Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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 […]

By John Stang Executives with power company Entergy said Tuesday bringing the struggling Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts up to operational snuff will not affect its scheduled closure by June 1, 2019. During a briefing of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Commissioner David Wright asked Entergy officials to rate the likelihood of the boiling-water reactor […]

The Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center has petitioned the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review whether FirstEnergy Solutions’ decommissioning trust funds will have enough money to shut down and dismantle three nuclear power plants. The ELPC contends that since FirstEnergy Solutions is closing its three Ohio and Pennsylvania sites — containing four reactors — […]

Executives with power company Entergy said Tuesday bringing the struggling Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts up to snuff will not affect its scheduled closure date by June 1, 2019. During a briefing of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday, Commissioner David Wright asked Entergy officials to rate the likelihood of the boiling-water reactor being […]

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 […]

Executives with a major U.S. utility and the trade group for the nuclear industry last week said they were largely satisfied with the set of proposed regulations for power reactors making the transition from operations to decommissioning. “Overall, we’re pretty pleased with the proposal as it came out. Our main goal obviously was just to […]

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 federal fund intended pay for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada was valued at $44.5 billion at the end of fiscal 2017, down by $1.5 billion from the prior year, according to a newly released report from the Department of Energy Inspector General’s Office. The Nuclear Waste Fund as of Sept. 30, […]

The Board of County Commissioners of Bernalillo County, N.M., on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution opposing rail transport of spent nuclear reactor fuel through the jurisdiction. The northern New Mexico county joins Albuquerque and other jurisdictions in expressing concerns about Holtec International’s plans for a consolidated interim storage facility for used fuel in the state’s […]

The federal fund intended pay for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada was valued at $44.5 billion at the end of fiscal 2017, down by $1.5 billion from the prior year, according to a newly released report from the Department of Energy Inspector General’s Office. The Nuclear Waste Fund as of Sept. 30, […]

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 […]

The Energy Department’s Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant complex in Ohio is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and the state’s historic preservation office wants a voice in cleanup plans for the contaminated site. The Ohio History Connection said in a May 16 letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission it should be […]

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 […]

Colorado Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne on Wednesday signed legislation enabling the state to establish regulations for management of certain radioactive materials. Lynne assumed the duties of governor while Gov. John Hickenlooper was out of the state. The state’s Radiation Control Act prohibited Colorado from establishing regulations on naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and technologically enhanced naturally […]

The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on June 1 dismissed a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas demanding that the federal government complete licensing proceedings on the long-planned radioactive waste disposal site at Yucca Mountain, Nev. Writing for a three-judge panel, Judge Patrick Higginbotham said Texas had failed to submit its claim in […]

NASHVILLE — A Waste Control Specialists-Orano team could be within days of formally refiling a license application for consolidated interim storage of spent nuclear reactor fuel in West Texas, an executive said Thursday. The companies have previously said they would revive Waste Control Specialists’ suspended license application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the end of […]

The Energy Department’s Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant complex in Ohio is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and the state’s historic preservation office wants a voice in cleanup plans for the contaminated site. The Ohio History Connection said in a May 16 letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission it should be […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April spent $6,275 of its remaining balance from the federal Nuclear Waste Fund, leaving it with $458,599 until Congress provides another appropriation. Most of the spending — $5,356 – reflects “trailing costs” from a two-day virtual meeting in February of the NRC’s Licensing Support Network (LSN) Advisory Review Panel, […]

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 […]

U.S. Rep. Bill Keating (D-Mass.) has proposed providing $5 million in fiscal 2019 to further research on storage and disposal of spent nuclear reactor fuel by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The proposal is one of more than 170 amendments submitted for a House appropriations “minibus” covering energy and water, the […]

The state of Texas suggested Monday it has not necessarily given up on a lawsuit intended to require the federal government to complete licensing of the Yucca Mountain radioactive waste repository in Nevada. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday dismissed the lawsuit, saying the state had failed to file on time and […]

The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas demanding that the federal government complete licensing proceedings on the long-planned radioactive waste disposal site at Yucca Mountain, Nev. Writing for a three-judge panel, Judge Patrick Higginbotham said Texas had failed to submit its claim within the […]

Longtime Energy Department nuclear cleanup hand Ken Picha has been named to a top post at DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) on an acting basis. Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management Anne Marie White said in a widely distributed email on May 25 that Picha was replacing Dae Chung as acting EM associate […]

By John Stang Proposed changes in federal rules for nuclear reactors transitioning into decommissioning this week drew little or no concern from three nuclear power providers. Last week, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission unveiled a set of proposed regulations that would be specific to reactors that are no longer operational, covering areas ranging from physical […]

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 […]

By John Stang The New Mexico Legislature’s Interim Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee will likely hold more public hearings before recommending how the state should respond to plans to build an interim used nuclear fuel storage site. The panel met on May 17 to hear testimony from representatives of Holtec International and the Eddy-Lea Energy […]