EM Update

[Marlin]

EM Update

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOEOEM/bulletins/41f9276

[Core Content]

EM Specialists Help DOE Achieve Criticality Milestones for Advanced Reactors; University Partnerships Prepare Idaho for Used Nuclear Fuel Shipments; and much more!

Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management personnel supported four advanced microreactors in achieving criticality by the July 4 deadline. These experts conducted readiness assessments and safety reviews for the Aalo-X, Mark-0, Ward 250, and Unity reactors. This effort reflects a shift in agency focus toward supporting new nuclear energy deployments.

The involvement of cleanup specialists in reactor startup processes indicates a broader integration of Department of Energy resources to accelerate domestic nuclear development. Meanwhile, Idaho Cleanup Project teams are preparing to receive university research fuel, and Hanford workers have implemented remote tools to manage high radiation levels during legacy waste infrastructure maintenance. These activities demonstrate the technical challenges involved in balancing long-term environmental remediation with modern nuclear infrastructure expansion.

From left, Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit; U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho Operations Office Manager Bob Boston; Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Director John Wagner; Secretary of Energy Chris Wright; Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Reactors Rian Bahran; and Principal Deputy...

Office of Environmental Management (EM) experts were essential to four recent criticality milestones for advanced reactors, helping the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) surpass a July 4th goal outlined by President Trump in a May 2025 executive order.

As EM's mission expands from legacy cleanup to laying the foundation for America's new nuclear energy era, the support from EM team members in the zero-power fueled criticality demonstrations highlights EM's role beyond cleanup in the nuclear lifecycle.

Read the full article at DOE Office of Environmental Management:
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOEOEM/bulletins/41f9276