Virtual Meeting | June 21 and 25, 2021
The 2021 Spring Meeting of the Federal Facilities Task Force (FFTF) provided members of the FFTF with an opportunity to meet with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) and state peers to discuss key issues relevant to states impacted by the ongoing cleanup of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex. The thirteen states participating in FFTF include: California, Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington.
Members of FFTF were joined on day one by DOE-EM leadership for a dialog on the new administrations’ priorities and key current and emerging areas of interest, including PFAS contamination at federal facilities, the DOE-EM 10-Year Strategic Vision for cleanup, and state-federal coordination for cleanup site budgeting and project prioritization. The second day, continued with a states-only discussions focused on state- and site-specific issues and ongoing business. Topics discussed included engagement with the new administration, state and federal collaborative decision-making to accelerate cleanup of nuclear weapons waste, and topics of interest for the 2021 Fall Intergovernmental Meeting, among others.
Agenda
(Download)
Day 1 – June 21, 2021
Welcome and Introductions
- Dan Lauf, Program Director, NGA Center for Best Practices
- Bevin Buchheister, Senior Policy Analyst, NGA Center for Best Practices
- Joceline Nahigian, Director, Office of Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Programs, DOE-EM
Discussion with DOE-EM Leadership
DOE-EM leadership will discuss the priorities of the new administration and how they impact cleanup plans and address key current and emerging areas of interest across the complex. After remarks, the FFTF will engage in an interactive question and answer session.
Speaker: William “Ike” White, Senior Advisor for Environmental Management to the Under Secretary for Science, DOE-EM
Group Discussion Discussion Topics:
- DOE-EM’s top priorities for the cleanup program under the new administration and opportunities for states to engage and assist
- Addressing PFAS contamination at DOE sites
- Incorporating climate change into cleanup planning
- How states and the FFTF provide input on DOE cleanup prioritization and budgeting to ensure that agreed-upon milestones drive DOE’s planning processes
Moderator: Dan Lauf, Program Director, NGA Center for Best Practices
Budget and Prioritization
DOE-EM leadership and states will have a focused conversation on the budget prioritization process and how states can develop a uniform level of engagement with DOE site counterparts across the weapons complex. Best practices for select sites will be highlighted. Meeting participants will also discuss how states can provide input on cleanup task prioritization under low, medium, and high budget scenarios.
Speaker: Todd Shrader, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, DOE-EM
Group Discussion – Discussion Topics:
- Opportunities for states to provide input on Integrated Priority Lists/FY+2 Lookahead Planning documents used to rank priorities for budget allocations at sites given site lifecycle baseline planning needs.
- How DOE Headquarters balances site-level priorities to develop its complex-wide budget prioritization
- How DOE Headquarters, sites, and states can coordinate planning for budget appropriations that exceed expected levels and use additional funding to accelerate cleanup and reduce the complex footprint and hotel costs.
- Moderator: Bevin Buchheister, Policy Analyst, NGA Center for Best Practices
Wrap-up and Discussion
- Key points/highlights from sessions with DOE
- Action items
- Next steps
Day 2: June 25, 2021
Welcome and Introductions
- Dan Lauf, Program Director, NGA Center for Best Practices
- Bevin Buchheister, Senior Policy Analyst, NGA Center for Best Practices
Update on Events and Issues Since Last Meeting
- Andy Chinn, Senior Associate, Ross Strategic
- Mario Colón, Research Associate, Ross Strategic
Roundtable on State-Specific Issues
Each FFTF state will have four minutes to briefly share the latest news and important updates, including progress and challenges, from their state.
Moderator: Timothy Schoonhoven, Policy Analyst, NGA Center for Best Practices
