Holtec International

Representatives from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Holtec International are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss the energy technology company’s license application for a planned spent nuclear reactor fuel storage facility in New Mexico. The meeting will specifically address the regulator’s request for additional information (RAI) following Holtec’s initial application filing in March 2017. On […]

“Multiple performance deficiencies” contributed to a mishap in transfer of spent reactor fuel at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California, and could have led to a storage container being dropped nearly 20 feet, according to initial findings from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Agency personnel are investigating the incident, including a site […]

By John Stang The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is taking public comments through Nov. 19 on the proposed license transfer for the newly closed Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey. Parties also have until Nov. 8 to request to intervene and a public hearing on the proposed sale of the plant, according to an NRC […]

The Board of Directors for the Omaha, Neb., Public Power District (OPPD) voted Thursday to expedite decommissioning of the shuttered Fort Calhoun Station nuclear power plant. The new approach is expected to shave nearly four decades from the timeline for decommissioning, starting less than two years from now and wrapping up in 2028. It should […]

By John Stang Staff at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has recommended that two environmental organizations be allowed to intervene in deliberations over Holtec International’s license application to build and operate a used reactor fuel storage site in southeastern New Mexico. However, staff also determined several watchdog organizations and spent fuel storage container manufacturer NAC […]

A nuclear watchdog organization and two private oil and gas entities are contesting the stance from the staff at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that they cannot request dismissal of license applications for facilities to store tens of thousands of tons of spent nuclear reactor fuel in Texas and New Mexico. Beyond Nuclear and the teaming […]

Expediting decommissioning of the newly retired Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey could shave hundreds of millions of dollars from the price tag for the project, according to prospective buyer Holtec International. The New Jersey energy technology company wants to buy the power plant, which ended operations on Sept. 17, and then assume […]

A nuclear watchdog organization and two private oil and gas entities are contesting the position from staff at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that they cannot request dismissal of license applications for facilities to store spent nuclear reactor fuel in Texas and New Mexico. Beyond Nuclear and the teaming of Fasken Land & Minerals and Permian […]

Two members of Massachusetts’ congressional delegation on Monday demanded assurance that the planned sale and decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station will not endanger the safety or security of local stakeholders. Sen. Ed Markey (D) and Rep. Bill Keating (D) made their case in letters to power company Entergy and energy technology firm Holtec […]

By John Stang Staffers for two U.S. lawmakers and others on Tuesday raised concerns about whether there is enough money available for decommissioning the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts. The issue came up during a Nuclear Regulatory Commission meeting ahead of the anticipated application next month to transfer the plant’s operational license from owner […]

All used nuclear fuel has been removed from the newly retired reactor at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey, according to a Sept. 25 letter from plant owner Exelon to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The short message, submitted by Exelon Generation Vice President for Licensing and Decommissioning Michael Gallagher, also provides […]

Staff at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is recommending rejection of two separate motions for dismissal of license applications for facilities to store spent nuclear reactor fuel in Texas and New Mexico. The commission should dismiss the motion from the advocacy group Beyond Nuclear and a joint filing from Fasken Land and Minerals and Permian Basin […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has submitted the first of what is likely to be several requests for additional information on Holtec International’s license application to build and operate a facility for storage of used fuel from commercial nuclear power reactors. The agency’s Sept. 13 letter to Holtec encompasses more than 90 distinct requests, primarily […]

By John Stang Southern California Edison apparently became confused on how soon it should alert the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to an Aug. 3 mishap in transferring spent fuel at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California. Contractor Holtec International has been moving the spent fuel at the retired nuclear power plant in San Diego […]

Two very different groups have called on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to dismiss separate license applications for storage of spent nuclear reactor fuel in Texas and New Mexico, arguing the proceedings constitute a violation of federal law. This is the most aggressive action yet to block the projects in their early stages, but a larger […]

Two groups have called on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to dismiss separate license applications for storage of spent nuclear reactor fuel in Texas and New Mexico, arguing the proceedings constitute a violation of federal law. The two motions were filed Friday by the nongovernmental group Beyond Nuclear and jointly by Fasken Land and Minerals Ltd. […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has submitted the first of what is likely to be several requests for additional information on Holtec International’s license application to build and operate a facility for storage of used fuel from commercial nuclear power reactors. The Sept. 13 letter encompasses more than 90 distinct requests, primarily on highly technical […]

Exelon at noon Monday officially retired its Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey ahead of what is anticipated to be an accelerated decommissioning. The 650-megawatt boiling water reactor in Lacey Township became operational in December 1969, on the same day as the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating Station near Oswego, N.Y. Since Oyster […]

The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen on Friday filed a request to intervene in the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s review of Holtec International’s license application for a facility in southeastern New Mexico for storage of spent fuel from commercial nuclear reactors. Intervention would formalize the organization’s role in the proceeding. In announcing the filing, Public […]

By John Stang The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week conducted its on-site inspection of an August mishap in loading used reactor fuel into a storage pad at the retired San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California. The agency declined to discuss details of the special inspection beyond those laid out in an Aug. […]

By John Stang A new approach to decommissioning the nearly retired Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey could save $200 million, according to owner Exelon and prospective buyer Holtec International. The plant’s single boiling-water reactor is scheduled to shut down on Monday. The two companies’ license transfer application was filed with the Nuclear […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission began its on-site inspection Monday of an August mishap in loading used reactor fuel into a storage pad at the retired San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California. The agency declined to discuss details of the special inspection beyond those laid out in an Aug. 24 press release on […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is again taking public comments on the scope of its environmental impact statement for a temporary spent nuclear fuel storage site proposed to be built in West Texas. The agency in April 2017 suspended its review of the site license application, including the comment period, at the request of applicant […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission last week received the application to transfer the operating license for the Oyster Creek Generating Station in New Jersey from owner Exelon to prospective buyer Holtec International. Spokespeople for the NRC and Holtec confirmed the application had been filed and said it should be publicly available this week. No additional […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission last week officially resumed its technical review of a license application for a facility in West Texas that would store up to 40,000 metric tons of used nuclear reactor fuel. A partnership of Waste Control Specialists and Orano in June filed an updated license application for the planned consolidated interim […]

A key committee of the New Mexico Legislature appears split on whether to support plans by Holtec International to build a large-scale storage facility in the state to hold used fuel from U.S. nuclear reactors. Seven of the 12 voting members of the legislature’s interim bicameral Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee in recent weeks signed […]

By John Stang Exelon and Holtec International aim by the end of this month to submit their application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to transfer the operating license for the soon-to-close Oyster Creek Generating Station in New Jersey. The two companies had initially hoped to submit the transfer application by Aug. 17. However, at an Aug. 15 […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Friday it is opening a special inspection of a recent mishap in loading used reactor fuel into a storage pad at the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California. The announcement comes as watchdog groups in California are demanding action, with one reportedly planning a lawsuit, in […]

A key committee of the New Mexico Legislature appears split on whether to support plans by Holtec International to build a large-scale storage site in the state to hold used fuel from U.S. nuclear reactors. Seven of the 12 voting members of the legislature’s bicameral Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Interim Committee in recent weeks signed […]

Exelon and Holtec international plan by Friday to submit their application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the transfer of the license for the Oyster Creek Generating Station in New Jersey. The Chicago-based power company aims to sell the single-reactor facility in Lacey Township to Holtec, which would then be responsible for decommissioning and spent […]