Are you interested in the latest news about the emerging nuclear renaissance and environmental cleanup at the Department of Energy's nuclear facilities? The GONE FISSION Podcast is for you! This podcast covers all the latest developments across the nuclear industry and the DOE complex. More than just the news, you'll get commentary and insights to help you better understand the impact of developments.
Latest episodes
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1 h 02
S6 E2 Ken Rueter: Oak Ridge Cleanup Leader Retires 03/09/2026
A well-known leader in cleanup of Department of Energy sites nationally is preparing to retire after more than four decades in the industry. Gone Fission podcast host Michael Butle…
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32 min
S6 E1 V.C.Summer Nuclear Plant: Is Construction Restarting? 02/09/2026
It’s being called the biggest construction failure in American history. Companies went bankrupt. Executives went to jail. Ratepayers got stuck with the bill.This week’s episode of…
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33 min
S5 E7 Bechtel: Expanding Nuclear Power Globally -- 10.27.2025 -- Ahmet Tokpinar, Principal VP and GM, Nuclear…
While many companies--foreign and domestic--are engaged in advancing the nuclear renaissaance, one company stands out for its reputation and deep involvement in the evolution of co…
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27 min
S5E6 TVA: Building an SMR at Clinch River - 9/22/2025 - Greg Boerschig, TVA Vice President
The 2025 Nuclear Opportunities Workshop sponsored by the East Tennessee Economic Council in Knoxville continues to yield newsworthy stories for the Gone Fission podcast. This week,…
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37 min
S5E5 Meet the Nuclear Average Joe - with Mike Deane - 09.15.25
In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission podcast, Host Michael Butler reports on major news developments in the nuclear renaissance and the Department of Energy’s enviromental cl…
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23 min
S5 E4 Charles Oppenheimer - 08/04/25
Charles Oppenheimer, the grandson of atomic pioneer Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, is Michael Butler’s guest on this week’s episode of the Gone Fission podcast. Ironically, this episod…
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42 min
S5 E3 Nuclear Opportunities Workshop, Knoxville, TN - 07/07/25 - Tracy Boatner, President and CEO, East Tennes…
In this week’s episode, Host Michael Butler discusses plans to expand the Gone Fission podcast’s coverage to include the emerging nuclear renaissance. The expanded coverage begins…
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28 min
S5 E2 Amentum Nuclear Center of Excellence, Oak Ridge, TN - 05/12/25 - Mark Whitney, President, Amentum Energy…
One of America’s largest government contractors has announced plans to establish a new Nuclear Center of Excellence in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Amentum said its new Center will serve…
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33 min
S5 E1 Centrus: American-Made Uranium Enrichment - 04/21/2025 - Amir Vexler, President and CEO, Centrus Energy…
The Gone Fission Nuclear Report launches Season 5 with a new episode featuring a discussion with Amir Vexler, President and CEO of Centrus Energy Group. Centrus is playing a vital…
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38 min
S4 E20 New Orano Enrichment Plant Boosts Nuclear Growth - 12/09/2024 - Jean-Luc Palayer, President and CEO, Or…
It’s being called the largest investment in the history of the State of Tennessee. Orano USA has announced plans to build a new multi-billion dollar, state-of-the-art centrifuge ur…
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47 min
S4 E19 SRS Gets a New Landlord: EM to NNSA 11.18.24 Mike Budney, EM SRS Site Manager, Michael Mikolanis, NNSA…
Most of us have probably dealt with landlords at one time or another in our personal or business lives. But did you know that Department of Energy sites around the country also hav…
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50 min
S4 E18 EM Site Specific Advisory Boards: Valuable Community Input -- 10/28/24 -- Kelly Snyder, DOE EM, Amy Jon…
Community input is essential to the success of the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program. Much of the most essential feedback comes from the Site Specific Advisory B…
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22 min
S4 E17 An ECA Report: Reviewing the EM Program in the New Administration - 10.07.2024 - Seth Kirshenberg, ECA…
With a new Administration taking office in January, the Energy Communities Alliance has released a detailed report calling for a top-to-bottom review of the Department of Energy’s…
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18 min
S4 E16 A Conversation with Candice Robertson - EM-1 - 09/23/2024
This week, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report features an interview with Candice Robertson, the Department of Energy’s recently appointed Senior Advisor to the Office of Environmental…
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25 min
S4 E15 Vision 2024: Oak Ridge Completes a Cleanup Milestone- 08.26.24 - Joanna Hardin, DOE Federal Portfolio D…
Each year, the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management publishes a list of cleanup priorities for its sites around the country. Progress in the cleanup program is…
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49 min
S4E14 Consent-Based Siting for Spent Nuclear Fuel: A National Conversation - 07/29/2024 - Energy Communities A…
The Gone Fission Nuclear Report travels to the nation’s capital this week to join a national conversation on next steps for identifying a community to host interim spent fuel stora…
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44 min
S4E13 Recruiting the Next Generation of Hanford Workers - 07/08/2024 - John Eschenberg, President/CEO, Central…
Our guest on this week’s episode is John Eschenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Central Plateau Cleanup Company in Hanford Washington. An Amentum-led partnership with…
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1 h 05
S4E12 The 2024 DOE Interns Have Arrived! --06/24/2024-- Maurice Thompson, Susan Sparks, Shannon Potter and Sam…
This is the time of year when hundreds of interns descend on DOE sites around the country. They are eager and enthusiastic, ready to soak up new information gleaned from being out…
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48 min
S4E11 Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center Celebrates 20 Years - 06/03/2024 - Melody Bell, De…
DOE’s Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. Called the “Swiss army knife of Environmental Management”, the E…
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26 min
S4E10 Depleted UF6: A By-Product for Industry - 05/20/24 - Zak LaFontaine, DOE Program Director, Depleted Uran…
The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is more than tearing down aging, contaminated buildings. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, we’ll t…