The Environmental Defense Institute Focuses on Nuclear Issues
The Environmental Defense Institute (EDI), is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is actively engaged with nuclear issues, especially those involving the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Since 1990, EDI has been an advocate for environmentally sound nuclear policy decisions because the health of our environment affects people and all living things, now and in future generations. EDI provides information resources to enable citizens to make informed choices regarding these issues.
While EDI focuses on nuclear issues in Idaho, we follow nuclear energy and weapons issues at other U.S. Department of Energy sites, including Sandia National Laboratory (SNL),the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico, and Hanford in Washington state. We also follow nuclear energy issues nationally and internationally, from U.S. spent fuel issues to the nuclear catastrophe at Fukushima in Japan.
Read Our Newsletter
Read our latest Newsletter covering INL, national, and international nuclear issues. View past newsletters here.
Please read our special 30 Year Anniversary of Chernobyl April 2016 newsletter with important biodosimetry and human epidemiology findings and more, here.
Read Our Most Recent Reports
- Public Comment Submittal to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Planned Change Request for WIPP Replacement Panels 11 and 12, Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2024-0309, September 9, 2024, by Tami Thatcher
- Presentation - The Downside of Expanding Nuclear Energy - Unspoken High Costs and Harm, June 27, 2024, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Department of Energy Activities in Support of Commercial Production of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU), DOE/EIS-0559, Submitted April 20, 2024, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on Department of Energy's Draft Basis for Section 3116 Determination for Closure of the Calcined Solids Storage Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory Site Submitted December 11, 2023, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on Generating Carbon Pollution-Free Electricity on the Idaho National Laboratory Site, Scoville, Idaho, Submitted November 2, 2023, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) meeting held in Idaho Falls, Idaho on August 29 and 30, 2023. Submitted September 7, 2023, Revision 1, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program (Draft SPDP EIS) (DOE/EIS-0549), February 13, 2023, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on the on Oregon State Legislature, HB 2215 and SB 676, that Removes requirement that adequate repository for terminal disposition of high-level radioactive waste be licensed as precondition for issuance of site certificate for nuclear-fueled thermal power plant, February 20 and February 13, 2023, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal regarding the Stibnite Gold Project Environmental Impact Statement, January 9, 2023, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Regarding the Los Alamos National Laboratory, December 16, 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Idaho Department of Water Resources 2022 Rulemaking for the Safety of Dams and Mine Tailings Impoundment Structures, Power-point Presentation, October 27, 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Mackay Dam, Failure Far More Likely Than Previously Thought, Power-point Presentation, September 2, 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment on August 9, 2022 Draft 37.03.06 - Safety of Dams rules and 37.03.05 - Mine Tailings Impoundment Structures Rules, Docket No. 37-0305-2201, August 19, 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment on Draft Safety of Dams and Mine Tailings Impoundment Structures, V1.0, Docket No. 37-0305-2201 - Additional comment on seismic design requiremens and hazard cateogories, July 28, 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment on Draft Safety of Dams and Mine Tailings Impoundment Structures, V1.0, Docket No. 37-0305-2201, June 10 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regarding the Draft Hazardous Waste Management Act/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Storage and Treatment Partial Permit Renewal for the Radioactive Waste Management Complex Accelerated Retrieval Project on the Idaho National Laboratory, EPA ID# ID4890008952, June 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Review of Ralph Stanton's Radiation Dose from the 2011 Plutonium Inhalation Event at the Idaho National Laboratory - Part 2, April 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Review of Ralph Stanton's Radiation Dose from the 2011 Plutonium Inhalation Event at the Idaho National Laboratory - Part 1, Lung Counting, April 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on the U.S. Department of Energy's Request for Information (RFI) on Consent-Based Siting and Federal Interim Storage, March 2, 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on the U.S. Department of Energy Draft Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Evaluation for the Test Bed Initiative Demonstration, February 2022, by Tami Thatcher
- Environmental Defense Institute Special Report: Airborne Radiological Releases from the Idaho National Laboratory and the Increasing Radioactive Contamination in Southeast Idaho, December 2021, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regarding its Notice of Intent to Approve a Draft Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Permit Modification for the INTEC Liquid Waste Management System Partial Permit at the Idaho National Laboratory (Changes to the IWTU), December 20, 2021, by Chuck Broscious and November 2021 submittal by Chuck Broscious
- Public Comment Submittal to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regarding its Notice of Intent to Approve a Draft Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Permit Modification for the INTEC Liquid Waste Management System Partial Permit at the Idaho National Laboratory (Changes to the IWTU), December 20, 2021, by Tami Thatcher and November 2021 submittal by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on the U.S. Department of Defense Draft Construction and Demonstration of a prototype Mobile Microreactor (Project Pele) Environmental Impact Statement (Issued September 2021), November 7 2021, by Chuck Broscious
- Public Comment Submittal on the U.S. Department of Defense Draft Construction and Demonstration of a prototype Mobile Microreactor (Project Pele) Environmental Impact Statement (Issued September 2021), November 6 2021, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on the U.S. Department of Energy's Final Environmental Assessment for Microreactor Applications Research, Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) Project at Idaho National Laboratory (DOE/EA-2146), July 2021, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal to the Idaho Leadership in Nuclear Energy (LINE) Commission, May 12, 2021, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal on the U.S. Department of Energy's Versatile Test Reactor Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0542), by Chuck Broscious, Environmental Defense Institute, March 2021
- Public Comment Submittal on the U.S. Department of Energy's Versatile Test Reactor Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0542), by Tami Thatcher, February 2021 and VTR Comments with emphasis on VTR accidents, by Tami Thatcher, March 1, 2021
- Public Comment Submittal on the U.S. Department of Energy's Draft Environmental Assessment for Microreactor Applications Research, Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) Project at Idaho National Laboratory (DOE/EA-2146), by Tami Thatcher, January 26, 2021
- Citizen Action New Mexico comment submittal to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding its draft EIS for the Holtec Consolidated Interim Storage Facility Project for New Mexico, Docket NRC-2018-0052, by David B. McCoy, Executive Director, Citizen Action New Mexico, September 2020
- Comment submittal to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding its draft EIS for the Holtec Consolidated Interim Storage Facility Project for New Mexico, Docket NRC-2018-0052, by Tami Thatcher, September 2020
- Comments on Scoping Warfighter Mobile Nuclear Reactor Power Generation Environmental Impact Statement, Docket Number DOD-2020-OS-0002, March 31, 2020, by Chuck Broscious
- Public Comment Submittal for the Department of Defense Prototype Microreactor EIS Comments regarding the scope of an Environmental Impact Statement for Construction and Demonstration of a Prototype Advanced Mobile Nuclear Microreactor, Docket Number DOD-2020-OS-0002, March 30, 2020, by Tami Thatcher
- Public Comment Submittal for Proposed Change by Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to Update Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, Docket Number CEQ-2019-0003, by Chuck Broscious and Public Comment Submittal also by Tami Thatcher, March 2019
- Public Comment Submittal to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for Class 2 Permit Modification Request and Request for Temporary Authorization for the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center and Radioactive Waste Management Complex Located on the INL, by Tami Thatcher, November 2019
- Public Comment Submittal for Department of Energy Draft Environmental Statement for Expanding Capabilities at the National Security Test Range and the Radiological Response Training Range at Idaho National Laboratory, DOE/EA-2068, by Chuck Broscious, October 12, 2019 and Public Comment Submittal on DOE/EA-2068 also by Tami Thatcher, October 12, 2019
- Public Comment Submittal for Department of Energy Environmental Impact Statement Scope for a Versatile Test Reactor, by Tami Thatcher, September 2, 2019
- SL-1 Accident Consequences, by Tami Thatcher, September 1, 2019
- Comment submittal to Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regarding Permit Modification Request (PMR) and Request for Temporary Authorization for the AMWTP, by Tami Thatcher, August 29, 2019
- EDI Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) Permit, Rev. 2.0, by Chuck Broscious, July 8, 2019
- EDI Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) Permit Comments, by Chuck Broscious, May 2, 2019 and Attachment A and Attachment B
- "Our Nuclear Nightmare," by Ralph Stanton, radiation worker at the Idaho National Laboratory's ZPPR accident
- Petition for Review of HWMA/RCRA Hazardous Waste Treatment and Storage Permit Renewal for the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP), by Tami Thatcher, May 15, 2019 and corrected coversheet for Case Docket No. 0105-19-01
- Snake River Plain Aquifer at Risk, Updated by Chuck Broscious, President Environmental Defense Institute, January 2019 and compiled references
- Supplementary Public Comments for the Record on U.S. Department of Energy Interpretation of High-Level Radioactive Waste, by Chuck Broscious, President Environmental Defense Institute, January 8, 2019
- Comment submittal on the U.S. Department of Energy Interpretation of High-Level Radioactive Waste, by Tami Thatcher, January 2019
- Comment submittal on the U.S. Department of Energy Draft Environmental Assessment for Use of DOE-Owned High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Stored at Idaho National Laboratory, by Chuck Broscious and also a submittal by Tami Thatcher, November 30, 2018
- Comment submittal to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding Interim Storage Partner's LLC Consolidated Interim Storage Facility, Docket NRC-2-16-02341, at the Waste Control Specialists (WCS) facility in Andrews County, Texas, by Tami Thatcher, November 19, 2018
- Comment submittal to Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regarding Partial Permit for Hazardous Waste at the AMWTP, After Causal Analysis Report of Drum Ruptures by Tami Thatcher, October 29, 2018
- Comment submittal to Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regarding Partial Permit for Hazardous Waste at the AMWTP, by Tami Thatcher, October 12, 2018
- Comment submittal to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-R10-RCRA-2018-0298 concerning Idaho DEQ application to increase its hazardous waste program, by Chuck Broscious, September 26, 2018
- Comment submittal to Washington State Department of Ecology on the proposed remediation change to the Hanford Plutonium Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant Storage Tunnels, by Chuck Broscious, September 26, 2018
- Comment submittal to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding proposed rule to strengthen science used in regulation, Docket ID EPA-HQ-OA-2018-0259, by Chuck Broscious, August 2018
- Comment submittal to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding Holtec International HI-STORE Consolidated Interim Storage Facility Project for New Mexico, Docket NRC-2018-0052, by Tami Thatcher, July 2018
- Report: Potential Unreviewed Safety Question Affecting Department of Energy Complex Concerning Hydrogen Generation in TRU Waste Drums, by Tami Thatcher, July 2018
- Report: Review of the Mixed Hazardous Radioactive CERCLA Waste Cleanup Policy at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex Subsurface Disposal Area Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, by Chuck Broscious, July 2018 and click here for Attachment
- Report: Nuclear Weapons and Civilian Nuclear Power - Two Dangerous Interdependent Peas in a Pod, by Chuck Broscious, February 2018 and click here for Attachments
- Report: Little Reason for Confidence in the Drinking Water on the Duck Valley Reservation, by Tami Thatcher, February 2018, Revision June 2, 2018 and a Letter reporting our review of sample data collected in February 2018
- Report: Complaint to Idaho Governor on Mackay Dam Hazards Ignored, by David B. McCoy and Chuck Broscious, January 2018
- Public Comment for Class 2 RCRA Permit Modification for Materials and Fuels Complex at Idaho National Laboratory, EPA Number ID4890008952 by Tami Thatcher and Chuck Broscious, September 29, 2017
- "Pushing the Storage Horse with a Nuclear Waste Cart: The Spent Fuel Pool Problem," by Robert Alvarez, August 9, 2017. See the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
- EDI Preliminary Comments to Idaho Department of Environmental Quality on Calcined Solids Storage Facility Partial Permit Renewal by Chuck Broscious and David B. McCoy, May 2017 and click here for Photos of calcine binsets and predicted flow depths
- Radiological and Chemical Exposures at the Idaho National Laboratory That Workers May Not Have Known About - How Health is Harmed by Uranium, Plutonium and Other Radionuclides and Chemicals and Possible Nutritional Support Strategies, by Tami Thatcher, April 2017
- Mackay Dam: A Preventable Disaster, Letter to Idaho Gov. C.L.Butch Otter, by David McCoy and Chuck Broscious, Revised March 2017 and click here for more details about Mackay Dam hazards. Click for IDWR inspection photos: Top view of the dam; Outlet of dam; Toe of dam view of outlet pipe; Inlet tower cracks and rock cliff; Leakage inside the pipe tunnel; Spauling inside the pipe tunnel; Offset of spillway panels; IDWR Mackay dam inspection reports cited
- Tritium at 800 pCi/L in the Snake River Plain Aquifer in the Magic Valley at Kimama: Why This Matters by Tami Thatcher, Updated January 5, 2017 and click here for Factsheet including uranium and thorium decay series
- Comments on Final EIS for Recapitalization of Infrastructure Supporting Naval Pent Nuclear Fuel Handling at Naval Reactors Facility, Department of Energy, Idaho National Laboratory by Chuck Broscious, November 2016 and click here for Final EIS NNPP Report attachments
- EDI Comments on the Department of Energy's Consent-Based Siting Process for Interim Storage and Permanent Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High Level Waste, by Tami Thatcher 07/31/16
- The Downside of High Burnup Fuel by Robert Alvarez, 07/15/16
- EDI Comments in INL's Calcine Storage Vulnerability, by Tami Thatcher and Chuck Broscious, 07/11/16
- EDI 2016 Earth Day Report describing the "Forever" Contamination Sites at the Idaho National Laboratory, by Tami Thatcher, 04/23/16
- US DOE's Atomic Defense Budget for FY 2017 by Robert Alvarez
- Top Ten Facilities Likely to have Given Excessive Radiation Doses to Idaho National Laboratory Workers by Tami Thatcher and click here to go to the CDC's INL page for Radiation Dose Reconstruction
- Review of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program NRF Spent Nuclear Fuel Handling and CERCLA Cleanup Radioactive Waste Management at INL by Chuck Broscious and click here for Report attachments
- Comments on the Recapitalization of Infrastructure Supporting Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel Handling at the Idaho National Laboratory, DOE/EIS-0453D Draft DOE/EIS-0453D, Chuck Brocious, 8/17/15 and click here for Report attachments
- Comments on the Recapitalization of Infrastructure Supporting Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel Handling at the Idaho National Laboratory, DOE/EIS-0453D , By Tami Thatcher, 8/10/15
- Breach of Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons - Amicus Brief Case: 15-15636 (8/07/2015) by Hans M. Kristensen, Robert Alvarez, Dr. James E. Doyle, and Nuclear Watch New Mexico
- EDI Comments on the Department of Energy's Supplement Analysis Draft for Two Proposed Shipment of Spent Fuel to the Idaho National Laboratory, By Tami Thatcher, 7/14/15
- The Hidden Truth About INL Drinking Water, By Tami Thatcher, 6/22/15
- The Marshall Islands and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, By Robert Alvarvez, 5/28/15
- Rebranding the Nuclear Weapons Complex Won't Reform It, By Robert Alvarvez
- Nuclear Weapons Dismantlement Problems, Robert Alvarez, 10/24/14
- Y-12: Poster Child for a Dysfunctional Nuclear Weapons Complex, Robert Alvarez
- Snake River Plain Aquifer: The Essentials
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Unwarranted Confidence in DOE's Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Facility