If the Department of Energy (DOE) were eliminated, nuclear waste management in the U.S. would face significant challenges. The DOE is responsible for developing and implementing strategies for the safe handling and disposal of radioactive waste, including designing and operating disposal facilities.
Without the DOE, these responsibilities would need to be transferred to another agency or a new independent organization, as recommended by expert panels
This transition could disrupt current waste management programs, delay the development of permanent disposal solutions, and increase taxpayer burdens due to interim storage costs.
These added responsibilities could overwhelm any other agency, Wouldn't?
17 comments:
I doubt DOE will be eliminated.
“The Department of Energy is Created”
https://www.energy.gov/fecm/our-history#:~:text=On%20August%204%2C%201977%2C%20President,various%20government%20agencies%2C%20including%20ERDA.
What is being done these days about permanent disposal solutions? No state wants such facilities, including Nevada.
DOE has huge responsibilities necessary to national security.
Its functions would likely be distributed among several different agencies or organizations. Like:
Nuclear Weapons:
* Department of Defense (DoD): The DoD could take over responsibility for the nuclear weapons program, as it did during the Cold War. This would involve managing the nuclear stockpile, conducting research and development, and ensuring the safety and security of nuclear weapons.
Energy Research and Development:
* National Science Foundation (NSF): The NSF could take over funding for basic research in energy science, such as fusion, solar, and wind energy.
* Department of Commerce: The Department of Commerce could take over responsibility for applied research and development, such as developing new energy technologies and promoting their commercialization.
Energy Regulation:
* Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC): The FERC could continue to regulate interstate electricity sales, natural gas pipelines, and hydroelectric power projects.
* Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The EPA could take over responsibility for regulating emissions from power plants and other energy facilities.
Energy Conservation:
* Department of Energy: Some functions related to energy conservation, such as promoting energy efficiency standards, could be transferred to other agencies, such as the Department of Commerce or the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
It is important to note that this is just one possible scenario. The actual distribution of DOE's functions would depend on the specific plan for dismantling the agency.
This is assuming none of the above are dismantled.
You worry about the future administration's commitment to nuclear waste managment, two words describe the current administration's efforts: Sam Brinton
Complete elimination would require substantial legislative support.
Even though some GOP congressmen are opposed, I know from experience that they will fold. How many of them have you heard speak out then fold during votes?
I don't trust any GOP Congressmen/women, including Murkovsky , Collins Romney etc...
The DoD has never had responsibility for the nuclear weapons program.
The EPA already regulates emissions.
The EPA is in danger if being eliminated by the two geniuses !
From the above it seems we really have no long term waste program. Thus it is silly to talk about a new fleet of power reactors.
About as likely as Musk eliminating Social Security and Medicare.
Oh no! The impacts are different. Social security isn't an entitlement. It is retirees'money.
Most retirees, especially in red states, will starve without it!
GOP lawmakers won't let them.
However, DOE is easily dismantelable.
The 2 stooges in charge of the "DOGE" will
convince them that dismantling (or reducing the functions of)
of the DOE is doable. Watch!
Other stooges convinced congress to privatize some labs' management, remember that?
Hormesis must be true since the Ukrainians are fighting so well despite the effects of Chernobyl!
Since hormesis is real, couldn't the US government sell nuclear waste to the health food industry, or add radioisotopes to our drinking water? By setting the price appropriately high, the government could reduce the Federal deficit, while increasing the health of the American public, allowing our bloated healthcare system to be downsized.
I have also heard that boomers are more successful than the younger generation and they were raised back when there was leaded gasoline. Why not bring back leaded gasoline so that the younger generation can enjoy the benefits of increased prosperity?
After all, Rome fell not because of lead, but because economic problems led to decreased lead production, as is currently the case in our country. By restoring lead production we can reinvigorate our country and make it great again!
We could also bring back above ground nuclear testing, and the government could raise money by charging $10,000 a head for spectators. Millions of people from all over the world would flock to the United States, and this effort alone could reduce the deficit greatly!
These new measures, of course, would also scare any adversaries quite a bit, and they would no doubt not bother us much anymore. As you might imagine, this would bring a peace dividend that we could direct into more development of nuclear armaments as well as further peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Either you are delirious or you are reporting a chat bot answer to some questions you asked it. You are not serious.
5:12 -- no it isn't serious, but on a more serious note we could take our waste to the south pole, and just let it melt through the mile of ice there and become entombed. There is some sort of treaty in place I am sure that would prevent us doing that, but we could exit that. I am not sure of what the costs of transport would be, of course, that would have to be worked out.
It's almost certain with this approach that by the time any escaped to the environment it would be decayed by many half-lives, assuming we don't have runaway global warming.
Meanwhile, we could build a network of nuclear powered refrigerators at the South Pole which would take CO2 out of the air as dry ice which could then be entombed in giant insulted landfills.
12/10/2024 4:57 PM
REPLY
The 4.57pm post is a bot or some kind of AI chatbot. I would guess all blogs are going to more and more of these fake posts.
God I miss the old blog. I guess Scooby could not handle posts from LLNL and LANL employees. I think the blog died in 2021.
We will see how things will go with Dodge. Maybe someone can host a LLNL/LANL blog that will deal with the incoming cuts. I thank Scooby for giving a voice to LLNL and LANL but if Musk really plans on cutting 90% of the workforce we may need a new blog where people can speak. In any case Scooby has done a good job probably saved a number LLNL jobs.
Conspiracy time...Maybe Musk is trying to get the best people from LLNL and LANL to leave so they can sent Mars to start a new world. He cannot be that dumb can he?
What makes you think the blog died in 2021? I am here for the duration.
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