Reactor Licensing & Regulation

Human error is the apparent cause in for a recent mishap in moving used fuel to a storage pad at the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California. Holtec International, of Camden, N.J., is moving all remaining spent fuel at the plant from wet to dry storage under contract to SONGS majority owner […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has denied the latest, and presumably last, request to extend the comment period on the scope of its environmental impact statement for a proposed spent fuel storage site in southeastern New Mexico. Monday was the agency’s deadline for public input on this aspect of the NRC technical review of the license […]

By John Stang The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved exempting the Oyster Creek Generating Station in New Jersey from some emergency planning requirements following its closure this fall. In individual votes cast between July 5 and July 11, four of the five commissioners approved Oyster Creek owner Exelon’s entire request to forgo some emergency preparedness […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission should address water supply and quality and a number of other issues in its environmental impact statement (EIS) for a planned spent nuclear reactor fuel storage site in southeastern New Mexico, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The environmental evaluation is a key part of a broader NRC technical review […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission pushed back publication of new supplemental rules for Part 61 low-level radioactive waste disposal to early 2019, the independent federal agency said this week. Previously, the commissioned planned to publish the new supplemental rules this summer. “The staff encountered some complexities in implementing the changes required in the supplemental rule, so […]

The Department of Energy expects by Sept. 30 to answer questions from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding the requested 20-year extension of the license for storage of radioactive waste from the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant at the Idaho National Laboratory. That would meet the deadline set by the NRC in its Jan. 29 […]

The Vermont Public Utility Commission (VPUC) on Friday said it would not issue a final ruling on the proposed sale of the retired Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant until after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission decides whether to approve the transfer of the site license from owner Entergy to planned buyer NorthStar Group Services. In […]

Newly installed Nuclear Regulatory Commission member David Wright has rejected Nevada’s request that he recuse himself from any decision on licensing a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in the state. Wright pushed back against the state’s contention that his actions and comments in recent years showed he supported building the disposal facility in Nevada […]

Newly installed Nuclear Regulatory Commission member David Wright has rejected Nevada’s request that he recuse himself from any decision on licensing a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in the state. Wright, who was sworn into office on May 30, pushed back against the state’s contention that his actions and comments in recent years showed […]

The parties to the planned sale of the retired Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant hope to secure state regulatory approval within a month after the federal government signs off on the deal, according to a filing this week. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to decide sometime in the third quarter of this year […]

By John Stang Wyoming could become the 38th agreement state to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, taking over some authority for management of radioactive materials otherwise held by the federal agency. If the commission approves the request from Gov. Matthew Mead, his state would assume responsibility for licensing, rulemaking, inspection, and enforcement of certain uranium and […]

A longtime staffer at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will take over next week as executive director for operations, the agency’s top career position. Current NRC General Counsel Margaret Doane will replace Victor McCree, who formally retires on Saturday. Doane was selected by the commission to become the first woman to hold the position. Doane began […]

Wyoming could become the 38th agreement state to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, taking over some authority for management of radioactive materials otherwise held by the federal agency. If the commission approves the request from Gov. Matthew Mead, his state would assume responsibility for licensing, rulemaking, inspection, and enforcement of certain uranium and thorium milling operations […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission affirmed to two U.S. senators recently that is only authorized to license the Department of Energy for permanent disposal of spent nuclear reactor fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), top members of the Senate Environment and Public Works clean air and nuclear safety, […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued an export license for UniTech Services Group to return up to 10,000 metric tons of radioactively contaminated material to Canada. The export license dated April 30 covers “tools, metals and other solid materials contaminated with byproduct materials,” and was signed by David Skeen, deputy director for the NRC’s […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued an export license for UniTech Services Group to return up to 10,000 metric tons of radioactively contaminated material to Canada. The April 30 license covers “tools, metals and other solid materials contaminated with byproduct materials,” and was signed by David Skeen, deputy director for the NRC’s Office of […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission affirmed to two U.S. senators recently that is only authorized to license the Department of Energy for permanent disposal of spent nuclear reactor fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), top members of the Senate Environment and Public Works clean air and nuclear safety, […]

Nevada last week formally requested that one of the newest members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission recuse himself from any decision-making on the license for the planned radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain in the state. Commissioner David Wright’s participation in the NRC adjudication of the Department of Energy license application would essentially disregard the […]

Interim Storage Partners — a joint venture of Orano USA and Waste Control Specialists (WCS) — on Monday submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission a renewed license application to build and operate an interim storage facility for used nuclear reactor fuel. The consolidated interim storage facility (CISF) pad would be built on WCS’ 14,900-acre waste […]

The Nuclear Energy Initiative is largely satisfied with the set of proposed federal regulations for power reactors making the transition from operations to decommissioning, a senior executive said last week. “Overall, we’re pretty pleased with the proposal as it came out. Our main goal obviously was just to codify …  everything that required an exemption,” […]

Interim Storage Partners — a joint venture of Orano USA and Waste Control Specialists (WCS) — on Monday submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission a renewed license application to build and operate an interim storage facility for used nuclear reactor fuel. The spent fuel storage pad would be built on WCS’ waste disposal property in […]

The state of Nevada on Thursday formally requested that one of the newest members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission recuse himself from any decision-making on the license for the planned radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Commissioner David Wright’s participation in the NRC adjudication of the Department of Energy license application would essentially […]

Stakeholders urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to move cautiously as it studies potentially establishing a new designation and disposal approach for what is now informally called very low-level radioactive waste (VLLW). More than 40 separate comments were submitted ahead of the May 15 deadline after the agency in February initiated a broad program to enhance […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says its regulatory framework accounts for potential effects from “changing environmental conditions” on spent fuel storage installations at U.S. nuclear power plants. The agency on May 29 responded to an April 23 letter from Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who had expressed concerns about potential impacts of climate change on used […]

Former Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko and former Assistant Defense Secretary Andrew Weber have joined the advisory board for Tel Aviv, Israel-based radiation protection company StemRad. Both now hold the title of senior adviser for the expanded board, according to a news release this morning. “We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Jaczko and […]

The two newest members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have been sworn into office as of Wednesday. Commissioner Annie Caputo was sworn in Tuesday by NRC Chairman Kristine Svinicki, followed by Commissioner David Wright on Wednesday. The Senate last week confirmed the two, nearly a year after President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission intends to conduct some portion of the potentially resumed proceeding on licensing a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev., in the state, NRC Chairman Kristine Svinicki told Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) in a recent letter. Svinicki responded on May 19 to a letter earlier in the month from Nevada’s […]

The two newest members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have been sworn into office as of Wednesday. Commissioner Annie Caputo was sworn in Tuesday by NRC Chairman Kristine Svinicki, followed by Commissioner David Wright on Wednesday. The Senate last week confirmed the two, nearly a year after President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate […]

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed all three nominees to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, just hours after the chamber’s Appropriations Committee approved a budget proposal that provided no money for the Yucca Mountain radioactive waste repository in Nevada. While no one would say so on the record, the connection appeared reasonably certain – particularly given […]

By John Stang The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission might not sign off on the sale of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant until the third quarter of the year, according to the head of prospective buyer NorthStar Group Services. NorthStar CEO Scott State made that observation on May 11 during an evidentiary hearing in the […]