Gone Fission Nuclear Report

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.

 

Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of  episodes since November 7, 2022.

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.

Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of  episodes since November 7, 2022.

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 channel on youtube.com for a videocast of  episodes since November 7, 2022.

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 burrows underground and stays for 10 years. Plus get all the latest news from DOE's Environmental Management program.

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 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.

Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of  episodes since November 7, 2022.

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.  

Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of  episodes since November 7, 2022.

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 University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Plus get all the latest news from the Environmental Management program.

Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of  episodes since November 7, 2022.

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. 

Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of  episodes since November 7, 2022.

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.

Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of  episodes since November 7, 2022.

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.

Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of  episodes since November 7, 2022.