Recyclable Nukes in Energy Bill. Whose Crazy Idea Is This?

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The Energy bill aims to facilitate the next generation of nukes and nuke plants. Also, there are countless issues regarding waste storage, transportation, and conversion into new deadly applications, like mini-nukes, bunker-busters, as well as the continuation and expansion of nuclear energy plants.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.00006: (enter manually and include the : symbol)

Nuclear energy accounts for about 20% of our electricity needs; 30% worldwide. It's promoted as a clean energy alternative. But, the 20-30% could be made up by renewable sources. However, the administration and the nuclear industry insist that we preserve and expand our nuclear program, using "energy security" as their justification.

Here's the hook.

In December 2002 the United States Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy Research Advisory Committee and the Generation IV International Forum issued "A Technology Roadmap for the Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems." http://gif.inel.gov/roadmap/pdfs/gen_iv_roadmap.pdf
(big file, a must read!)

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) was named in 1999 the Department of Energy's lead laboratory for Environmental Management, responsible for the long-term stewardship of DOE facilities. The major elements within the INEEL's Environmental Management Program are Environmental Restoration, Waste Management, Spent Nuclear Fuel, and High-Level Waste. http://www.inel.gov/

In 1999, DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (DOE-NE) designated the INEEL and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) as lead laboratories for Nuclear Reactor Technology. In the summer of 2002, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced the INEEL will serve as the nation's primary nuclear technology center. (The place where the nuclear madness is mushrooming).

The Environmental Management Program (http://www.inel.gov/environment/documents/2003-sep-prog-rpt.pdf) funds slightly over 70% of the work at the INEEL. This includes Waste Management, Environmental Restoration, Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level Waste, INTEC, and Validation and Verification. The remaining funding sources consist of Work for Others (WFO), offices of Nuclear Energy, Energy Efficiency and Reenewable Energy, Fossil Energy, Office of Science, Nonproliferation and National Security

So, INEEL is deep in Nuclear waste management. And their focus is on the recycling of nuclear waste as opposed to primary immobilization and storage. It doesn't solve the waste issues, it compounds the problem by dispersing degraded, spent, or blended materials to new weapons and new and existing nuclear energy plants. Much of the converted waste will be redistributed outside of the country.

But they are also charged by those in and out of the Bush administration who have an interest in preserving the faltering industry with developing new nuclear technologies to counter the declining support and the disappearing rationale for nuclear power.

So, INEEL is the place where nuke resaerch and development has been centered since 1952. But, in 1989 the EPA placed the INEEL on the National Priorities List of Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Sites because of confirmed contaminant releases into the environment.

Yet, the INEEL is still considered the primary site for nuclear energy research and development.


Current activities are:

Generation IV As the DOE's lead laboratories for nuclear reactor technology development, The INEEL (http://www.inel.gov/initiatives/generation.shtml) and Argonne National Laboratory are organizing and coordinating the Generation IV Initiative.Generation IV Roadmap supporting documents:
http://gif.inel.gov/roadmap/


The INEEL provides specialized management, applied research, systems analysis, proof-of-concept engineering, technological support, and related services for various offices of the Department of Energy (DOE):

Environmental Management
http://www.inel.gov/environment/

Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology
http://www.inel.gov/major-programs/#ne

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
http://www.inel.gov/major-programs/#ee

Office of Science (SC)
http://www.inel.gov/major-programs/#sc

Nonproliferation And National Security
http://www.inel.gov/major-programs/#nn

Fossil Energy (FE)
http://www.inel.gov/major-programs/#fe

Defense Programs
http://www.inel.gov/major-programs/#fe

Environment, Safety, and Health
http://www.inel.gov/major-programs/#fe

All are just fronts for the expansion of nuclear, oil, and hydrogen ambitions; financed by the taxpayer in the Energy bill.

To address the environmental mismanagement and abuse, INEEL was divided into 10 clean-up sites.
Nine strategic initiatives were developed around these objectives to accelerate cleanup. They include:

Accelerate Tank Farm Closure
Accelerate High-level Waste Calcine Removal from Idaho
Accelerate Consolidation of Spent Nuclear Fuel to the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center
Accelerate Off-site Shipments of Transuranic Waste Stored in the Transuranic Waste Storage Area
Accelerate Remediation of Miscellaneous Contaminated Areas
Eliminate On-Site Treatment and Disposal of Low-Level and Mixed Low-Level Waste
Transfer all EM-Managed Special Nuclear Material Off-site
Remediate Buried Waste in the Radioactive Waste Management Complex
Accelerate Consolidation of INEEL Facilities and Reduce Footprint

Contained within these remedial inituatives are expansive plans for the next generation of renewable nukes; regeneration of spent waste, namely uranium, the extraction of hydrogen from oil and water, and the blending of waste as in the Mixed-Oxide(MOX)reactors in Russia and elsewhere. And, funding for all of these inituatives is buried in the Energy and Defense bills.

“Nuclear Energy Finance Act of 2003.”

SEC. 433. PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
(a) MANAGEMENT.— The project shall be managed within the Department by the Office of
Nuclear Energy Science and Technology.
(b) LEAD LABORATORY.—The lead laboratory for the program, providing the site for the
reactor construction, shall be the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (“INEEL”).
(c) STEERING COMMITTEE.—The Secretary shall establish a national steering committee with
membership from the national laboratories, universities, and industry to provide advice to the Secretary
and the Director of the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology on technical and program
management aspects of the project.
(d) COLLABORATION.—Project activities shall be conducted at INEEL, other national
laboratories, universities, domestic industry, and international partners.

SEC. 434. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
(a) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.—The project shall include planning, research and
development, design, and construction of an advanced, next-generation, nuclear energy system suitable
for enabling further research and development on advanced reactor technologies and alternative
approaches for reactor-based generation of hydrogen.
(1) The project shall utilize, where appropriate, extensive reactor test capabilities
resident at INEEL.
(2) The project shall be designed to explore technical, environmental, and
economic feasibility of alternative approaches for reactor-based hydrogen production.
(3) The industrial lead for the project must be a United States-based company.
(b) INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION.—The Secretary shall seek international cooperation,

(1) The project may contract for assistance from specialists or facilities from member countries of the Generation IV International Forum, the Russian Federation, or other international partners where such specialists or facilities provide access to cost-effective and relevant skills or test capabilities.
(2) International activities shall be coordinated with the Generation IV International Forum.
(3) The Secretary may combine this project with the Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Program.

The term “National Laboratory” means any of the following laboratories
owned by the Department:
(A) Ames Laboratory.
(B) Argonne National Laboratory.
(C) Brookhaven National Laboratory.
(D) Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
(E) Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.
(F) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
(G) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
(H) Los Alamos National Laboratory.
(I) National Energy Technology Laboratory.
(J) National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
(K) Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
(L) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
(M) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
(N) Sandia National Laboratories.
(O) Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.
(P) Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.


The nuclear industry is scrambling to justify its existence and is bolstered by the rhetoric of the administration and congressional supporters who defend their efforts in the preservation and expansion of nuclear energy systems as a national security concern.

“Nuclear Energy Finance Act of 2003.”

SEC. 423. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SECRETARY.
(a) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.— Subject to the requirements of the Federal Credit Reform Act
of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661 et seq.), the Secretary may, subject to appropriations, make available to
project developers for eligible project costs such financial assistance as the Secretary determines is
necessary to supplement private-sector financing for projects if he determines that such projects are
needed to contribute to energy security, fuel or technology diversity, or clean air attainment goals. The
Secretary shall prescribe such terms and conditions for financial assistance as the Secretary deems
necessary or appropriate to protect the financial interests of the United States.

(b) REACTOR CONSTRUCTION.—The following sum is authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary for all project-related construction activities, to be available until expended, $500,000,000.


We import the spent fuel from Russian nukes and process it for the remaining uranium powered electric plants in the U.S. and abroad. The program has been successful in the elimination of some 4,000 Russian warheads, but has created a dependence on the Russian uranium to power the U.S. plants; prompting the Energy Dept. to explore and pursue new sources of nuclear fuel for these plants.

Also new plants are contemplated in the Energy and Defense legislation which would utilize the new generation of recycled nuclear fuels (MOX mixed-oxide, hydrogen based, depleted uranium, etc.) . These centers will almost certainly be formatted to accomodate the next generation of nuclear weapons, such as, mini tactical nukes and bunker- busters.

INELL will undoubtably be at the center of this effort.

The INEEL is operated for the DOE by Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC. Members of the LLC are Bechtel National, Inc., BWX Technologies Co and INRA. INRA is a consortium of eight regional universities.The DOE field office is the Idaho Operations Office.

The University of Chicago operates Argonne National Laboratory West (http://www.inel.gov/facilities/anl-w-status.shtml) and reports to DOE's Chicago Operations Office. Bechtel Bettis, Inc. operates the Naval Reactors Facility that reports to DOE's Pittsburgh Naval Operations Office.

The INEEL consists of the eight major facility areas scattered across an 890-square-mile area in southeastern Idaho typically referred to as the "site." The ninth area includes several laboratories located approximately 30 miles east in the city of Idaho Falls.

The Test Area North - TAN consists of facilities for handling, storage, examination, and research of spent nuclear fuel. TAN also houses the Specific Manufacturing Capability Project, which makes armor packages for Army tanks.
Background, Cleanup Status
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/tan.shtml
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/tan-status.shtml

The Test Reactor Area - TRA is the world's most sophisticated materials testing complex and has extensive facilities for studying the effects of radiation on materials, fuels, and equipment.
Background, Cleanup Status
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/tra.shtml
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/tra-status.shtml

The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center - INTEC provides safe interim storage for government-owned spent nuclear fuels. INTEC currently develops new approaches and technologies to prepare spent fuel and other nuclear materials for eventual disposal in a national repository. It also is the center for the INEEL's High-Level Waste treatment program.
Background, Cleanup Status
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/intec.shtml
http://www.inel.gov/environment/intec/

The Central Facilities Area - CFA houses many technical and support services including monitoring and calibration laboratories, fire protection, medical services, warehouses, vehicle and equipment pools, and bus operations.
Background, Cleanup Status
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/cfa.shtml
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/cfa-status.shtml

The Waste Reduction Operations Complex/Power Burst Facility - WROC/PBF is housed in an area formerly used for reactor operations. WROC/PBF provides safe treatment, storage, and recycling of the INEEL's radioactive, mixed, and industrial/commercial wastes.
Background, Cleanup Status
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/wroc-pbf.shtml
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/wroc-pbf-status.shtml

The Radioactive Waste Management Complex - RWMC studies the strategies for waste storage, processing, and disposal. Some 32,000 drums containing waste are safely stored at this facility.
Background, Cleanup Status
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/rwmc.shtml
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/rwmc-status.shtml

The Naval Reactors Facility - NRF is the birthplace of the U.S. Nuclear Navy. NRF receives and examines Naval spent fuel, and works together with other INEEL facilities to continually improve nuclear propulsion systems
Background, Current Status (operations/remediation)
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/nrf.shtml
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/nrf-status.shtml

The Argonne National Laboratory-West - ANL-W is part of Argonne National Laboratory operated by the University of Chicago, conducts research and development and operates facilities for DOE in areas of national concern including energy, nuclear safety, spent nuclear fuel treatment, nonproliferation, decommissioning and decontamination technologies, and nuclear material disposal.
Background, Current Status (operations/remediation)
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/anl-w.shtml
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/anl-w-status.shtml

The INEEL Research Center - IRC is located in Idaho Falls, and is INEEL's primary research complex with activites in the areas of fundamental and applied R&D in science and engineering areas critical to national and DOE missions.
Background
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/irc.shtml

The Areas Outside Facility Boundaries and Snake River Plain Aquifer are original aboriginal territories of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall reservation. A wide variety of natural and cultural resources and areas at the INEEL directly reflect the Tribes’ cultural heritage. These resources are of great importance in the maintenance of tribal spiritual and cultural values and activities, oral tradition and history, mental and economic well-being, and overall quality of life. The DOE has long acknowledged its commitment to protect not only the health and safety of the Tribes but also the environment and cultural resources that are essential to their subsistence and culture. In the holistic worldview of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, land, air, water, plants, animals and humans are all interconnected. Changes and losses in the landscape are seen as leading to an imbalance in nature that affects all things.
Cleanup Status
http://www.inel.gov/facilities/outside-areas-status.shtml

Map of facility locations:



Help me expose the money people behind INEEL. I'll bet they lead to Energy Sec. Abraham or Bush & Co. http://www.inel.gov/about/

[LastDemInIdaho]

1. In 1999, DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) designated...

Help me out here, my memory is foggy...who was running the show in 1999?

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2. Was it William D. Magwood, IV ?

http://www.house.gov/science/energy/jun14/magwood.htm


or are you referring to the then Sec. of Energy, Bill Richardson?