Interim Storage & Waste Disposal

Reps. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on Friday toured the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California while discussing solutions for managing American nuclear waste. Shimkus, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which holds jurisdiction over nuclear waste management, has longed voiced his support for the planned repository at […]

Legislation supporting consolidated interim storage for nuclear waste is unlikely to get consideration in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, a committee aide said Wednesday. The Interim Consolidated Storage Act, the latest version of which was introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) in January, would allow the Department of Energy to enter into public-private […]

The South Dakota House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that would require the Legislature’s or governor’s approval for processing or depositing high-level nuclear waste in the state. House Bill 1071, introduced by Rep. Lana Greenfield (R), will need confirmation from the Senate and Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R). Nuclear waste has been a controversial issue in […]

Legislation supporting consolidated interim storage for nuclear waste is unlikely to get consideration in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, a committee aide said Wednesday. The Interim Consolidated Storage Act, the latest version of which was introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) in January, would allow the Department of Energy to enter into public-private contracts […]

The next generation of nuclear power reactors could reshape the way in which nuclear waste is stored, Lloyd’s Register said in a report this week. “Many of the latest reactor designs can achieve ‘deep burn’ of nuclear fuel – leading to a smaller and much shorter-lived waste stream,” the report says. “The potential of these […]

We welcome and publish comments from our readers. Write us a short letter to the editor (300 words) or a fuller commentary (800 words) about your work in either the decommissioning or commercial nuclear-waste industries, and send it to us by Wednesday for publication in the following Friday’s RadWaste Monitor newsletter. Write about any nuclear-waste topic you like. […]

A highly critical congressional report this week could open the door for Energy Secretary-designate Rick Perry to reverse the Obama administration’s finding that the Energy Department should build a deep-underground disposal site specifically for nuclear waste created by Cold War weapons programs. “DOE did not show that benefits outweighed costs in recommending to the President […]

Nevada’s Commission on Nuclear Projects on Tuesday finalized its biannual report to state lawmakers, which outlines an aggressive strategy in contesting potential resumption of licensing activities for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. The commission was established in 1985 to advise the governor and the Nevada Legislature on radioactive waste disposal activities in the state. […]

Holtec International said this week it plans by March 31 to submit its license application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build and operate a consolidated interim storage facility in southeast New Mexico. The company plans to build a 120,000-metric-ton capacity facility about 12 miles from the Energy Department’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad. […]

Nevada’s Commission on Nuclear Projects on Tuesday finalized its biannual report to state lawmakers, which outlines an aggressive strategy in contesting potential resumption of licensing activities for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. The commission was established in 1985 to advise the governor and the Nevada Legislature on radioactive waste disposal activities in the state. […]

A highly critical congressional report this week could open the door for Energy Secretary-designate Rick Perry to reverse the Obama administration’s finding that the Energy Department should build a deep-underground disposal site specifically for nuclear waste created by Cold War weapons programs. “DOE did not show that benefits outweighed costs in recommending to the President that the […]

Nevada’s Commission on Nuclear Projects on Tuesday finalized its biennial report to state lawmakers, which outlines an aggressive strategy in contesting potential resumption of licensing activities for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. The commission was established in 1985 to advise the governor and the Nevada Legislature on radioactive waste disposal activities in the state. […]

An Obama-era Energy Department plan to build a dedicated repository for nuclear waste generated by defense programs is full of faulty cost estimates and does not make a compelling case for scrapping The Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada that would store both defense and commercial waste, the investigative arm of Congress said Tuesday. “DOE did not show […]

Waste Control Specialists is encouraged that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is moving forward with a formal review of the company’s application to build and operate a consolidated interim storage facility for nuclear waste in West Texas, President and CEO Rod Baltzer said Friday. WCS is seeking a 40-year NRC license for a facility designed to hold 40,000 […]

Waste Control Specialists’ (WCS) application to build and operate a consolidated interim storage facility for nuclear waste in West Texas is ready for Nuclear Regulatory Commission review, the agency said in a letter to the company Thursday. The NRC in June said the application filed two months earlier lacked the technical detail needed for the […]

Holtec International this week revealed a “cutting-edge” decommissioning approach it said will allow utilities to convert nuclear plant sites to greenfield status about five-and-a-half years after reactor shutdown. The “proto-prompt” system features a friction-stir welded Metamic HT fuel basket, which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensed in 2008. The nuclear waste company developed the concept to […]

A group of scientists with decades of experience consulting for the federal government sent a letter on Monday to Secretary of Energy-designate Rick Perry, urging the Energy Department to complete the Yucca Mountain licensing process. The Sustainable Fuel Cycle Task Force Science Panel, a five-member board that includes scientists from DOE’s Sandia National Laboratories, urged […]

Holtec International this week revealed a “cutting-edge” decommissioning approach it said will allow utilities to convert nuclear plant sites to greenfield status about five-and-a-half years after reactor shutdown. The “proto-prompt” system features a friction-stir welded Metamic HT fuel basket, which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensed in 2008. The nuclear waste company developed the concept to address the […]

A group of scientists with decades of experience consulting for the federal government on Monday sent a letter to energy secretary nominee Rick Perry, urging the Energy Department to complete the Yucca Mountain licensing process. The Sustainable Fuel Cycle Task Force Science Panel, a five-member board that includes scientists from DOE’s Sandia National Laboratories, urged […]

The Energy Department has named Raymond Furstenau, a nearly 30-year DOE veteran, as acting assistant secretary and principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy, following the departure of John Kotek. The office leads DOE efforts in establishing a strategy for managing the nation’s high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Kotek, who […]

DAY 1 – JAN. 20, 2017: Inauguration Day. Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of quarterly news summaries and analyses about President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. We’ll check in with one long, big-picture update every 25 days, with a regular flow of updates in between to keep you up […]

Idaho National Laboratory officials still hope to bring in a shipment of spent nuclear fuel for a research project with South Korea this spring. But it appears unlikely that will be allowed due to ongoing delays at the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit. Under Idaho’s 1995 settlement agreement with the Energy Department, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence […]

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, President Donald Trump’s pick for energy secretary, did not rule out the prospect of Nevada storing high-level radioactive waste during his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday, but he said he would explore alternatives. The Obama administration in 2009 cancelled plans to bury high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel at a repository […]

 Idaho National Laboratory officials still hope to bring in a shipment of spent nuclear fuel for a research project with South Korea this spring. But it appears unlikely that will be allowed due to ongoing delays at the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit. Under Idaho’s 1995 settlement agreement with the Energy Department, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence […]

The Donald Trump administration could save a lot of money by building a deep geologic repository just for Cold War nuclear waste, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said here Wednesday after his farewell speech to the Beltway press corps. The key, Moniz told reporters after prepared remarks at the National Press Club, is whether the incoming […]

After roughly a year traveling around the country and gathering public input on nuclear waste management strategy, Department of Energy officials on Thursday released an initial version of the agency’s consent-based siting process. The draft document outlines the department’s strategy in establishing the locations for nuclear waste storage and disposal facilities. Consent-based siting — the Obama administration’s strategy for managing […]

Nevada lawmakers and a Republican congressman this week introduced dueling bills concerning federal plans for permanent storage of U.S. nuclear waste. Two other Republican congressman also introduced a bill that would allow the Energy Department to contract private nuclear waste storage companies. The Obama administration in 2009 canceled the planned Yucca Mountain geologic repository in Nevada, […]

The Donald Trump administration could save a lot of money by building a deep geologic repository just for Cold War nuclear waste, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said here Wednesday after his farewell speech to the Beltway press corps. The key, Moniz told reporters after prepared remarks at the National Press Club, is whether the incoming […]

The Donald Trump administration could save a lot of money by building a deep geologic repository just for Cold War nuclear waste, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said here Wednesday after his farewell speech to the Beltway press corps. The key, Moniz told reporters after prepared remarks at the National Press Club, is whether the incoming […]

A senior Nuclear Regulatory Commission official said Wednesday the agency is not ready to take up licensing proceedings for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage site, but officials have had brief, high-level discussions about the prospect. Restarting the process would take some time because the agency has lost much of the personnel involved in the […]