2026 WASTE MANAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM RECAP
During the 2026 Waste Management Symposium, ECA hosted three panels and a Board Meeting. On Tuesday, ECA hosted a board meeting where ECA Executive Board Chair and Oak Ridge Councilman Chuck Hope opened with remarks outlining past and future priorities for ECA, and promoted the upcoming ECA New Nuclear Forum in Augusta, GA. If you are interested in registering for the Forum, click here!
The board was joined by Assistant Secretary for the Office of Environmental Management, Tim Walsh who spoke to the board about the future goals and past successes of EM, including reusing DOE sites for energy projects. Additional topics were discussed including:
How to expand nuclear energy by building up additional workforce.
Collaborating with labor to efficiently and safely achieve cleanup goals.
Working with and seeking local community input.
Thank you, Mr. Walsh for taking the time to join our board meeting!
Following the board meeting, ECA hosted a panel titled "The Direction of US Policy in 2026 for Cleanup, SNF, HLW, and Budget" featuring David Reeploeg (TRIDEC), David Campbell (EnergySolutions), Kara Colton (ECA), Colin Jones (Amentum), Eric Knox (Amentum), Sean Todd (Fox Potomac Resources), and Candice Trummell (BWXT).
This panel, moderated by David Reeploeg, focused on budget, appropriations, and policy aspects of cleanup and development, with panelists noting the palpable energy for new nuclear projects and bipartisan support for EM. Other topics discussed included:
Energy for new nuclear and data center development must move at the speed of trust and safety.
Anticipated turnover of 39 governors this November
The opportunities for the back-end of the fuel cycle in the current DOE RFI establishing Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.
Successes of cleanup projects across the country, and the importance of community engagement and support to help the projects succeed.
On Wednesday, ECA hosted two more panels beginning with "Focusing on US Legacy HLW, and SNF - Moving the Process Forward" featuring Laura Hermann (ECA), JJ Chavez (City of Carlsbad), Craig Z. Clymer (City of Paducah), Amy Fitzgerald (City of Oak Ridge), M.H. Hootie Langseth (Butte County), Vesa Lakaniemi (Municipality of Eurajoki), and Marla Morales (DOE-NE).
This panel focused on opportunities to use used nuclear fuel, address high-level waste disposal, what it means to close the fuel cycle, and a discussion on building and keeping trust with host communities. Other topics discussed included:
Community, local, and state collaboration anticipated in preparing responses for the current DOE RFI establishing Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.
Dichotomies between host communities and other other communities across the state in supporting current nuclear projects, and discussing ways to help build consensus.
Opening up transparent community dialogue to inform future decisions, and finding trusted community voices to have those important conversations.
Finally, ECA hosted a session titled "Reusing US DOE Sites to Support Mission and Economic Opportunities" featured opening remarks from Joel Bradburne, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for DOE-EM who spoke about the nuclear renaissance in the US, and expressed excitement that legacy cleanup is no longer a mission beyond our lifetimes. The panel comprised of AJ Ridge (ECA), Ed Blandford (Kairos Power), Robbie Bennett (SRSCRO), Jennifer Chandler (City of Piketon), Chuck Hope (City of Oak Ridge), Seth Kirshenberg (ECA), and Sandra Wilson (City of Paducah).
This panel focused on how existing EM sites are being reused for DOE/NNSA missions and economic development opportunities. Additional topics discussed included:
Imperative needs to grow, train, and recruit the needed workforce to support these incoming projects.
Strategies for setting mutual goals between communities, DOE, and companies for cleanup and reuse.
Continuing and expanding communication between communities and DOE in all aspect of the projects at hand
The process to develop and acquire DOE sites for reuse
Thank you to all who joined us at the 2026 Waste Management Symposium!