ECA releases new online guide to nuclear cleanup

Interactive guide for communities and governments to help navigate nuclear waste cleanup

Today the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) released the Guide to Successful Environmental Cleanup, an interactive online resource that provides frequently asked questions, case studies, and recommendations regarding nuclear waste cleanup.

To assist local government officials, their communities, and federal agencies in deciphering the complexities of the environmental cleanup process, ECA developed this guide to facilitate future successful cleanups.

“The role of local governments and communities in the cleanup process is more important than ever,” said Brent Gerry, ECA Chair and Mayor of the City of West Richland, WA. “Our goal with this guide is to help local communities, stakeholders, states, and Tribes better understand the components of the DOE and NNSA cleanup program, and to assist DOE in better understanding the questions local elected officials in frontline communities need to answer to build and maintain support for cleanup decisions.”

The guide focuses on seven key areas: cleanup basics; establishing site priorities; community engagement; managing risk; federal budget issues; economic issues; and environmental laws and regulations.

“ECA’s cleanup guide is a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about environmental cleanup,” ECA Executive Director Seth Kirshenberg said. “Whether you’re someone who lives near a DOE site, a DOE official, a newly elected local official, or even a member of Congress, there are useful perspectives for you in this guide.”

In each section of the guide, there are questions and answers, infographics, and videos to clearly explain these complex issues to readers—whether they are experts or interested constituents. Additionally, each section includes links to key laws and publications related to environmental cleanup for further background.

Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper, Vice Chair of ECA, added, “The cleanup process has evolved over the 30 years of the Environmental Management program. As such, ECA’s unique guide will continue to be updated as new cleanup questions arise in the future, and as we learn new lessons and identify best practices.”

The Guide to Successful Environmental Cleanup can be found on ECA’s website here.