Crime”
The powerful chairman of the House Armed Services Committee,
Peace Train: Greenpeace brings half-century of sheer courage
The environmental nonprofit organization’s many voyages have made a mark on nuclear testing sites
Boulder (Colorado) Daily Camera,
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety (DNSB) is an independent agency providing invaluable oversight of DOE operations. A recent report on recommendations by the board points out numerous shortcomings by DOE in its operations.
The Nuclear Ship Savannah, the world’s first commercial nuclear powered ship, remains at dock in Baltimore Maryland and awaits being fully decommissioned and possibly turned into a museum.
The Defense Nuclear facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) has confirmed that a potential radiation exposure concern is present in the newly started Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). SRS Watch was alerted about this problem about two months ago but DOE has kept it on the down low.
“Everything You Need to Know About the Savannah River Site (SRS)”
Want to learn about SRS? Listen to this BREDL podcast with the SRS Watch director,
As SRS aims to fill more high-level waste tanks with “grout,” the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission submits an analysis on the approach DOE took with in-situ tank closure of Tank 12H.
