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Energy Dept. Lauds Strength of Nuclear Power Fleet, as Industry Seeks Federal Assistance
Friday, March 27th, 2020
The Department of Energy on Thursday expressed confidence in the strength of the nation’s nuclear power fleet, even as a leading industry group has asked the Trump administration to provide economic relief in the face of potential damage from the spreading COVID-19 pandemic. “Rest assured that our fleet of operating reactors and the nuclear energy […]
READ MORENo Signs of Coronavirus at Nuclear Cleanup Industry Conference, Organizer Says
Friday, March 27th, 2020
The Waste Management Symposia on Tuesday said both attendees at this year’s event who showed signs of possible COVID-19 infection had tested negative. Test results for “Attendee #1” were received Tuesday, one day after the results for “Attendee #2,” according to a statement from James Gallagher, chairman of the board for the annual nuclear cleanup […]
READ MOREWrap Up: NRC Schedules ‘Virtual Meetings’ on URENCO, Westinghouse Performance
Friday, March 27th, 2020
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled a March 30 “virtual meeting” to discuss the results of its latest performance assessment for URENCO USA’s uranium enrichment plant in Eunice, N.M. The assessment period covered the entirety of 2018 and 2019. Agency staff determined URENCO did not need to make improvements in five operational spheres: safety operations, […]
READ MOREFirst Nations’ Approval Key to Advancing Canadian Used-Fuel Repository
Friday, March 27th, 2020
The organization planning Canada’s deep geologic repository for spent fuel from nuclear power plants hopes engagement with First Nations peoples can help it avoid a major complication that recently befell a similar project for radioactive waste disposal. In February, Ontario Power Generation terminated plans to build a repository for low- and intermediate-level waste on the […]
READ MORESewage Spill Being Investigated at San Onofre Plant
Friday, March 27th, 2020
By John Stang Management at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California is investigating the spill before dawn Wednesday of 7,000 gallons of nonradioactive sewage into the Pacific Ocean. Officials with plant majority owner Southern California Edison (SCE) discussed the spill Thursday evening with the SONGS Community Engagement Panel during a Skyped meeting. […]
READ MORENRC Weighs More Time for Comments on New Mexico Spent Fuel Storage Document
Friday, March 27th, 2020
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday it is considering a request from New Mexico’s congressional delegation for more time to submit comments on a key document in licensing a planned spent nuclear fuel storage facility in the state. The NRC, like agencies at all levels of government, is wrestling with managing its regular operations while […]
READ MORESONGS Decommissioning to Temporarily Ramp Down in Face of COVID-19
Friday, March 27th, 2020
Southern California Edison said Wednesday it is preparing to temporarily ramp down some decommissioning operations at the retired San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The utility expects in the next few days to determine which deconstruction activities will be temporarily frozen and what work can continue at the […]
READ MOREWaste Control Specialists Touts ‘Dramatic’ Changes Since Sale
Friday, March 20th, 2020
PHOENIX – Waste Control Specialists (WCS) has reduced costs and staff since its January 2018 sale to a private-equity firm, part of a wider program to update its operations and attract new customers, an executive told an industry audience here last week. The changes have been “dramatic,” according to Dan Burns, senior vice president of […]
READ MOREEnergy Dept. Preparing Report on Nuclear Waste Disposition Approaches
Friday, March 20th, 2020
The Department of Energy is still preparing a report to Congress on “innovative options” for meeting its legal requirement to dispose of tens of thousands of tons of U.S. nuclear waste. “The Department is currently working on the report, and we’ll follow up once it’s public,” a spokesperson said by email Monday. The spokesperson did […]
READ MORERad Waste Industry Sustains Operations in Face of Coronavirus Pandemic
Friday, March 20th, 2020
By John Stang Telecommuting and social distancing are in play across the nation’s radioactive waste industry as the novel coronavirus 2019 sweeps the United States. The limited number of companies that responded to inquiries this week reported no COVID-19 cases among their workforce and no cutbacks in operations, though they did not rule out slowdowns […]
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