Vol. 9, No. 48 
Trump Picks Perry for Energy Secretary
-
Reactor Licensing & Regulation
Pilgrim Inspection Email Leaked to Watchdog
A Nuclear Regulatory Commission employee last week inadvertently forwarded a staff email to a watchdog group detailing candid observations from an ongoing inspection at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts, fueling calls for the beleaguered plant to be shut down. The NRC is conducting its third and final increased oversight inspection at the plant, which in […]
-
Commercial Decommissioning
CPUC Orders SCE, Parties to Reconsider SONGS Deal
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Tuesday ordered utility Southern California Edison (SCE) to re-confer with interested parties to potentially adjust the $4.7 billion settlement over the premature closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in 2013. CPUC announced in April that it was reopening the settlement case, which ordered that state ratepayers […]
-
Reactor Licensing & Regulation
NRC Investigating Waste Shipment from Wash. Nuclear Plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is investigating an incident in which a low-level radioactive waste shipment from the Columbia Generating Station in Washington state to a nearby disposal facility was rejected due to under-reported radiation levels. The NRC said Monday that workers at the nuclear power plant on Nov. 9 shipped a single package of contaminated […]
-
Interim Storage & Waste Disposal
Western Governors Set Out Policy on Radioactive Waste Transport, Storage
Western states must be given a say in any decisions to establish an interim storage facility for radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel within their borders, the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) said in a new policy resolution this week. “In the event that centralized interim storage, either private or federal, is deemed necessary, no such […]
-
Reactor Licensing & Regulation
Anti-Nuke Groups Rebuff NRC on Fukushima Measures at FitzPatrick
Two antinuclear groups this week continued to call for a Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearing concerning power company Entergy’s request for additional time to comply with post-Fukushima safety equipment updates at the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in New York. The NRC ordered a series of design improvements for American nuclear reactors following the 2011 […]
-
International
South Australians Call for Continued Exploration of Nuclear Storage
A group of 21 prominent South Australians is calling on elected officials to continue developing a controversial concept for burying international nuclear waste in the region’s arid environment. Those signing the open letter issued this week include Adelaide Football Club Chairman Rob Chapman, Coopers Brewery chief Tim Cooper, former Gerard Industries Pty Ltd. Chairman Robert Gerard, […]
-
International
NDA Releases Draft Business Plan
The U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s total planned expenses are projected to total £3.24 billion ($4 billion) for 2017-18, which is nearly identical to expenses in the prior year, according to the agency’s draft business plan, which was published this week. The government will fund £2.36 billion of those expenses, while income from commercial operators will […]
-
Reactor Licensing & Regulation
Wrap Up: NRC Reports 29 Minor Security Incidents in FY16
U.S. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recorded zero major security incidents and 29 minor security incidents in fiscal 2016, according to a recent agency report to the White House Office of Management and Budget. NRC Chairman Stephen Burns detailed the findings in a Dec. 1 letter to OMB Director Shaun Donovan, which was released publicly last […]