The DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) delivered its 2015 report to Congress on April 1, 2016 and affirmed termination of the MOX boondoggle.
NNSA report Prevent, Counter, and Respond—A Strategic Plan to Reduce Global Nuclear Threats (FY 2016–FY 2020) is linked here
“Although the current U.S. approach has been to dispose of this plutonium by fabricating it into MOX fuel and irradiating that fuel in light water reactors, as a result of a number of cost and program reviews it is now clear that this will cost more and take longer than initially anticipated. As a result, the Administration has proposed in its FY 2017 Budget Request to terminate the MOX approach to plutonium disposition and pursue the dilution and disposal approach. Under the new approach, the plutonium can be disposed of decades sooner than the MOX approach, at less than half the cost and with far lower technical risks. The new approach will enable to Department to be more responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars while upholding our commitment to dispose of surplus plutonium.” (page 2-2)
ALERT: The House and Senate Energy & Water Development Subcommittees (of the Appropriations committees) fund DOE. The subcommittee reports (mark-ups) on DOE finding are likely coming in the next two weeks, during the weeks of April 11 and April 18. MOX, a lead albatross around the neck of the top MOX booster (Senator Lindsey Graham) has rightly had a rough ride through the process but the MOX debacle could once again barely survive, to be terminated next year. But watch for possible action by the Senate E&W to deal MOX a well-deserved blow.
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SRS Citizens Advisory Board informs DOE of funding priorities in preparation of the Fiscal Year 2018 budget:
The highest priority is “PBS 14C, Radioactive Liquid Tank Waste Stabilization and Disposition,” and the other top priorities are:
PBS 11C, Plutonium down-blend processing for disposition to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant;
PBS 41, 235-F Risk Reduction Project; and
PBS 11C, Spent Nuclear Fuel down-blend processing for disposition to the Tennessee Valley Authority.
(PBS = Project Basline Summary, teh various specuific projects needing funding from DOE)
See SRS CAB letter to DOE, March 29, 2016, linked here