SRSCRO May 2022 Update

Accelerated Basin

De-Inventory Mission

Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) filed in the US Federal Register its intent to amend its August 7, 2000, Record of Decision (ROD) to the Savannah River Site (SRS) Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Final Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0279, DOE 2000, SRS SNF EIS). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/04/20/2022-08383/spent-nuclear-fuel-management-accelerated-basin-de-inventory-mission-for-h-canyon-at-the-savannah

DOE now intends to manage some 29.2 tonnes of heavy metal stored in L-Basin - used nuclear fuel and target materials - using a new method at the H-Canyon facility at SRS. Processing of the material is anticipated to begin this year and continue for about 12 to 13 years. The dissolved material will ultimately be immobilised in a borosilicate glass waste form in the Defense Waste Processing Facility at the site. In the meantime, DOE will continue to safely store SNF and target materials in L-Basin at SRS, pending processing in H-Canyon. H-Canyon is the only large-scale, remotely operated, radiologically sealed chemical separations plant operating in the USA.

This Accelerated Basin De-inventory (ABD) mission will allow Savannah River Site (SRS) to process all remaining used nuclear fuel in the L-Basin storage area using conventional processing but without recovering highly enriched uranium, and immobilise the resulting dissolved material to be disposed in the future. The ABD method accelerates work to remove spent nuclear fuel from L Basin while maintaining safety and security, it will free up space in L Basin for other uses, and save taxpayers an estimated $4 billion.

DOE estimates that immobilization of liquid waste would result in about 505 High Level Waste (HLW) additional glass-filled stainless-steel canisters. In the context of the approximately 8,400 HLW glass-filled stainless-steel canisters that DOE's most recent estimate indicated would be produced at the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), this increase according to DOE is not substantial (less than 7 percent) of the total expected 10,000 canisters DOE estimated in its 1994 EIS.

Under this Amended ROD, DOE notes, although a national repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) has not yet been identified, DOE remains committed to meeting its obligations to safely dispose of SNF and HLW. The estimated 505 additional HLW canisters that would eventually require disposal would be more than offset by the estimated 1,000 SNF storage canisters that would have needed disposal if the SNF were not processed in H-Canyon.

DOE had explored various scenarios to address storage capacity limitations and technical issues associated with SNF and target materials in L-Basin at SRS, including implementing a dry storage program. The SRS Community Reuse Organization, among others in the region, have voiced their concerns about a potential dry storage program, preferring the active processing approach proposed in this amended ROD.

We hope both DOE and Congress live up to its long-term obligation to safely dispose of SNF and HLW. Providing funding to support the ABD mission for the next 12 to 13 years should remain a priority.

New Rural Pathway to Engineering

Two graduates from a new engineering program are headed for success. Jacob Horn (pictured left) and Zachery Wilson (pictured right) completed the first phase of the Industrial Process Engineering program at the University of South Carolina (USC) Salkehatchie in Allendale, South Carolina. Ms. Holly McCrary (pictured center) helped recruit and mentor both students as part of the Workforce Opportunities in Regional Careers (WORC) grant program that is administered by the SRSCRO in partnership with area colleges and universities.

Both students plan to attend USC Aiken this fall as part of the WORC partnership between the two universities.

Zachery Wilson transferred to USC Salkehatchie specifically because of the WORC grant opportunities. He is the 2022 Salkehatchie Academic Award recipient for both Science and Math. Jacob Horn completed both years of the engineering program at USC Salkehatchie and was named the 2022 Salkehatchie Student of the Year.

Zachery and Jacob have both served as STEM Ambassadors, Flight Camp Counselors, STEM Interns and they have volunteered for community outreach events like Nuclear Science Week career activities and the Reality Fair in April 2022 that served over 300 7^th graders from Allendale, SC, and its surrounding areas. Both students are WORC grant academic scholarship recipients.

WORC is funded by the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management and the National Nuclear Security Administration at Savannah River Site. Learn more about USC Salkehatchie’s program here.

New GAO Report of Interest

Last month, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report titled “Nuclear Waste: DOE Needs Greater Leadership Stability and Commitment to Accomplish Cleanup Mission.” The report highlights the frequent turnover among leadership in Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM).

According to GAO, this trend has slowed cleanup and made it harder to achieve EM’s complex long-term mission, such as difficulty building relationships with stakeholders, inconsistent and incomplete initiatives, and a focus on short-term actions over long-term priorities. The report notes the average top leader at EM has served for less than two years. In the last two decades, there have been five Senate-confirmed assistant secretaries (political appointees) and nine acting assistant secretaries or senior advisors.

Several options exist that can enhance leadership commitment, according to GAO. Specifically, DOE's Deputy Secretary told GAO that filling EM's top leadership position with a senior career official rather than a political appointee could help overcome some of the challenges, if serving for a long enough tenure.

In addition, GAO found that term appointments can help agencies facing long-term challenges that require sustained leadership attention over time. For example, GAO has previously supported establishing term appointments of at least five to seven years for certain leadership positions. Legislation establishing a term appointment for EM's top leader could help improve leadership stability, address challenges, and better support EM's long-term mission to clean up nuclear waste by helping create an organizational commitment that can endure across administrations.

The report also pushes for a new, dedicated DOE undersecretary position for nuclear waste management and environmental cleanup that could help ensure that EM receives the sustained attention and commitment it needs to make cleanup progress. The SRS Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO) had a similar concept back in 2014 but it also included a nuclear nonproliferation mission.

At that time, the SRSCRO was touting the possibility of a new nuclear material-oriented program office that would have a long-term vision for SRS - a program office that includes and encourages new missions for the site and maintains the site’s value to the local region as an economic engine.

DOE did not and still does not have a current single program office with all-encompassing nuclear materials research and management mission. In addition, with dismantlement of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM), no current DOE program office exists with responsibility for overseeing or acting as liaison between the nation’s civilian and military/defense nuclear waste and spent nuclear fuel. We hope GAO can further its investigation on the need for such a program office at DOE and SRS.

In This Issue

Accelerated Basin

De-Inventory Mission

New Rural Pathway

to Engineering

New GAO Report of Interest

Spotlight

Thomas Johnson, Jr.

Thomas Johnson, Jr. has announced his retirement at the end of this month. He was appointed as the DOE Savannah River Site (SRS) Deputy Manager in September 2018. Thomas entered the Senior Executive Service under a limited-term appointment in June 2011 and became a career member in November 2012. Prior to this assignment and his return to SRS, he served as the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Project Management at DOE Headquarters from 2012 - 2015.

He has both a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Earth and Environmental Resource Management from the University of South Carolina. He and his wife, Christina, have six adult children and reside in Lexington, South Carolina.

He will be missed along with his institutional knowledge and perception will be missed.

Blood Moon

Fun Facts

1. It’s a longest ‘prime-time totality’ this century - If prime time is defined as the period between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. then this eclipse will produce the longest prime-time totality this century for observers in the Pacific Time Zone.

2. It’s a technical ‘supermoon’ - This total lunar eclipse occurs close to the Moon’s perigee—the point in space when it’s closest to the Earth during its monthly orbit—which will make the Moon appear about 7% larger than average.

3. It’s a global event visible by half the planet - Unlike moonrises and moonsets, an eclipse of the Moon takes place at the same global time. You’re either on the night-side of Earth as the full Moon moves into Earth’s shadow ... or you’re not.

4. It’s got a once-in-430 years ‘twin’ eclipse - There are actually two total lunar eclipses this year, with the next one 145 days later on November 7-8, 2022. Weirdly, that also features an 84-minute totality, which highly unusual. In fact, according to Timeanddate.com, it’s the most balanced pair of lunar eclipses in 430 years.

5. The ‘Blood Moon’ will shine close to an orange star - During the eclipse the Moon will be visible against the backdrop of the stars of the constellation of Libra, “the scales.” The more prominent stars of neighboring Scorpius, visible to the Moon’s lower left, will include the orangey Antares. The 15th brightest star in the night sky and unmistakably reddish when viewed with the naked eye, Antares – which means “rival of Mars" – is 600 light-years away and about 700 times larger than the Sun.

Connections Series Returns

The popular Connections Series returns this June with a focus on careers in the Nuclear industry. Connections Series events are hosted by the SRSCRO with a focus on providing direct communication between employers and educators. The purpose is to ignite meaningful and innovative workforce development approaches. Previous events focused on Manufacturing, Cyber and Healthcare industries in the two-state region of Georgia and South Carolina.

Nuclear & Education Connections will occur mid-June with a focus on employer/educator partnerships that are working in our region. Panel sessions will feature a new generation of nuclear industry workers, Savannah River Site leaders sharing insight into future workforce needs and Department of Energy leaders that are committed to helping grow the future workforce.

The event is suitable for nuclear industry employers, K-12 decision makers and career specialists, local college/university leaders and economic development leaders in the SRSCRO region. Interested in attending? Contact Kim.Saxon@srscro.org.