Communities around Energy Department nuclear cleanup sites deserve a voice in the agency’s much-discussed end-state contracting model, according to the Energy Communities Alliance.
Local input is important “particularly in regard to DOE’s plans to implement any updated or revised approaches to waste management and disposal,” the ECA said in a recent report on radioactive waste policy.
The ECA said end-state contracting, with its emphasis on rewarding vendors with increased fees for reaching remediation milestones quicker, together with a fresh look at what material should be treated as high-level waste, present an opportunity for the DOE Office of Environmental Management. The office is under pressure because, despite spending billions annually, its environmental liability continues to grow.
If handled properly the two changes together could present a “much-needed sea change in addressing the highest risk and highest cost waste in the DOE cleanup program,” according to the Energy Communities Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based nongovernmental group that represents communities near DOE facilities.
With competitively bid contracts scheduled to be awarded over the next two years at most of the 16 nuclear sites managed by the Environmental Management office, it is critical the process “be fully informed by community input and DOE’s risk-informed plans,” ECA said.
Obtaining local input can reduce the chance of subsequent contract modifications that could add time and cost to DOE projects, according to the April 29 report. Giving local stakeholders input early on can help the government anticipate future complications, according to ECA.
In its report, the ECA reaffirmed support for DOE’s potential move to start classifying high-level radioactive waste based more on its radioactive risk profile and less on its source of origin. The Energy Department has not yet publicly said whether it intends to move ahead with the new approach.
