Monitors a host of energy and nuclear issues from a public interest perspective
1. FISSILE MATERIAL MINIMIZATION THROUGH PACKAGING AND REMOVAL OF PLUTONIUM FUEL MATERIALS
https://sti.srs.gov/fulltext/SRNL-STI-2019-00316.pdf
While there may need to be some removal of plutonium and highly enriched uranium in situations where the material is at risk of theft,
TOTAL MADNESS!: The proposed Plutonium Bomb Plant (PBP) at SRS is part of the formula for a new US-Russia nuclear arms race.
“Russian Nuclear Blast Theories Hint at No-Holds-Barred Arms Race”
We encourage you to read about the ongoing plutonium nightmare caused by DOE’s plutonium pit production at the Rocky Flats site near Denver, Colorado. This might cause you to think twice about the proposed Plutonium Bomb Plant (PBP) at SRS.
SRS Watch has submitted a series of comments on DOE’s proposal to “repurpose” the abandoned MOX building at SRS into a “Plutonium Bomb Plant” – for two documents under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
SRS Watch and other Groups Write to Key members of Armed Services Committees about Wasteful Spending in National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, including on the Issue of Expanded Plutonium “Pit”
WARNING: DOE’s record on plutonium “pit” production (for nuclear weapons) is abysmal. Witness the Rocky Flats disaster and chronic plutonium-handling problems at Los Alamos National lab. Yet, DOE is a pushing the unfunded and unauthorized (by Congress) Plutonium Bomb Plant on the Savannah River Site,
SRS Watch has submitted comments for the “scoping” for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed “Versatile Test Reactor.” DOE has proposed that SRS make the fuel for the reactor but SRS has no experience with such work since the production reactors at SRS closed in the 1980s.
The U.S. Department of Energy – National Nuclear Security Administration – has filed an export license request with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to export “highly enriched uranium” (bomb-grade uranium) to Europe.
— State of Nevada files with 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on March 11, 2019 to stop more plutonium shipments from SRS to Nevada and require removal of 1/2 tonne already shipped to the Nevada National Security Site
Filing of March 11,
Charleston (South Carolina) Post & Courier, July 7, 2019, front page print edition
Things are getting off to a very shaky start on this process as DOE is rushing things without presenting justification for the questionable plutonium “pit” project – DOE’s typical recipe for failure with such complex,
June 27, 5-9 p.m., North Augusta Community Center, 495 Brookside Ave, N. Augusta, South Carolina
“Guest Column: New plutonium mission at SRS is the pits”
Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle, June 27, 2019
Aiken (South Carolina) Standard, June 27, 2019
June 27, 2019
WFXG TV, Augusta, GA, June 27, 2019
https://www.wfxg.com/2019/06/28/locals-divided-nuclear-weapon-program-srs/
Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle, June 26, 2019, article linked here
Guest Editorial: New Plutonium Warhead Mission at SRS is the Pits
Aiken (South Carolina) Standard, June 24, 2019
by Tom Clements, Director, SRS Watch
Succumbing to organizational flaws,
See Recommendation 2019-02, in Federal Register, June 19, 2019
– linked here:
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-06-19/pdf/2019-12918.pdf
Effects of Tritium Release: Much of
the in-process tritium at the Tritium
Facilities may be in the form of gas,
WJBF TV, Augusta, Georgia
Front page article in The State newspaper, Columbia, SC,. June 15, 2019 on the forum on the Plutonium Bomb Plant proposed for SRS
print edition title: “Critics raise concerns over proposed atomic bomb factory near Aiken”
EDT in Aiken, South Carolina. Please attend!
The event will (hopefully) be live streamed at this FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/elaine.cooper.98
FacebookB “event”
Federal Government Meets Watchdogs’ Demand for Environmental Review of Expanded Plutonium “Pit” Production (for Nuclear Weapons), Including Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Proposed “Plutonium Bomb Plant” (PBP) at SRS
In a victory for transparency and legal compliance by the government,
June 4, 2019, 3:30 p.m., Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Markup of H.R. 2500 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 – To be Webcast- linked here
We’ll see what they have to say about two plutonium bomb plants,
House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee mark-up is at 3:30 p.m. on June 4 — SRS pit production will NOT be authorized or funded by Congress
Mark-up language: “H.R.
News release, June 4, 2019 – SRS Watch, Nuclear Watch New Mexico, Tri-Valley CAREs
On behalf of three public interest organizations – Nuclear Watch New Mexico,
It is likely related to the contamination with fission products at the Portsmouth enrichment plant, which could have been caused by re-enrichment of contaminated uranium (reprocessed uranium or RepU),
Keep your eye open for the “Notice of Intent” by NNSA – in the Federal Register – to prepare some form of an EIS on D&D.
Solicitation from Federal Business Opportunities,
>>> Public Forum on June 14 in Aiken, SC to Review Plans for Repurposing Closed MOX Plant at Savannah River Site into Plutonium Bomb Plant (PBP) <<<<
Columbia,
On May 20-22, 2019, 70 participants from 20 states, mostly near DOE sites, held over 100 meetings on the Hill and with agencies.
On May 21,
It’s old information, but see the SRS Watch Facebook page post of May 19, 2019 for the amount of surplus weapon-grade plutonium stored at SRS – something known for a decade and long publicized by SRS Watch.
