Nuclear Regulatory Commission

By John Stang A scenario is being investigated of private corporations moving their spent nuclear fuel — possibly independent of U.S. Department of Energy ownership — to proposed consolidated interim storage sites in New Mexico and Texas.  That scenario — being studied by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) — was discussed this week at the […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to complete the Three Mile Island Unit 2 license transfer by fall of this year, according to Bruce Watson, Chief of the NRC Reactor Decommissioning Branch. If approved, GPU Nuclear, the FirstEnergy subsidiary that currently owns the reactor, will be allowed to transfer its license to a TMI-2 Solutions, […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a slap on the wrist to International Isotopes for exporting radioactive isotopes with medical and industrial applications to Iraq without a proper license in 2019, according to documents.  The company exported a combined total of 264.60 MBq of Cesium-137, Barium-133, Cobalt-57, Cobalt-60, Europium-152, and Sodium-22 without a proper license […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to complete the Three Mile Island Unit 2 license transfer by fall of this year, according to Bruce Watson, Chief of the NRC Reactor Decommissioning Branch. If approved, GPU Nuclear, the FirstEnergy subsidiary that currently owns the reactor, will be allowed to transfer its license to a TMI-2 Solutions, […]

By John Stang Full security training for the nation’s commercial reactors probably won’t resume “until sometime next year,” Shana Helton, acting deputy director for the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said this week. Helton spoke Tuesday at a staff briefing for NRC commissioners about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. […]

Full security training for the nation’s commercial reactors probably won’t resume “until sometime next year,” said Shana Helton, acting deputy director for the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  Helton spoke Tuesday at a staff briefing for NRC commissioners about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  The NRC has granted numerous […]

The Energy Department’s Office of Environmental Management acknowledged late Friday afternoon it will not remove remaining stranded drums of potentially-combustible transuranic waste from temporary storage in Andrews County, Texas this year. “Due to the unique technical considerations” of removing the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) TRU from Waste Control Specialists, “as well as still-to-be-determined impacts […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is preparing its next strategic plan, covering federal fiscal years 2022 to 2026. The agency has scheduled a meeting for Sept. 22 to receive stakeholder input on the document. It is also taking comments online and by mail. The “NRC would like input on the agency’s strategic goals, actions to realize […]

By John Stang A panel of specialists at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has rejected a petition from a pair of Texas-based oil and gas interests to reopen its case for a hearing in the licensing of Holtec International’s planned spent-fuel storage facility in New Mexico. The three-member Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) essentially decided […]

Used nuclear fuel management specialist NAC International could face civil penalties for failing to adhere to federal regulations in updating the design for one of its storage casks, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The federal agency cited two apparent violations on Sept. 3 in submitting the findings of a February 2020 routine inspection of […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission in July continued to keep a tight rein on spending down its balance from the federal fund intended to pay for a nuclear waste disposal facility. The agency used just $335 for unspecified program planning and support, according to its latest monthly spending report to Congress. That left it with an […]

A panel of specialists at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has rejected a petition from a pair of Texas-based oil and gas interests to reopen its case for a hearing in the licensing of Holtec International’s planned spent-fuel storage facility in New Mexico. The three-member Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) essentially decided that Fasken Land […]

Used nuclear fuel management specialist NAC International could face civil penalties for failing to adhere to federal regulations in updating the design for one of its storage casks, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The federal agency cited two apparent violations on Sept. 3 in submitting the findings of a February 2020 routine inspection of […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission in July continued to keep a tight rein on spending down its balance from the federal fund intended to pay for a nuclear waste disposal facility. The agency used just $335 for unspecified program planning and support, according to its latest monthly spending report to Congress. That left it with an […]

Stakeholders must finally accept that the long-planned, still-unrealized nuclear waste repository under Yucca Mountain, Nev., is dead and needs to be replaced with a new approach, according to a former senior official with the Department of Energy. “The sooner everyone agrees to pull the plug on Yucca Mountain, the sooner the United States can move […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission should consider additional safety measures for its proposed update to rules for disposal of “very-low-level” radioactive waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The federal regulator currently on a case-by-case basis allows land burial of this waste type in municipal and hazardous waste landfills that are not licensed for disposal […]

Stakeholders must finally accept that the long-planned, still-unrealized nuclear waste repository under Yucca Mountain, Nev., is dead and needs to be replaced with a new approach, according to a former senior official with the Department of Energy. “The sooner everyone agrees to pull the plug on Yucca Mountain, the sooner the United States can move […]

North Wind Site Services has won an $11.8 million contract to remove the largest building at the radioactively contaminated Luckey Site in Ohio, under the Army Corps of Engineers’ Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). In a press release Friday, the Army Corps said the Production Building must be taken out to allow for […]

By John Stang The members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are scheduled to be briefed later this month on the agency’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The commission meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Eastern time on Sept. 15. It will be webcast. The agenda has not been set yet, but the meeting will include […]

By John Stang The Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week formally rejected an advocacy organization’s latest petition to halt decommissioning of the retired San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. (SONGS) in California. On Feb. 5, San Diego-based Public Watchdogs submitted a 2.206 petition to the NRC that provided a long list of reasons that decommissioning at SONGS […]

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, New Mexico’s members of the U.S. Senate are urging the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend its review of the license application for a spent nuclear fuel storage facility in their state. From Aug. 20 through Wednesday, the federal regulator conducted four webinars on its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for Holtec […]

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, New Mexico’s members of the U.S. Senate are urging the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend its review of the license application for a spent nuclear fuel storage facility in their state. From Aug. 20 through Wednesday, the federal regulator conducted four webinars on its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for Holtec […]

Holtec International is seeking approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a new quality assurance program for its current and future fleet of nuclear power plants in decommissioning. The fleet decommissioning quality assurance program (DQAP) from subsidiary Holtec Decommissioning International would replace separate programs in place at the retired Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in […]

The Energy Department on Monday issued its final request for proposals (RFP) for nationwide low-level and mixed low-level waste treatment services. The agency could award more than one basic ordering agreement (BOAs) for the work, according to the document. The agreements will have a five-year ordering period, and task orders must be completed within six […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission should consider additional safety measures for its proposed update on rules for disposal of “very-low-level” radioactive waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The federal regulator currently on a case-by-case basis allows land burial of this waste type in municipal and hazardous waste landfills that are not licensed for disposal […]

Florida’s Public Service Commission (PSC) on Aug. 18 provided the last regulatory approval needed for expedited decommissioning of the retired Crystal River nuclear power plant. Following a 14-month review by the PSC, the five-member panel discussed the matter for less than six minutes during a meeting. It then unanimously approved the staff recommendation in favor […]

Aaron Larson POWER magazine The Duane Arnold Energy Center – a 615-megawatt nuclear power plant located in Palo, Iowa – will reportedly not restart after high winds caused extensive damage to the station’s cooling towers. The plant owner, NextEra Energy Resources, had planned to retire the unit on Oct. 30, but after assessing damage caused […]

Exelon Generation Co. on Thursday said it would retire two nuclear power plants in Illinois over the next 15 months, years or even decades ahead of the expiration of their federal licenses. The Byron Generating Station in Ogle County will shut down in September 2021, followed by the Dresden Generating Station in Grundy County in […]

The Democratic Party’s candidate for the congressional seat representing Texas’ 11th District this week emphasized his opposition to potential storage of radioactive spent nuclear fuel in the region. “One thing I’m particularly concerned about is the plan … to bring in highly radioactive nuclear waste from 100 nuclear power plants across the country, to store […]

Florida’s Public Service Commission on Tuesday provided the last regulatory approval needed for expedited decommissioning of the retired Crystal River nuclear power plant. Following a 14-month review, the five-member panel signed off on the decommissioning plan. Facility owner Duke Energy aims in October to seal a contract with Accelerated Decommissioning Partners to complete the cleanup […]