Vol. 4, No. 294 Hanford Tank Contractor Extension Could be Worth $725M
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Decommissioning
Jacobs to Buy Wood Group Nuclear Business
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 […]
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Plutonium Pit Production
After Appeals Defeat, Nevada Wants Judge for Force Plutonium Out
In the latest turn in a nearly year-old legal battle, Nevada plans to ask a federal judge to force the Department of Energy to remove half a metric ton of weapon-usable plutonium shipped to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in 2018, according to court papers. The state revealed its plan in a procedural motion […]
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High-Level & Tank Waste
Savannah River Ends Interim Salt Waste Processing, Prepares for SWPF Startup
Interim salt waste treatment at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina has been shut down, as the Department of Energy prepares to start up the larger-scale Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) in December. Since April 2017, workers at the 310-square-mile site have been operating the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU): two […]
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Vitrification & Grout
Bechtel, DOE Take Another Step Toward Completing Hanford Vit Plant
The U.S. Energy Department and contractor Bechtel National reached a key milestone this week toward operation of the $17 billion Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Hanford Site in Washington state. The company and DOE’s Office of River Protection held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday to mark the start of testing on equipment within an […]
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High-Level & Tank Waste
National Academies Urges More Study on Hanford Low-Activity Waste Treatment Options
While there could be cheaper alternatives to vitrifying all low-activity radioactive waste at the Hanford Site in Washington state, the Energy Department should do more vetting before committing to one or more of those options, according to a new assessment from a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine panel. The fiscal 2017 National Defense […]
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Uranium Enrichment & Fuel Cycle
Centrus Ticks First Milestone in New Centrifuge Contract
By the time it posted the terms of its contract to build a new uranium enrichment facility at the Portsmouth Site in Piketon, Ohio, Centrus Energy Corp. had already ticked off the first milestone on the $115 million pact with the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Milestone 1 in the contract, the undefinitized version […]
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Transuranic Waste
Energy Department Starts Market Research on Technical Support for WIPP Office
The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management is doing early planning for a new technical assistance contract for the office in southeastern New Mexico that oversees the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). On Monday, the federal agency issued a request for information (RFI)/sources sought notice for interested businesses with the necessary expertise to serve […]
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Decommissioning
Massachusetts Plans Stay Request on License Transfer Approval for Pilgrim Plant
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 […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Former NNSA No. 2 to Lead Government Affairs for Nevada Site Contractor
Neile Miller, former principal deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), has joined Nevada National Security Site operating contractor Mission Support and Test Services as head of government affairs, the company announced Monday. Miller was No. 2 at the semiautonomous Department of Energy nuclear weapons agency from August 2010 through June 2013, according […]
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Interim Storage & Waste Disposal
Full Consent for Nuclear Waste Disposal ‘An Excuse to Do Nothing,’ Senators Told
Requiring comprehensive consent to build a nuclear waste disposal site is “an excuse to do nothing,” according to a leader in the Nevada county that would be home to the long-delayed repository under Yucca Mountain. “To believe that any controversial project in the 21st century will get consent from every level of government – state, […]
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Interim Storage & Waste Disposal
Holtec Transport Cask Gets NRC Approval
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has certified Holtec International’s latest spent nuclear fuel transportation package. The Camden, N.J., energy technology company last week announced the approval following a review that began in February 2018, which will allow it to deploy the HI-STAR 100MB. Management expects it will be used to ship spent fuel from nuclear […]
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Decommissioning
Calif. Senators Urge Federal Action on Used Nuclear Fuel Removal
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 […]