Decommissioning

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Friday visited the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory to assess challenges associated with cleanup of the site. The Energy Department said in a Friday press release that Perry was keeping a promise he made in June to visit the facility. The Energy Department […]

By John Stang Massachusetts’ government and a Cap Cod activist organization this week pressed the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a stay of agency staff’s approval of the license transfer and decommissioning trust fund exemption for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. Former owner Entergy completed the sale of the retired single-reactor plant to Holtec International […]

By John Stang In just a handful of comments to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, representatives from the nuclear industry signaled support for a proposal to allow some power plant decommissioning funds to be applied before shutdown. The deadline for comments was Aug. 26. The Regulations.gov web page for the rulemaking petition showed only six […]

The U.S. Department of Energy now plans to issue its draft record of decision for a proposed 2.2-million-cubic yard landfill for the Oak Ridge Site in Tennessee on Sept. 30. Officials with DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the state of Tennessee agreed to delay publication of the ROD from […]

The city of Broomfield, Colo., said this week no contractor will likely be selected to build a new stretch of bypass near the old Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant until questions are addressed over a soil sample showing the presence of plutonium in the right of way for the road. The Broomfield City Council posted […]

The U.S. Department of Energy now plans to issue its draft record of decision for a proposed 2.2-million-cubic yard landfill for the Oak Ridge Site in Tennessee on Sept. 30. Officials with DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the state of Tennessee agreed to delay publication of the ROD from […]

The city of Broomfield, Colo., said this week no contractor will likely be selected to build a new stretch of bypass near the old Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant until questions are addressed over a soil sample showing the presence of plutonium in the right of way for the road. The Broomfield City Council posted […]

By John Stang Entergy Corp. on Monday completed the sale of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts to Holtec International for an undisclosed amount of money. The move came quickly on the heels of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s approval on Aug. 22 of the transfer of Pilgrim’s federal operational and spent fuel storage […]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Aug. 23 began the official procurement process for decommissioning of its long-retired SM-1 reactor on the ground of Fort Belvoir, Va. Prospective vendors have until 11 a.m. Nov. 4 Eastern time to submit bids, according to the procurement notice. The Army Corps expects to select its contractor in […]

RadWaste Monitor took a break over the past two weeks for Congress’ annual summer recess. Our affiliate publication, Weapons Complex Morning Briefing, kept up on the latest news around the nuclear security enterprise and its industry partners. Here’s a recap of what happened while we were out.   NRC Schedules Meetings on Decommissioning Advisory Boards […]

Nearly two years after it said the complexity of remediating the Santa Susana Field Laboratory was responsible for missed cleanup deadlines, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has still not published two key environmental reports In its summary of June activity at the 2,850-acre chemically and radioactively contaminated site in Ventura County, the […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s guidance on decommissioning of nuclear power plants has not kept up with an increasingly popular business model in the industry, the agency’s Inspector General’s Office said in a report this week. The “Audit of NRC’s Transition Process for Decommissioning Power Reactors” found generally that the federal agency effectively oversees sites […]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Aug. 23 began the official procurement process for decommissioning of its long-retired SM-1 reactor on the ground of Fort Belvoir, Va. Prospective vendors have until 11 a.m. Nov. 4 Eastern time to submit bids. The Army Corps expects to select its contractor in the second half of 2020. […]

Entergy Corp. on Monday completed the sale of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts to Holtec International for an undisclosed amount of money. This follows the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s approval last Thursday of the transfer of Pilgrim’s federal operational and spent fuel storage licenses. “The successful Pilgrim transaction demonstrates continued progress on Entergy’s […]

Workers at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California have successfully moved the first two canisters of used reactor fuel to dry storage since restarting transfers on July 18. A third canister is on deck to begin movement this week. Officials with plant majority owner Southern California Edison (SCE) on Thursday briefed the SONGS […]

Holtec International said Friday it will complete its acquisition of the retired Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts “as soon as practicable,” after receiving the necessary authorization from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The federal agency on Aug. 22 approved the transfer of Pilgrim’s operational and spent fuel storage licenses from plant owner Entergy to […]

A soil sample with elevated levels of plutonium discovered in the vicinity of the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons facility near Denver has drawn attention from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority on Aug. 16 informed the health department of the sample taken on the parkway’s right-of-way […]

The commonwealth of Massachusetts has signaled it will request a hold on the anticipated approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week of the license transfer application for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. Staff at the federal regulator indicated in a filing last week that it was prepared around Aug. 21 to authorize the […]

Jacobs Engineering on Tuesday said it would pay £250 million ($302 million) to acquire the nuclear branch of the Scotland-based John Wood Group. The deal is expected to be sealed in the first quarter of 2020, pending regulatory approval in the United Kingdom according to the companies. “This acquisition brings deep technical expertise with unique […]

A measure introduced in the California State Senate calls on the U.S. Congress and President Donald Trump to approve federal legislation that would prioritize removal of used fuel from power plants in the state. Senate Joint Resolution 11 was introduced on Aug. 12 by state Sens. Patricia Bates (R) and Bill Monning (D). It was […]

Staff at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory commission said in a notice Tuesday it plans to approve the license transfer for the retired Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts. The license transfer will enable owner Entergy to sell the single-reactor facility on Cape Cod to Holtec International for decommissioning. Staff expects to formally approve the transfer […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled a series of public meetings to take public input on best practices for community advisory boards for nuclear power plants undergoing decommissioning. The meetings will contribute to the agency’s preparation of a report to Congress on best practices for forming and operating such local boards, as required by […]

The U.S. Energy Department’s Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center last week issued a sources sought notice/request for information for potential contractors for nationwide deactivation, decommissioning, and removal (DD&R) operations. Information provided by interested companies would support planning for “potential upcoming procurement(s)” for DD&R, waste management, and program support for DOE’s Offices of Environmental Management and […]

The Richland Operations Office for the Energy Department’s Hanford Site in Washington state has extended the comment period on a cost and engineering report for hazard mitigation at the Plutonium Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant until Aug. 17. The original comment deadline was Aug. 2 for the engineering evaluation/cost analysis (EE/CA). The federal agency announced the […]

Waste Control Specialists has asked the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to confirm that certain prior directions on requirements for disposal of very low-level radioactive waste (VLLW) do not apply to its operation in West Texas. The federal agency’s 2016 regulatory issue summary on VLLW disposal (RIS 2016-11), along with its communication last year with the […]

The top brass at AECOM said this week it has received plenty of positive feedback since announcing June 17 that it would spin off the business segment that manages its federal government and nuclear decommissioning contracts. “We are moving ahead of schedule” toward separating the Management Services line into its own publicly traded company, Chairman […]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said Tuesday it has delayed by about three weeks releasing a request for proposals for decommissioning its SM-1 nuclear power reactor at Fort Belvoir, Va. The procurement notice, previously expected around July 29, is now scheduled to be issued during the week of Aug. 19, according to Brenda […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission should disregard the commonwealth of Massachusetts’ request for a 90-day stay on its review of the license transfer application for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, the plant’s owner and prospective buyer said Monday. “The Commission should deny this Motion because it is inconsistent with NRC rules and practice, unsupported by […]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said Tuesday it has delayed by about three weeks releasing a request for proposals for decommissioning its SM-1 nuclear power reactor at Fort Belvoir, Va. The procurement notice, previously expected around July 29, is now scheduled to be issued during the week of Aug. 19, according to Brenda […]

The Richland Operations Office for the Energy Department’s Hanford Site in Washington state has extended the comment period on a cost and engineering report for hazard mitigation at the Plutonium Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant until Aug. 17. The original comment deadline was Friday for the engineering evaluation/cost analysis (EE/CA). The federal agency announced the deadline […]