Gone Fission Nuclear Report: Recent Episodes
Michael Butler
Are you interested in the latest news about environmental cleanup at the Department of Energy's nuclear facilities? The GONE FISSION Nuclear Report is for you! This podcast covers all the latest developments across the DOE complex. More than just the news, you'll get commentary and insights to help you better understand the impact of developments.
While many companies--foreign and domestic--are engaged in advancing the nuclear renaissaance, one company stands out for its reputation and deep involvement in the evolution of commercial nuclear power over a period of decades. In this week’s episode, host Michael Butler takes a look at what Bechtel is doing today to further advanced nuclear technology in the U.S. and abroad. Our guest is Ahmet Tokpinar, Principal Vice President and General Manager of Bechtel’s nuclear power business iine. We’ll also have more from Mike Deane, the “Nuclear Average Joe”, who’s burning up the internet with his easy-to-digest layman’s take on the benefits of nuclear power.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The 2025 Nuclear Opportunities Workshop sponsored by the East Tennessee Economic Council in Knoxville continues to yield newsworthy stories for the Gone Fission podcast. This week, host Michael Butler talks with Tennessee Valley Authority Vice President Greg Borschieg about TVA's plans to build a small modular reactor on the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge. In May, TVA became the first American utility to apply for a construction permit to build an SMR. Learn more about this groundbreaking project in this week's episode of the Gone Fission podcast.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission podcast, Host Michael Butler reports on major news developments in the nuclear renaissance and the Department of Energy’s enviromental cleanup program. Oklo is building a new spent fuel recycling facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. TVA is partnering with Kairos to purchase power from a new Kairos reactor. The Savannah River National Laboratory’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative is open for business at USC-Aiken. And we’ll meet Mike Deane, host of the “Nuclear Average Joe” podcast and talk about what he’s doing to make nuclear energy relatable to “Average Joes” across America.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Charles Oppenheimer, the grandson of atomic pioneer Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, is Michael Butler’s guest on this week’s episode of the Gone Fission podcast. Ironically, this episode drops two days before August 6 which will be the 80th anniversary of America's use of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, a pivotal event that launched the end of World War II--and one in which Charles Oppenheimer's grandfather, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, played a major role.
Charles and Michael sat down at the recent Nuclear Opportunities Workshop in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a wide-ranging discussion that covered everything from nuclear plant financing to what it’s like to be an Oppenheimer in today’s world. Was he surprised that “Oppenheimer” was such a blockbuster hit at the box office? Find out in this week’s episode.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
In this week’s episode, Host Michael Butler discusses plans to expand the Gone Fission podcast’s coverage to include the emerging nuclear renaissance. The expanded coverage begins later this month at the Nuclear Opportunities Workshop in Knoxville, Tennessee. Sponsored by the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC), the Workshop is expected to attract more than 800 attendees representing major companies in the nuclear industry. Topics will include small modular reactors, advanced reactor fuel, uranium enrichment, nuclear plant financing and more. Learn more about this exciting conference in this week’s interview with ETEC President and CEO Tracy Boatner.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
One of America’s largest government contractors has announced plans to establish a new Nuclear Center of Excellence in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Amentum said its new Center will serve as a strategic hub for nuclear expertise, engineering and operational excellence. Mark Whitney, President of Amentum’s Energy and Environment Business, talks with host Michael Butler about the new Center and more in this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Gone Fission Nuclear Report launches Season 5 with a new episode featuring a discussion with Amir Vexler, President and CEO of Centrus Energy Group. Centrus is playing a vital role in nuclear renaissance with its manufacturing of uranium enrichment centrifuges in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and operation of the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio. The size of the Pentagon, the plant is pioneering the development of High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU), expected to be a crucial fuel fuel component for both existing reactors and a new generation of advanced reactors.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
It’s being called the largest investment in the history of the State of Tennessee. Orano USA has announced plans to build a new multi-billion dollar, state-of-the-art centrifuge uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge. The facility will provide fuel for America’s nuclear power plants and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources, including Russia. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, host Michael Butler discusses this exciting project with Orano USA President Jean-Luc Palayer.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Most of us have probably dealt with landlords at one time or another in our personal or business lives. But did you know that Department of Energy sites around the country also have landlords--DOE offices that are responsible for operation and maintenance of the site as a whole?This week’s episode covers the recent change of DOE landlord at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. After nearly three decades, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is taking over landlord responsibilities from the Office of Environmental Management (EM). What does this change mean for SRS and its current and future missions? We talk with SRS EM Site Manager Mike Budney and NNSA SRS Field Office Director Michael Mikolanis.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Community input is essential to the success of the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program. Much of the most essential feedback comes from the Site Specific Advisory Boards (SSAB) composed of local community volunteers. These local members take their own time to become educated about local cleanup issues and make recommendations to DOE about cleanup priorities and approaches. In this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, host Michael Butler talks with Kelly Snyder, EM Designated Federal Officer for the SSAB and officials in charge of the Oak Ridge SSAB--Amy Jones, Chair, and Kris Bartholomew, Vice Chair.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
With a new Administration taking office in January, the Energy Communities Alliance has released a detailed report calling for a top-to-bottom review of the Department of Energy’s Environmental Management program. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, ECA Executive Director Seth Kirshenberg shares with Host Michael Butler the eight recommendations his organization believes can help the cleanup program better accomplish its formidable mission.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
This week, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report features an interview with Candice Robertson, the Department of Energy’s recently appointed Senior Advisor to the Office of Environmental Management (EM-1). Host Michael Butler caught up with her at the 10th Annual National Cleanup Workshop in Washington, D.C. The occasion also marked the 35th anniversary of creation of the Office of Environmental Management. Ms. Robertson gives her assessment of the current state of DOE’s environmental cleanup program and looks to the challenges ahead.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Each year, the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management publishes a list of cleanup priorities for its sites around the country. Progress in the cleanup program is measured by how well these milestones are met.
This week, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report joins in celebrating completion a major cleanup goal on DOE’s Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee. It’s a comprehensive soil remediation project that DOE calls “Vision 2024.”
Our guest is Joanna Hardin, DOE Federal Potfolio Director for the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge. She talks with host Michael Butler about what it took to remediate more than a half million cubic yards of contaminated soil as the site becomes home to new nuclear-related businesses
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Gone Fission Nuclear Report travels to the nation’s capital this week to join a national conversation on next steps for identifying a community to host interim spent fuel storage from America’s nuclear power plants. Our podcast sponsor, the Energy Communities Alliance, convened a meeting of elected officials, community leaders, economic developers and Department of Energy officials to discuss what kind of incentives a community will need--and what kind of economic benefits can accrue--from volunteering to host an interim storage facility. This is an important topic as the U.S. finds itself on the brink of a nuclear renaissance that will increase the role of nuclear energy in meeting our national energy needs. Is your community interested in exploring safe spent fuel storage as an economic driver? Raise your hand!
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Our guest on this week’s episode is John Eschenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Central Plateau Cleanup Company in Hanford Washington. An Amentum-led partnership with Fluor and Atkins, CPCCO is responsible for managing site operations, facility deactivation, decommissioning, decontamination and demolition, waste-site remediation, and transuranic waste management on Hanford’s central plateau and along the Columbia River corridor.It is a challenging and hazardous assignment and a large part of what has been called the biggest environmental cleanup project in the world--likely to stretch for more than 50 years into the future. Eschenberg talks with host Michael Butler about the challenges and efforts underway to ensure than an adequate and trained workforce is available to complete the mission.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
This is the time of year when hundreds of interns descend on DOE sites around the country. They are eager and enthusiastic, ready to soak up new information gleaned from being out of the classroom and on the job. They are a critical part of the essential pipeline that will ensure the Department of Energy's Environmental Management program will have enough qualified workers to fulfill its cleanup mission in the decades ahead. In this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, host Michael Butler talks with Susan Sparks and Shannon Potter, DOE and contractor intern program managers at Portsmouth/Paducah and Oak Ridge, as well as Maurice Thompson, head of DOE's Career Pathways Program at DOE Headquarters. We will also meet Samina Mondal, an outstanding participant in the program who has quickly become a well-spoken advocate for the Environmental Management program.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
DOE’s Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. Called the “Swiss army knife of Environmental Management”, the EMCBC is a multi-faceted organization, serving as the centralized hub for procurement, financial management, and technical support for DOE’s environmental management program.The EMCBC oversees the cleanup of smaller contaminated sites, including former nuclear production facilities, research laboratories, and uranium mining sites and supports cleanup at larger sites. Host Michael Butler interviews EMCBC Deputy Director Melody Bell and Procurement Director Aaron Deckard.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is more than tearing down aging, contaminated buildings. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, we’ll take a look at another dimension of cleanup--the conversion of depleted uranium hexafluoride—or UF6--at Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio. A by-product of the conversion process is hydrofluoric acid which has wide applications in industry--from pharmaceuticals and refrigerants to aluminum, plastics, electrical components and more. Hydrofluoric acid from the conversion process is sold to industry and is a revenue generator for the government. Our guest is Zak LaFontaine, DOE Program Director for the Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion Program at Paducah and Portsmouth.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
On April 27, 2024, more than 650 former workers at the historic K-25 gaseous diffusion plant in Oak Ridge, TN, came together for their first-ever reunion. As Daniel Dassow wrote in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, it was the first time many had driven their private cars into the complex, the first time they weren’t required to show a badge and perhaps the first time they had seen K-25 as a field site with no large buildings left. In this week’s Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, Host Michael Butler takes a look at this unique get-together and joins attendees in remembering their historic careers. Our guests are former K-25 Plant Manager Dr. Harold Conner Jr. and Pam Toon, one of the Reunion's organizers.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Thousands of workers show up each day to advance the environmental cleanup mission at DOE sites around the country. They are talented and dedicated but for the most part their work goes unheralded without awards or accolades. In this week’s Gone Fission Nuclear Report host Michael Butler talks with a DOE official who has been singled out by the Secretary of Energy for a major performance award. Jud Lilly, a DOE executive at the Portsmouth OH site, has been named Federal Project Director of the Year by the Secretary of Energy. Meet Jud and hear his story, including the tremendous respect he has for the Portsmouth team who get the job done very day.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Department of Energy’s 17 national laboratories conduct research and development on some of the world’s most vexing challenges—from climate change to the origins of the universe. Most recently, six labs have turned their attention to speeding cleanup of underground tank waste at DOE’s Hanford site in Washington State. The labs are using $27 million in DOE funding to research everything from tank integrity and the impact of corrosion to robotic handling of tank waste. Estimates show this and other work could save $150 billion in cleanup costs and shave up to two decades off a 60-year timeline. This week, Gone Fission host Michael Butler talks with Connie Herman, Associate Director, Savannah River National Laboratory, and Delmar Noyes, DOE Tank Farms Manager at Hanford.
NOTE: The work Network of National Laboratories for Environmental Management and Stewardship (NNLEMS) performs is overseen by the EM Laboratory Policy Office with the support of the EM Technology Operations Office, Hanford Site Office as well as the Office of Science, and ARPA-E.”
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is boosting a resurgence in the growth of nuclear energy. Cleaning up formerly contaminated land has created a new home for advanced reactor concepts that have become the centerpiece of the nuclear renaissance. In this week’s episode, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report examines how environmental cleanup is helping to position the nation for a clean energy future. Guests are Ashley Saunders of UCOR, Dr. Wes Hines, Head of the Nuclear Engineering Department at the University of Tennessee, and Jim Little, E-4 Carolinas board member.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
This month, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico celebrates its 25th Anniversary. Located in Southeast New Mexico about 26 miles east of Carlsbad, WIPP was constructed for disposal of defense-generated transuranic--or TRU-- waste. WIPP is the nation’s only repository for the permanent disposal of TRU waste. In this week’s episode, Host Michael Butler talks with DOE Carlsbad Field Office Manager Mark Bollinger, Senior WIPP offiicial Tammy Hobbes, and Brandon Jones, Project Manager for the facility’s new underground venting system. They join us in looking back on WIPP’s history, starting with receipt of the first shipment of TRU waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory in March 1999.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
As we near the end of Black History Month, in this week’s podcast host Michael Butler features the story of the Scarboro 85. In August 1955, 85 young African American students entered all-white classrooms in the Oak Ridge High School and the Robertsville Junior High School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This desegregation stands as an important milestone in American civil rights history. Oak Ridge City Historian Ray Smith is our guest.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Consistent, reliable Congressional funding is an essential element of success in the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, host Michael Butler interviews two former members of Congress who were instrumental in creation of the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus in the mid-1990s. Our guests are former Washington State Congressman Doc Hastings, whose district included the Hanford site, and former Tennessee Congressman Zach Wamp who represented Oak Ridge. Over the past 30 years, the Caucus has worked diligently to educate fellow members about the importance of cleanup and to keep funding flowing to meet site cleanup priorities across the country.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is now focused on 15 remaining sites around the country, down from 107 at the start of the program three decades ago. It is a multi-million dollar, multi-decade effort that depends on qualified contractors to get the job done. DOE is the largest civilian contracting agency in the federal government. In this week’s episode, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report examines the procurement process that results in contract awards and looks at the agency’s new contracting model, the role of small business and the impact of protests on cleanup schedules and progress. Guests are Angela Watmore, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Project Management and Aaron Deckard, Procurement Director, EM Consolidated Business Center.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Every DOE community has local leaders who step up to advocate for funding and new missions and to hold the Department of Energy accountable for its cleanup obligations. These leaders take the time to educate themselves on site issues, get to know DOE leaders and members of Congress, and use their voices and influence to represent their communities. In this week’s episode, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report remembers one such leader--Gary Petersen, a long-time passionate advocate for the Hanford site in Washington State, who passed away last October, leaving an impressive legacy of advocacy and support.
Paying tribute to Gary are former Congressman Doc Hastings, Duane Schmoker, President, Sterling Engineering, David Reeploeg, Vice President, TRIDEC, Seth Kirshenberg, Executive Director, Energy Communities Alliance, and Carl Adrian, past president, TRIDEC.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
In 2015, the United States welcomed its 409th National Park. Known as the Manhattan Project National Historic Park, it tells the story of the men and women who developed the atomic bomb that ended World War II. The Park features three key locations across the U.S.—Oak Ridge TN, Los Alamos NM, and Hanford WA. National Park Service Superintendent Wendy Behrman is our guest in this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
In our last episode, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast examined the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee’s decision to close in two years. This week, Department of Energy officials at Headquarters and two sites discuss the continuing need for CROs and the importance of community support in the success of DOE’s cleanup mission. Hear our interview with Kristen Ellis, DOE-EM Headquarters, Yvette Cantrell, DOE-Portsmouth/Paducah, and Paradio Maith, DOE-Savannah River Site.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee (CROET) recently announced its plans to close after three decades of successfully representing the Oak Ridge community with the Department of Energy. Why now? And what does this decision mean for the CROs that continue to operate in other DOE communities? Learn the answers in this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast featuring interviews with David Bradshaw of CROET and Seth Kirshenberg, Energy Communities Alliance.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
If you want job security and the feeling of doing something meaningful, the Department of Energy’s Environmental Management program is the place to be. That was the message of top government and industry leaders—and young professionals themselves—at the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop in Washington, DC. EM Senior Advisor Ike White says about half the federal EM workforce is eligible to retire now. And UCOR President and CEO Ken Rueter describes a novel program called Rising Senior Leaders that is preparing young professionals for executive positions. It’s all featured in this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report. #environment #workforce #podcast
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Cleanup is essential. Budgets are tight. Partnership is imperative. That was the message delivered by two members of Congress at the National Cleanup Workshop in Washington, DC, last week. Hear Congressmen Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA) assess the current status of the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program in this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
This week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast features an in-depth interview with Stuart MacVean, recently retired President and CEO of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, DOE's lead environmental cleanup contractor at the Savannah River Site. MacVean looks back on his four decades in the nuclear industry and discusses the challenges that remain in the DOE environmental cleanup program and his plans for the future.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast celebrates the American worker on Labor Day 2023. Our skilled crafts work daily in hazardous environments and all kinds of weather to carry out the EM cleanup mission. Sean McGarvey, president and CEO of North America’s Building Trades Unions, joins us on this week’s episode to thank these workers for all they do.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Department of Energy's Environmental Management office spends a lot of time remediating the problems of the past. But that doesn't mean they don't have an eye on the future. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in EM's current push to electrify it's gasoline-powered vehicle fleet.
In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, Rob Seifert, DOE EM Headquarters, and Stuart MacVean, President and CEO of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, discuss the status of progress in meeting federal mandates to electrify the fleet.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Environmental cleanup at Department of Energy sites is a family affair. Each day, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, uncles and nephews show up together to perform the hazardous tasks and myriad support services necessary to carry out one of the world’s largest environmental cleanup missions. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, we introduce you to some of these families and learn what it’s like to work together in this challenging setting.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
A controversial figure to this day, J. Robert Oppenheimer led the development and construction of the world's first atomic bomb. After World War II, his past communist leanings came to a head when his government security clearance was revoked after several contentious hearings at the height of the "Red Scare". In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, we look ahead to Friday’s premiere of “Oppenheimer” in theaters. Our guest is Dr. Thom Mason, Oppenheimer’s modern-day successor as Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Dr. Mason joined former lab directors in successfully advocating last year that the 1954 revocation of Dr. Oppenheimer’s security clearance be nullified.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is complex, expensive and long-term. It requires federal oversight, experienced contractor management, a skilled workforce, continual funding from Congress, negotiations with regulators, buy-in and support from communities and stakeholders, and lots of careful planing. That planning is conveyed in DOE Environmental Management’s Strategic Vision. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, we examine the latest EM Strategic Vision and talk with two Headquarters officials about the cleanup priorities and challenges that lie ahead. See this insightful interview with Erik Olds, EM Communications Director, and Lee Tucker, EM External Relations.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Officials have taken another step forward in preserving the history of the K-25 site in Oak Ridge, breaking ground for a new viewing platform that will provide a bird’s eye view of the former gaseous diffusion plant’s footprint. A nearby K-25 History Center focuses on the men and women who built and operated the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant during the Manhattan Project and Cold War. In this week’s episode, we learn how the new viewing platform and associated exhibits--part of the Manhattan Project National Park--will help visitors understand the scope and magnitude of K-25 while they learn about the personal stories of the workforce.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Ensuring an adequate workforce for the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is a continuing concern and a high priority. There are decades of cleanup work left to do, and much of the current workforce is approaching retirement age. EM is now engaged in an aggressive program to hire more professionals. In this week's episode, we examine the need for workers and what EM is doing to make sure there are enough qualified employees now and in the decades ahead.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
This week, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report celebrates with employees of Idaho National Laboratory, INL management, the Department of Energy and state leaders. Crews have completed transfer of Experimental Breeder Reactor-2 spent fuel from wet to the dry storage, meeting a key milestone in a settlement agreement between the Department of Energy and the state. Employees exceeded expectations, completing the project nine months ahead of schedule. EBR-2 was an historic reactor experiment, capable of producing more fuel than it consumed. Join Governor Brad Little, DOE Assistant Secretary Dr. Kathryn Huff, and Senior EM Advisor Ike White as we celebrate this Idaho milestone in this week's episode.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Every Department of Energy field site has a landlord—a DOE programmatic office that oversees the real estate, utilities, security and other day-to-day operations. Every now and then a new landlord is installed to reflect the site’s changing missions and programmatic responsibilities. It’s happening now at Savannah River as NNSA prepares to take over landlord responsibilities from Environmental Management. Learn more about this transition in this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site is engaged in a comprehensive cleanup program for liquid radioactive waste. 51 underground carbon-steel tanks were built to hold radioactive liquid waste from Cold War-era nuclear weapons production. Eight of the tanks have been emptied and closed. The remaining 43 tanks contain about 34 million gallons of liquid waste. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, we interview Charles Comeau, SRS Federal Project Director for Saltstone Disposal Unit Construction. We discuss the SRS waste cleanup program, focusing on the critical importance of mega-volume Saltstone Disposal Units now under construction and their central role in successful mission completion.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
In observance of Women's History Month, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report this week features Carolyn Leach Huntoon, the first woman Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management at the Department of Energy. She was the first of six women to hold this important DOE post. Dr. Huntoon had a distinguished federal career, having also served as the first woman Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Meet this impressive woman in this week’s episode.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
In support of its Department of Energy client, United Cleanup Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) has entered the next chapter of environmental cleanup on the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee. With the historic Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant fully demolished and significant portions of land turned over to the community for economic development, UCOR is now focused on new cleanup projects at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex. In this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, UCOR President and CEO Ken Rueter talks about the accomplishments and the new challenges that lie ahead in one of the country's largest nuclear cleanup programs.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The Department of Energy’s Hanford site in Washington State is engaged in one of the largest and most complex environmental cleanup challenges on the planet. Multiple contractors are performing various parts of a decades-long mission that will ultimately result in 56 million gallons of radioactive waste being converted to a solid glass form for ultimate disposal. In this week’s episode, Brian Vance, Manager of DOE’s Office of River Protection and the Richland Operations Office, discusses the One Hanford approach and the vital importance of seamless teamwork to mission success.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
The longest serving Community Reuse Organization (CRO) leader in the Department of Energy complex has retired. He is Rick McLeod, president and CEO of the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization. Rick held the post for 15 years, nearly half of the CRO's existence. Since he took the job in 2008, Rick has worked with DOE and the community in two states to make sure community interests are addressed, new SRS missions are promoted, and the community has a unified voice in Washington. In this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, Rick looks back on the CRO's challenges and accomplishments and has some advice for his successor.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
Grace Stanke, Miss America 2023, is an aspiring nuclear engineer preparing to graduate from the University of Wisconsin. She is a smart, articulate advocate of nuclear energy, who believes this safe and reliable energy source should grow from its current 20 percent of U.S. electrical energy supply to as much as 60 percent. She also wants to use her platform to counter fears and misconceptions about nuclear energy. Meet Miss America in this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
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 Nuclear Security Complex. In this week's episode, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report talks with Roger Petrie, DOE Regulatory Affairs Specialist, about what's involved in siting a second on-site disposal facility and the outlook for this vital resource being available when needed. Plus, see how one college nuclear engineering major has made it big on the national stage.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
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 breakthrough in the development of fusion energy. This episode gets the year off to a good start with reflection and high expectations.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
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 bulk of the waste faster, cheaper and safely compared to turning it into glass through vitrification. In this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, we reprise an interview from our audio series last Spring featuring Gary Petersen and Duane Schmoker of Clean Up Hanford Now, who make the case that grouting is the best route for the vast portion of the Hanford tank waste
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
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 advocacy and support for communities around DOE sites. In this episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, we talk with ECA Executive Director Seth Kirshenberg about a new Community Guide to Environmental Cleanup. This interactive guide is designed to help communities and other interested parties in developing an effective and collaborative approach in working with DOE toward accomplishment of mutual cleanup goals at DOE sites.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
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, Programming and Exhibits at the Museum, and Anita Iacaruso, EM Director of Communications Services at DOE HQ in Washington. Learn more about the DOE cleanup program in this informative episode.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
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 Hanford site in Washington state. DOE and the Washington Department of the Ecology, the state regulator, have reached agreement on how these tanks should be managed. In this episode, Delmar Noyes, Assistant Manager of Tank Farms for DOE's Hanford office, discusses the settlement and what is being done to ensure the safety of the public and the environment.
Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.
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 the Office of Workforce Management; Damoeone Ferguson, EM Diversity Manager; and Lee Tucker, an Air Force veteran with the EM Office of External Affairs.
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.
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 of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, talks to David Bowen, Ecology's Nuclear Waste Program Manager, about the agreement and how his Department is carrying out its regulatory responsibilities with respect to the Hanford waste tanks.
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 in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). In today's episode, we talk to two executives of The Bullard Company in Lexington, KY, a major supplier of PPE to DOE's environmental cleanup program. Edward W. Bullard, great-grandfather of Wells Bullard, the company's current CEO, has been installed in the National Inventor's Hall of Fame for his invention of the hard hat in 1919. It's a great story about every DOE cleanup contractor's biggest concern. Plus get all the latest news about environmental cleanup around the complex.
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 nationwide.
Sean McGarvey is one of America's best known and most influential labor leaders. He is a fitting guest for this special Labor Day episode and one who can reflect appropriately and impressively on the meaning of this day. He is an articulate man of passion and a devoted family man who believes deeply in the union movement and what it means to America's workers and their families who, because of it, are able to enjoy the blessings of the Middle Class.
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 his crew on-site for three days. The documentary premieres at the Venice Film Festival on September 9. Plus get all the latest news from the DOE Environmental Management program.
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.
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 turtle on the INL site that burrows underground and stays for 10 years. Plus get all the latest news from DOE's Environmental Management program.
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 walking and driving tours, giving visitors an opportunity to see an array of wildlife that today populates this former uranium metals production facility. Also, EM Senior Advisor Ike White explains to a Congressional committee that six more decades will be needed to complete cleanup at Hanford.
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 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 of wildlife.
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 of wildlife. In this week's episode--the first in a four-part series--we visit the Savannah River Site in South Carolina with Dr. Gene Rhodes, Director of the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Plus get all the latest news from the Environmental Management program.
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 interactions of local, state, tribal and federal agencies with the public they serve and the need for unique technical, regulatory and communications approaches.
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 Clean Up Hanford Now argue their position in this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report.
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 management and environmental cleanup. Get a full report on GAO's study plus the latest EM news from across the complex in this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report.
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 episode examines the Liquid Waste mission at the three sites, accomplishments to date and the work that lies ahead in finishing the job.
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 Citizens Advisory Board, to discuss the purpose and contributions of citizen advisors. Plus get the latest news from the DOE Environmental Management program.
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 enrichment plant site and turn the land over to the community for a multi-purpose industrial park.
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
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, Washington, Karen Adams, DOE Federal Project Director at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina, and Dan Macias, Site Integration and Cleanup Manager for UCOR, DOE’s environmental cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Plus get the latest news from the DOE Environmental Management complex.Plus get the latest news from the DOE Environmental Management complex.
At Waste Management 2022 in Phoenix, DOE Environmental Management Chief of Staff Mike Nartker announced that the EM cleanup map had shrunk to 15 sites with the completion of cleanup at Brookhaven National Laboratory. That's down dramatically from the original 107 sites when EM was formed in 1989. How much do we know about the 15 sites remaining to be cleaned up? Some like Hanford, Oak Ridge and Savannah River are high-profile and high-budget. We hear a lot about them. Others are lower profile. Today, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast shines the spotlight on one of those--the Energy Technology Engineering Center in Ventura, California. Plus get the latest news from the Environmental Management program.
March is Women's History Month. In this week's episode, we highlight THE WOMEN OF EM-1 . Six of the 17 EM-1s (or equivalent) who have led the Department of Energy's Environmental Management office since 1991 have been women. Can you name them? The first was Carolyn Leach Huntoon, who also distinguished herself as the first woman to head the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Hers is an impressive story of perseverance, accomplishment and firsts. Meet Carolyn in this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast. Bask in her success as DOE's first female EM-1 and those who followed her as we celebrate Women's History Month. Plus get all the latest news in DOE's Environmental Management program.
DOE, UCOR, Regulators and Community Leaders discuss the final steps involved in post clean-up closing of the East Tennessee Technology Park (Heritage Center), once home to the historic Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant. As federal land is transferred to the community, the Park is proving to be an economic boon to the region. Yet another company, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, announced plans last week to acquire acreage for a new uranium fuel plant bringing a $13 million investment and 30 new jobs.
Imagine a training exercise where you have to follow clues, complete a series of specialized tasks, and escape from an enclosed room before your air supply runs out. It’s just one of many real-life scenarios students confront at the Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response – HAMMER, for short – training center at the Department of Energy’s Hanford nuclear site in Washington State. Director Paul Vandervert is our Spotlight Guest on this week's podcast. Learn more about this one-of-a-kind training center that has a global reach and is helping to ensure the environmental cleanup workforce can do their jobs safely.
In this week's Spotlight Interview, Teresa Frady, new president of the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee, talks about the importance of cleanup in attracting new private-sector tenants at the East Tennessee Technology Park, former home of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant. With COVID restrictions relaxing, the Secretary of Energy is making her first in-person visits to DOE sites at Savannah River and Hanford. She also made a stop at South Carolina State University, the Alma Mater of House Majority Whip James Clyburn and the nation's only Historically Black College or University offering a four-year nuclear engineering degree. And the Tri-City Herald editorializes about the necessity of continued Payment in Lieu of Taxes to the Hanford community.
This week's Gone Fission Nuclear Report celebrates Black History Month. Hear vignettes about Black scientists who participated in the early history of atomic energy, learn more about a DOE connection to a leading candidate to become the first Black Justice on the Supreme Court, and meet Dr. Harold Conner, the first African-American chemical engineering graduate of the University of Tennessee who went on to become the site manager of the world's largest uranium enrichment complex. Plus get all the latest news from the DOE Environmental Management program. www.gonefissionpodcast.com
This week the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast features an All-Hanford episode. You'll hear from DOE and Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) officials and some of Washington State's top elected officials as WRPS begins operation of the Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) system, a milestone in the Hanford site's tqnk waste cleanup program. Our Spotlight Interview features David Reeploeg, Vice President for Federal Affairs for the Tri-City Development Council (TRiDEC) in Kennewick, Washington. Enjoy this special All-Hanford episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report. And visit www.gonefissionpodcast.com
Energy Communities Alliance in Washington, DC, is a national organization that represents local communities surrounding Department of Energy facilities nationwide. It is the voice of these communities with DOE and Congress in communicating issues and concerns associated with environmental cleanup. Today's Spotlight Interview on the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast features Seth Kirschenberg, ECA Executive Director. Elected officials in local communities is one of DOE's highest priority stakeholders. Hear what Seth has to say about his group's interaction with the Department and their current front burner issues. Plus get all the latest news from the DOE Environmental Management program.
Our Spotlight Guest this week is Rick McLeod, President & CEO of the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO). Rick and his Board of Directors advocate for new missions for DOE's Savannah River Site and serve as a unified voice for a two-state, five-county region around SRS while supporting cleanup of the former plutonium production site. Plus get all the latest news from DOE's Environmental Management program.
Our Spotlight Interview this week features Kristen Ellis, Acting Director of Regulatory, Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Engagement for the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management. We'll talk to Kristen about DOE's STEM programs and what her office is doing to help ensure an adequate environmental cleanup workforce for the future.
And you'll get all the latest news from DOE's Environmental Management program.
DOE's Request for Proposals for a new cleanup contract at Portsmouth, Ohio, and a look ahead at future episodes lead this week's podcast. Get all the latest Department of Energy Environmental Management news in the Gone Fission Nuclear Report.
In this week's episode, we review the Department of Energy's Report Card on its Environmental Management accomplishments during 2021. We also bring you the latest news in environmental cleanup from DOE sites around the country. We invite you to share this podcast with others who may have an interest in this topic.
Next to safety and cleanup itself, development of the future workforce is a top priority with companies involved in remediation of Department of Energy facilities nationwide. A large portion of the current workforce is nearing retirement age, but decades of environmental cleanup work remains to be completed.
Where will the future workforce come from? One place is the University of Tennessee - Knoxville where the Nuclear Engineering Department is offering a first-of-a-kind minor in decommissioning and environmental management. Students completing this course are finding jobs in the cleanup industry and setting out on a successful career path. It's been said that the only sure things are "death, taxes...and decommissioning." In today's episode, Dr. Wes Hines, Head of the UT Nuclear Engineering Department, talks about the minor his department offers and what it means for the future of the cleanup workforce.
In this week's Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, we talk to Oak Ridge historian Ray Smith about why it is important for EM to continue preserving the history of former DOE facilities. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster weighs in on how $525 million in DOE plutonium settlement funds should be allocated. We'll review highlights from last week's Nuclear Cleanup Workshop. And we'll ask the question: "Should the late Manhattan Project photographer Ed Westcott be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom?" Spoiler alert: The resounding answer is "Yes!" Enjoy this week's podcast.
In this week's Environmental Management news, a BWXT-led team has received Notice to Proceed from DOE to start transition on the Savannah River Liquid Waste contract. Government and contractor officials are gathering in Alexandria, VA, for the 2021 Nuclear Cleanup Workshop. Washington River Protection Solutions is recognized as a top employer in Washington state. And we recognize the 79th anniversary of the first nuclear chain reaction.
In this week's report, Savannah River Site officials say a "very, very small" portion of the workforce elected not to get the COVID vaccine, resulting in some retirements, resignations or terminations. A change in the way the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) counts waste volume shifts the repository from being half full to only a third full. At Hanford, the Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) system moves from testing to operations. And a protest has been filed in the $8.3 billion contract award to UCOR for cleanup of the Oak Ridge Reservation.
Plus, you'll enjoy an interview with Dr. Harold Conner, whose 50-year career went full circle from plant manager at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant to a director in the world's first cleanup of a gaseous diffusion complex.
One state senator has a piece of advice for South Carolina counties wanting to share in a $600 million DOE plutonium settlement: Bring a couple of trucks to Barnwell County, load them with some plutonium, and take them back home. Then he'll talk about your share of the money!
Hear this lively interview with State Senator Brad Hutto and get all the latest DOE environmental management news in this week's Gone Fission Nuclear Report.
In this episode, Gone Fission Nuclear Report discusses new Department of Energy environmental cleanup contracts valued at nearly $30 billion, new tenants creating jobs at the East Tennessee Technology Park, negotiations to distribute $600 million in settlement funds related to storage of plutonium at the Savannah River Site and a new water treatment plant at the Hanford site. Plus people news. Running length: 12 minutes.