Gone Fission Nuclear Report

Department of Energy cleanup sites across the country depend on on-site disposal facilities to handle contaminated waste and debris from demolished buildings and soil remediation. At one site--Oak Ridge, where a massive gaseous diffusion complex was completely demolished for the first time ever--more disposal capacity is needed to finish cleanup work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 N...

The Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast launches its third season this week with a look back at the major milestones and achievements in the Department of Energy's environmental cleanup program during 2022.  From New Mexico to Washington State, Tennessee, South Carolina and beyond, the achievements were many and consequential. Then we look ahead -- to the future of energy with the latest brea...

56 million gallons of liquid radioactive waste are stored in 177 underground tanks at the Department of Energy's Hanford site in Washington state. One of the Department's highest priorities is to treat this waste and convert it into a solid glass form for permanent disposal. But a local citizens group in Richland, WA, says an alternative method--known as grouting--can take care of the bu...

Community involvement is a central element in the success of the Department of Energy's environmental cleanup program. Local community leaders, elected officials and the public at-large are encouraged to take a seat at the table to provide input and participate in discussions about cleanup priorities. The Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) in Washington, DC, is the designated organization for...

The Department of Energy's Environmental Management office has opened a new exhibit at the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas. The museum recounts the history of U.S. nuclear weapons testing in the Nevada desert.  The new EM exhibit tells the story of environmental cleanup in Nevada and at other DOE sites around the nation. In this episode, we talk to Joe Kent, Director of Curation,...

Potential leaks in underground radioactive tanks is a priority concern with the Department of Energy's Environmental Management office. Many of these tanks are single-shell containment and were constructed during the Manhattan Project and the Cold War. Today, they are aging and subject to leaks, more so than the double-shell tanks also now in use. Two tanks are currently leaking at DOE's...

This week, the nation observes Veterans Day, celebrating those that worn the uniform in service of our country.  In this week's episode sponsored by Fluor, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report visits DOE Headquarters in Washington where we talk with three EM managers about what EM is doing to add more veterans to the workforce. Hear this interview with Junita Turner, a Navy veteran and Director of...

Who may take over from EM as landlord at SRS?  What was the Big News in Waste Treatment at Hanford last week? What did Ike White see when he visited Oak Ridge?  And what was on the Senior EM Advisor's mind at the Nuclear Cleanup Workshop recently? Get the answers to these questions and more in this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast.  Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear...

The potential for leaks in aging underground radioactive waste tanks is a constant concern for the Department of Energy's Environmental Management program. After more than a  year of negotiation, DOE and the Washington State Department of Ecology have reached an accord on handling waste from two leaking underground tanks at the Hanford site. In this week's episode, Michael Butler, host o...

Ask any DOE environmental cleanup contractor what their top priority is, and you will undoubtedly get the same answer: SAFETY.  It's written into procedures; It's preached; It's practiced, and for most workers it becomes second nature--a natural part of the way they perform at work. One key component of every safety culture is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).  In today's ep...

In observance of Labor Day 2022, Gone Fission Nuclear Report is pleased to present an in-depth interview with Sean McGarvey, President, North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) in Washington, DC.  The Department of Energy is NABTU's largest client. NABTU's unions provide the lion's share of skilled craft workers for the ongoing environmental cleanup work at DOE sites nati...

When iconic Hollywood director Oliver Stone decided to make an unapologetically pro-nuclear documentary, he traveled around the world interviewing experts. One stop was at the Idaho National Laboratory where he was impressed with the breadth of knowledge and passion of the scientists he met. Rae Moss, INL Communications Director, talks about what it was like to host the Oscar-winning director and...

EM Senior Advisor Ike White recently appeared before the Energy Subcommittee of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. He discussed DOE Environmental Management's current R&D efforts and updated the subcommittee on the status of EM cleanup projects. This episode features White's opening statement and Q&A from committee members. Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report ch...

This week's episode is the fourth and final episode in a four-part series on Wildlife on EM Sites. In previous episodes, we visited the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, Hanford in Washington State and the Fernald Preserve in Ohio.  This week we talk to Sue Vilord, Senior Wildlife Biologist and Wildlife Task Lead at Idaho National Laboratory.  Learn about a toad on the INL site that burr...

This week, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast presents Part 3 of its four-part series on Wildlife at DOE Environmental Management sites.  This episode features an interview with Angela Marczi, an Interpretive Specialist, who describes the popularity of public tours at the Fernald Preserve in Ohio. Now under the stewardship of DOE Legacy Management, this former nuclear production site promotes...

This is Part 2 of a 4-Part series on wildlife at the Department of Energy's Environmental Management sites.  This week we feature an interview with Justin Wilde, a wildlife biologist at the Hanford site in Washington state. Wildlife abounds on DOE Environmental Management sites currently undergoing cleanup. Most of these sites are situated on huge undeveloped parcels of land, only a fraction...

Wildlife abounds on DOE Environmental Management sites currently undergoing cleanup. Most of these sites are situated on huge undeveloped parcels of land, only a fraction of which is used for nuclear operations. That makes these sites a welcome home for wildlife.  From wild turkeys to alligators, elk, rare owls and more, today's environmental cleanup program is taking place amid a menagerie o...

Podcast host Michael Butler interviews Stephanie Jacobs, Director of the new Regulatory Center of Excellence established recently at Savannah River National Laboratory. The Center provides expert resources charged with helping the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management and others manage complex issues involving science, government and communications. Jacobs discusses the interacti...

Ask most in the know, and they will tell you vitrification into glass is the preferred way to prepare nuclear waste for permanent disposal. But an advocacy group in Richland, Washington, begs to differ. They are making the case that grouting is the faster, less expensive alternative for mixed low level waste which comprises 90% of the tank's contents.  Gary Petersen and Duane Schmoker of Clea...

In its most recent review of the DOE Environmental Management (EM) office, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recommended significant changes in the way the senior management oversight of the cleanup program is structured.  These changes would address what GAO calls "frequent turnover" in the EM-1 position and creation of a new Under Secretary post dedicated to nuclear waste...

Congress is considering the Department of Energy's FY2023 Budget Request. DOE Environmental Management is seeking $7.64 billion for cleanup of its former nuclear production and government research sites dating back to the Manhattan Project.  More than half of that funding would be allocated to EM's Liquid Waste cleanup mission at Hanford, Savannah River and Idaho. This week's episod...

Citizens Advisory Boards provide DOE Environmental Management with vital public input regarding cleanup priorities at DOE sites. In this week's episode, Kelly Snyder, DOE Designated Federal Officer for the EM Site-Specific Advisory Boards, joins Shelley Kimel, Public Affairs Advisor for the Oak Ridge Site-Specific Advisory Board, and Dr. Gregg Murray, Chairman of the Savannah River Site Citiz...

Private industry investment in facilities and technology at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) is approaching $1 Billion with the latest announcement of a new advanced reactor fuel facility. X-Energy is the latest tenant to announce plans to locate in the park with a $300 million investment. ETTP's growth is a direct result of DOE's decision to cleanup the former uranium enrichmen...

In this week's Gone Fission Nuclear Report, hear Ike White, Senior EM Advisor, talk about cleanup plans for DOE sites for the next year and the next decade. Need to meet with someone at the Savannah River Site this week, you might want to wait a week.  Find out why in this week's episode. And get the latest news from the DOE Environmental Management complex. FNHi4A4jTlo5jlmrhN94 Visit th...

Cold and Dark doesn't sound very inviting, but it's the ideal state when the Department of Energy prepares to demolish an aging, unused structure. In this week's episode, experts from three key DOE sites -- Hanford, Oak Ridge and Savannah River -- discuss the deactivation process.  Listeners will hear from Mark French, Project and Facilities Division Director at DOE in Hanford, Wash...