Decommissioning

Diverting some money within the decommissioning trust fund for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts would not undermine the intended function of the account, according to staff at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Agency staff on July 1 issued an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Entergy’s application for a […]

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s energy subcommittee is scheduled next Tuesday to consider legislation to reauthorize Energy Department cleanup at the West Valley Demonstration Project in New York. The West Valley Reauthorization Act, H.R. 1138, passed the full House of Representatives by voice vote on March 5. The legislation from Rep. Tom Reed […]

Holtec International said Monday it has completed the acquisition of the retired Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey for decommissioning. The announcement was no surprise, after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last month approved the transfer of the Lacey Township site’s reactor and spent-fuel storage licenses from then-owner Exelon to the New Jersey energy […]

Duke Energy has asked the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to rule by the end of this year on its application to transfer licenses for its shuttered Crystal River nuclear power plant to another company for decommissioning. Duke filed the license transfer application on June 14, about two weeks after it announced it had hired Accelerated […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans through fall to hold a series of public meetings in communities near nuclear power plants that have closed or are nearing the end of the service life. The purpose of the meetings is to discuss best practices for community boards that would provide advice on decommissioning of the facilities, […]

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s energy subcommittee is scheduled next Tuesday to consider legislation to reauthorize Energy Department cleanup at the West Valley Demonstration Project in New York. The West Valley Reauthorization Act, H.R. 1138, passed the full House of Representatives by voice vote on March 5. The legislation from Rep. Tom Reed […]

Duke Energy has asked the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to rule by the end of this year on its application to transfer licenses for its shuttered Crystal River nuclear plant to another company for decommissioning. Duke filed the license transfer application on June 14, about two weeks after it announced it had hired Accelerated Decommissioning […]

Holtec International said Monday it has completed the acquisition of the retired Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey for decommissioning. The announcement was no surprise, after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last month approved the transfer of the site’s reactor and spent-fuel storage licenses from then-owner Exelon to the New Jersey energy technology company. […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans through fall to hold 11 public meetings in communities near nuclear power plants that have closed or are nearing the end of the service life. The purpose of the meetings is to discuss best practices for community boards that would provide advice on decommissioning of the facilities, as required […]

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) this month formally determined that the site of the now-decommissioned Southwest Experimental Fast Oxide Reactor (SEFOR) can be released for unrestricted use. Contractor EnergySolutions completed decommissioning the facility in April. While the University of Arkansas owns the reactor site, the work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. […]

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) this month formally determined that the site of the now-decommissioned Southwest Experimental Fast Oxide Reactor (SEFOR) can be released for unrestricted use. Contractor EnergySolutions completed decommissioning the facility in April. While the University of Arkansas owns the reactor site, the work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. […]

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) this month formally determined that the site of the now-decommissioned Southwest Experimental Fast Oxide Reactor (SEFOR) can be released for unrestricted use. Contractor EnergySolutions completed decommissioning the facility in April. While the University of Arkansas owns the reactor site, the work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. […]

U.S. Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) on Friday called on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to rethink its decision against posting a full-time inspector at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) until completion of the used reactor fuel offload at the retired power plant. The lawmaker, whose congressional district covers SONGS, cited a list of safety […]

EnergySolutions last week acknowledged it is still running a multimillion-dollar shortfall in the trust fund to pay for decommissioning of the Zion Nuclear Power Station in Illinois, but affirmed it has the money needed to cover any gap. The Salt Lake City, Utah-based nuclear services firm on June 13 provided the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission […]

NASHVILLE – The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission expects on Aug. 30 to publish the proposed update of regulations for nuclear power plants transitioning from operations to decommissioning, according to its latest schedule. The completed rule would go to the agency’s signature authority – the commission itself – a year later, followed by publication in the […]

AECOM plans next year to spin off the business that contracts with the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense into a separate publicly traded company. The Los Angeles-based infrastructure multinational said Monday its Board of Directors unanimously signed off on the separation, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2020. The […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday approved the transfer of the licenses for Exelon’s retired Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey to Holtec International. Holtec expects by next month to complete its acquisition of the facility, announced about a month prior to its closure in September 2018. It will own the trust […]

The members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday rejected two petitions for hearings on the agency’s review of the license transfer application for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey. The four-member commission formalized its decision in a brief affirmation session prior to a longer meeting. In a 21-page memorandum, the […]

AECOM announced Monday it had signed an agreement with Toshiba to collaborate on nuclear decommissioning projects in Japan. The announcement came hours after the Los Angeles-based infrastructure specialist said it would next year spin off its Management Services branch into a separate company. Management Services handles the company’s government contracts and appears to be central […]

Holtec International anticipates the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will within six weeks approve license transfer applications for two retired nuclear power plants, after which it would buy the properties for decommissioning, a company executive said Monday. Agency staff should in two weeks rule on the application for Holtec to assume the license for Exelon’s Oyster […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission expects on Aug. 30 to publish the proposed update of regulations for nuclear power plants transitioning from operations to decommissioning, according to its latest schedule. The completed rule would go to the agency’s signature authority – the commission itself – a year later, followed by publication in the Federal Register […]

EnergySolutions on Sunday said a seeming $15.2 million shortfall in the decommissioning trust fund for the Zion Nuclear Power Station in Illinois was the result solely of a documentation error. “There was an error in the original submission of the [trust fund] balance to the” Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” the Salt Lake City, Utah-based nuclear services […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April spent $939 of its remaining balance from the federal fund intended to pay for a federal repository for the nation’s nuclear waste. The spending left the agency on April 30 with a $409,861 unspent, undedicated balance from the Nuclear Waste Fund, according to the latest report to Congress. […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is accepting public comment through Aug. 26 on a petition to update federal regulations to allow use of nuclear power plant decommissioning trust funds for removal of large parts prior to shutdown. The NRC in March docketed the petition from Gerard Van Noordennen, vice president for regulatory affairs at nuclear […]

A House of Representatives subcommittee has scheduled a hearing Thursday to discuss three bills intended to promote consolidated interim storage and eventual disposal of spent reactor fuel from U.S. nuclear power plants. The latest of these measures is the Storage and Transportation of Residual and Excess (STORE) Nuclear Fuel Act, filed last week by Rep […]

The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station shut down permanently late Friday afternoon. Entergy hopes by the end of the year to sell the Cape Cod property to Holtec International, which would assume all responsibility for cleanup and spent fuel management, along with the trust fund that will pay for the work. In 2015, the New Orleans-based power […]

By John Stang The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts was preparing to permanently shut down Friday, ahead of what its owner and prospective buyer hope will be a rapid decommissioning. “#FYI Tomorrow, Friday, May 31, control room operators at @PilgrimNuclear Power Station will shut down the reactor for the final time,” Entergy tweeted on […]

Duke Energy on Thursday said it had awarded a $540 million contract for expedited decommissioning of its retired Crystal River nuclear power plant in Florida. The Charlotte, N.C.-based power company now anticipates decontamination, disassembly, and teardown operations will wrap up by 2027, decades earlier than the prior projected end date of 2074. Pending state and […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission wants a subsidiary of nuclear services provider EnergySolutions to explain an apparent $15.2 million shortfall in the decommissioning trust fund for the Zion Nuclear Power Station in Illinois. ZionSolutions is the NRC licensee for the retired two-reactor facility while it carries out decommissioning for owner Exelon Generation Corp. In its […]

Staff at the California Coastal Commission are recommending approval of a permit needed for major decommissioning operations to begin at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in San Diego County. However, approval by the commission’s voting members would be dependent on SONGS’ owners agreeing to nearly 20 special conditions, if the staff recommendations are […]