Saturday, March 4, 2017

The nuclear industry’s efforts to keep aging plants operating highlight questions about nuclear power’s future in the U.S.

by Richard Martin
December 8, 2015

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/544211/how-old-is-too-old-for-a-nuclear-reactor/?mc_cid=0328ed2846&mc_eid=e25735476a

Floating Nuclear Plants Could Ride Out Tsunamis

New power plant design could provide enhanced safety, easier siting, and centralized construction.

April 16, 2014

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/526701/floating-nuclear-plants-could-ride-out-tsunamis/?mc_cid=0328ed2846&mc_eid=e25735476a

Go Inside TriAlpha, A Startup Pursuing the Ideal Power Source

A startup in California has raised $500 million to chase the elusive dream of fusion power. Is this crazy, or is the company on to something?

by Richard Martin
May 20, 2016

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601482/go-inside-trialpha-a-startup-pursuing-the-ideal-power-source/?mc_cid=0328ed2846&mc_eid=e25735476a

Fail-Safe Nuclear Power

Cheaper and cleaner nuclear plants could finally become reality—but not in the United States, where the technology was invented more than 50 years ago.

by Richard Martin
August 2, 2016

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602051/fail-safe-nuclear-power/?mc_cid=0328ed2846&mc_eid=e25735476a

Giant Holes in the Ground

An expected nuclear renaissance has failed to materialize as plans for new plants are scrapped or delayed. What happened?

by Matthew L. Wald
October 27, 2010

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/421399/giant-holes-in-the-ground/?mc_cid=0328ed2846&mc_eid=e25735476a

People's Climate March, April 29, Washington, DC

March for Jobs, Justice, and the Climate

Today, on the anniversary of the founding of the Union of Concerned Scientists, we ask you to march forth with us once more by participating in the People's Climate March, April 29, in Washington, DC.

Register Today

What The US Electricity Sector Can Learn From The Telecom Revolution

By By Environmental Defense Fund Energy Exchange Blog, / Friday, March 3, 2017 10:00 AM

Employees work in a monitoring office at

Utilities and regulators are not typically known for innovation. Instead, they tend to focus their efforts and attention on reliability and cost effectiveness. So, when Rob Powelson, new president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) kicked off his first national meeting under the theme “Infrastructure, Innovation and Investment,” I was intrigued. http://breakingenergy.com/2017/03/03/what-the-us-electricity-sector-can-learn-from-the-telecom-revolution/?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=43854891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--J4t6hYGY1CYQ0V6o4h_D6w8A_Ifb7A9vcc6P63vuluoH_wwXkTund8W2KvJ_KRUbT0IKln85tTd9VMI2QCSLDEQBt1w&_hsmi=43854891

New York’s nuclear plant’s closing raises new worries: How and when

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/new-yorks-nuclear-plants-closing-raises-new-worries-how-and-when/

Gov. Cuomo’s upstate nuclear plant bailout will cost MTA, NYCHA big on utility bills

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/cuomo-upstate-nuclear-plant-bailout-cost-mta-nycha-big-article-1.2988203

IAEA: Making Nuclear Power Plants Safer – Final Coordination Meeting of Regional Project Takes Place

Carla Cueva, IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation

Meeting participants during a discussion. (Photo: J. Krickl/IAEA)

National counterparts from Brazil, Mexico and Argentina gathered this week at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, to participate in the Final Coordination Meeting of regional project RLA9080, ‘Enhancing Nuclear Power Plant Life Management and Safety Culture Practices’.
During the meeting, the four counterparts, representing the three nuclear power plant (NPP) operators in Latin America and a technical support organization (CNEA), discussed the impact and reviewed the work plan of the ongoing project, supported by Secretariat staff. The coordination meeting also served as a platform to agree on and complete the design of a regional project proposed for the 2018–2019 technical cooperation programme cycle.
Both the current and future project focus on giving plant managers and decision makers the tools to ensure acceptable standards for the safe operation of NPPs at each stage of their life cycle, including ageing management and long-term operation according to the IAEA Safety Standards and international best practices. The design of the future project is intended to give continuity to related activities and to expand the impact in the Latin America and the Caribbean region.

Group photo of the meeting participants. (Photo: J. Krickl/IAEA)

Mr Luis Longoria, Director of the Division for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Department of Technical Cooperation, highlighted that, for the past couple of decades, there has been a change of emphasis in the world of nuclear power, from building new NPPs to taking measures to optimize the life cycle of operational plants. He noted that Latin America has not been an exception. The IAEA technical cooperation programme aims to support the efforts of the the Latin American NPPs, regulatory authorities and technical support institutions to enhance plant life management for safe and reliable long term operation, as well as to establish a culture of safety and leadership among the staff of nuclear power plants.
The successful implementation of the regional project RLA9080 is a measurable and very practical step in reaching that goal.

Reports: Georgia Power suspending nuclear power project south of Columbus

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

The Georgia Power Company is suspending its study into the possibility of building a nuclear power plant south of Columbus in Stewart County, the ...http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article136178918.html

Georgia Power Suspends Study for Nuclear Plant Near Columbus - U.S. News & World Report

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/georgia/articles/2017-03-03/georgia-power-suspends-study-for-nuclear-plant-near-columbus

Georgia Power suspends nuclear site study in Stewart County - WTVY, Dothan

http://www.wtvy.com/content/news/Georgia-Power-suspends-nuclear-site-study-in-Stewart-County-415362693.html

Georgia Power Backs Away From Stewart County Plant - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers (press release) (blog)http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2017/03/03/georgia-power-backs-away-from-stewart-county-plant-030302#.WLskBBCXRSw

Georgia Power defends early work at suspended reactor site

E&E News - ‎Mar 3, 2017‎

Georgia Power is defending its decision to spend millions of dollars on a nuclear reactor site that has been suspended. Photo courtesy of Georgia Power via Instagram. ATLANTA — Georgia Power yesterday defended its decision to spend roughly half of ...

Georgia Power suspends study for nuclear plant near Columbus

Charlotte Observer - ‎Mar 3, 2017‎

Georgia Power is suspending its study of a site near Columbus for a new nuclear power plant. In a letter Wednesday to the Georgia Public Service Commission, the utility told officials that the proposed nuclear plant in Stewart County would not be ...

Georgia Power Backs Away From Stewart County Plant

Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers (press release) (blog) - ‎Mar 3, 2017‎

The Atlanta Business Chronicle is reporting that Georgia Power Co. has suspended plans for construction of a nuclear power plant in the southwestern portion of the state, south of Columbus, Ga. Georgia Power The company informed the state's Public ...

Reports: Georgia Power suspending nuclear power project south of Columbus

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer - ‎Mar 3, 2017‎

The Georgia Power Company is suspending its study into the possibility of building a nuclear power plant south of Columbus in Stewart County, the Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting. The utility notified the Georgia Public Service Commission by ...

Southern suspends work on proposed Georgia nuclear plant

Seeking Alpha - ‎Mar 3, 2017‎

Southern Co.'s (SO +0.2%) Georgia Power subsidiary says it is suspending plans for a new nuclear power plant near Columbus, Ga., citing demand forecasts. But the decision comes as SO and Georgia Power face more uncertainty around the nearby Vogtle ...

Georgia commission approves expenses in Fifteenth Plant Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report

Daily Energy Insider - ‎11 hours ago‎

The Georgia Public Service Commission unanimously approved and verified this week Georgia Power's $141 million in expenditures on the Plant Vogtle Nuclear Power Construction Project for Jan. 1, 2016, through June 30, 2016. The ruling acknowledges ...

4 Megawatt modular micro nuclear reactor is in Canadian pre-license review and targets 2025 for demo reactor

http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/03/4-megawatt-modular-micro-nuclear.html

Feds approve transfer of Oswego County nuclear power plant

Feds approve transfer of Oswego County nuclear power plant

Auburn Citizen (blog)

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission signed off on the transfer of the plant from Entergy to Exelon. The $110 million agreement between the two ...http://auburnpub.com/blogs/eye_on_ny/feds-approve-transfer-of-oswego-county-nuclear-power-plant/article_e130a911-938d-5116-9b2f-08ec6cb22b05.html

Ownership transfer approved for Fitzpatrick Nuclear plant - WSYR

http://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/ownership-transfer-approved-for-fitzpatrick-nuclear-plant/666316006

NRC Approves License Transfer of FitzPatrick Nuclear Plant - Oswego Daily News

http://oswegocountytoday.com/barclay-federal-approval-of-fitz-transfer-marks-final-step-in-securing-local-jobs/

Sale of FitzPatrick plant gets federal approval - CNYcentral.com

http://cnycentral.com/news/local/sale-of-fitzpatrick-plant-gets-federal-approval

Ownership transfer approved for Fitzpatrick Nuclear plant

WSYR - ‎19 hours ago‎

SCRIBA (WSYR-TV) - The fate of nearly 600 jobs has been sealed with the official transfer of the Fitzpatrick Nuclear Plant in Scriba to Exelon. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the transfer of Fitzpatrick from Entergy Nuclear Operations today.

Sale of FitzPatrick plant gets federal approval

CNYcentral.com - ‎Mar 3, 2017‎

SCRIBA, N.Y. — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has officially approved the sale of the FitzPatrick Nuclear Plant in Oswego County. The news comes just two days after the plant announced it had finished refueling its nuclear reactor. SEE ALSO | Take ...

NRC Approves License Transfer of FitzPatrick Nuclear Plant

Oswego Daily News - ‎Mar 3, 2017‎

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the transfer of the operating license of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in upstate New York from Entergy Nuclear Operations to Exelon Generation Co. The transfer will become effective March ...

Feds approve transfer of Oswego County nuclear power plant

Auburn Citizen (blog) - ‎Mar 3, 2017‎

James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba, Oswego County will remain open after its transfer to Exelon. prev. next. The transfer of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba, Oswego County, has cleared its final hurdle. The ...

NRC Approves Deal to Save FitzPatrick Plant

TWC News - ‎Mar 2, 2017‎

TWC NEWS VIDEO: A long era of uncertainty at the FitzPatrick nuclear power plant appears to be over. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the deal to keep the plant open, preserving hundreds of jobs and economic benefits for the area.

NRC approves transfer of FitzPatrick nuclear plant to Exelon

Syracuse.com - ‎Mar 2, 2017‎

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved transfer of the operating license for FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant to Exelon Corp. (NRC). Print Email · Tim Knauss | tknauss@syracuse.com By Tim Knauss | tknauss@syracuse.com The Post- ...

Sens. Introduce Measure To Improve New Nuke Plant Process

https://www.law360.com/articles/897769/sens-introduce-measure-to-improve-new-nuke-plant-process

Counterpoint: I’ve seen media’s antics firsthand

Recent polls show public distrust of the media. Several recent N&R articles have asserted that the media are honest and trustworthy. I present a counterpoint.
http://www.greensboro.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/counterpoint-i-ve-seen-media-s-antics-firsthand/article_7d298b7e-f40a-535a-9e3b-005294b5c78f.html

Pilgrim foes decry NRC’s annual assessment

PLYMOUTH — Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station will remain classified as one of three worst performing reactors in the country, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's letter assessing the plant's performance in 2016.
The letter, released Friday, doesn't deliver much more than the bottom line: The Entergy-owned plant will remain open, stay in Column 4 — one step above forced shutdown — and will continue to be watched closely by federal regulators.

http://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20170303/pilgrim-foes-decry-nrcs-annual-assessment

Nuclear Regulatory Commission backs Grand Gulf through 2044

http://www.vicksburgpost.com/2017/03/03/nuclear-regulatory-commission-backs-grand-gulf-through-2044/

New USGS Maps Identify Potential Ground-Shaking Hazards in 2017

New USGS Maps Identify Potential Ground-Shaking Hazards in 2017

Washington DC (SPX) Mar 03, 2017 -
New USGS maps identify potential ground-shaking hazards in 2017 from both human-induced and natural earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S., known as the CEUS. This is the second consecutive year both types of hazards are forecasted, as previous USGS maps only identified hazards from natural earthquakes. This research was published this week in Seismological Research Letters. Approxima ... morehttp://www.terradaily.com/reports/New_USGS_Maps_Identify_Potential_Ground_Shaking_Hazards_in_2017_999.html

Friday, March 3, 2017

Next Big Future: Supercritical nuclear reactor designs from Russia

NRC Issues Annual Assessments for Nation’s Nuclear Plants

17-007.pdf

Verification and Monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of UNSCR 2231 for Feb 24, 2017 | Institute for Science and International Security

Analysis of the IAEA’s Fifth Iran Nuclear Deal Report

Analysis of the IAEA’s Fifth Iran Nuclear Deal Report Download PDF

On February 24, 2017, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released its fifth report on Iran’s compliance with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2231 (2015). UNSCR 2231 codified into international law the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement reached between the P5+1 and Iran in July 2015 aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program. The JCPOA was implemented on January 16, 2016, a date known as Implementation Day. The latest IAEA report again states: “Since Implementation Day, the Agency has been verifying and monitoring the implementation by Iran of its nuclear-related commitments” under the Iran deal. Nowhere in the report does the IAEA state that Iran is fully compliant with the JCPOA, and it should not make that judgement. The issue of full compliance is rightly the responsibility of the Joint Commission and governments, in particular those in the P5+1.
The IAEA report lists many areas where Iran has met the conditions of the JCPOA’s provisions. However, known verification controversies are not included in the reporting. Moreover, the report states that the IAEA is still unable to determine the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran. Although this report contains more detail in certain areas than previous reports, the IAEA reporting continues to be too sparse.

Key Findings

Since our last report, the Joint Commission adopted our recommendation to make its decisions public. That decision to be more transparent is welcome and should have motivated the IAEA to report additional information about Iranian nuclear activities, programs, and materials. Yet, key information is still lacking. The IAEA should report comprehensively on the situation so that governments can determine if Iran is in compliance with the JCPOA.
Due to some of the information in the IAEA report and other information we have obtained, we remain concerned that Iran is not fully complying with the JCPOA, or is at least pushing the envelope of compliance in a detrimental direction.
Iran’s total stock of heavy water is 135.2 metric tonnes,¹ comprising 124.2 metric tonnes inside Iran and 11 tonnes located outside Iran. A reasonable interpretation of the JCPOA, shared by many, is that Iran is limited to a total of 130 metric tonnes of heavy water whether the heavy water is in Iran or under its control outside Iran. The current situation whereby Iran can cache its heavy water in Iran, allowing it to exceed that cap, should be ended and recognized as not in compliance with the JCPOA.² Iran is producing heavy water at an annualized rate of about 25 metric tonnes per year, or more than 2 metric tonnes per month. As a result, by early May, Iran’s stock of heavy water inside Iran is expected to reach 130 metric tonnes.
The report does not discuss, and is cast in a way as to highly doubt, whether the inspectors have visited Iranian military sites. Such access is part of the IAEA’s legitimate need to verify JCPOA bans on nuclear weaponization activities which could contribute to the development of a nuclear explosive device and develop confidence in the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activity as mandated under the IAEA comprehensive safeguards agreement and reinforced by the Additional Protocol. The IAEA at least needs to start to verify the weaponization bans in the JCPOA, which it is required to do under United Nations Security Council resolution 2231. This verification necessarily will require the IAEA to visit Iranian military sites.
Since the last report, the IAEA attended one meeting of the Procurement Working Group which oversees procurements by Iran of nuclear and nuclear-related commodities. This meeting may have addressed the export to Iran of a relatively large shipment of natural uranium (125.4 metric tonnes uranium mass). The approval of this uranium shipment occurred during the Obama administration, but it would likely have been blocked by the Trump administration.
The IAEA states that during the reporting period, Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile “has not exceeded 300 kg of UF6 enriched up to 3.67% U-235 (or the equivalent in different chemical forms). The quantity of 300 kg of UF6 corresponds to 202.8 kg of uranium.” Yet this value does not represent the total amount of uranium enriched up to 3.67 percent. If all the LEU had been included, Iran’s stock would have exceeded the 300 kg cap; the amount above that reported by the IAEA has been exempted from consideration by the Joint Commission.
Although not reported in the IAEA report, we have learned that Iran is not enriching much uranium in the Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP). In theory, the FEP could produce up to 100 kg of LEU hexafluoride per month; it is producing far less than this amount. Iran’s future plans with regard to the FEP remain unknown. In addition, we do not know if Iran continues to enrich depleted uranium to natural uranium in the FEP, which would be an exploitation of a loophole in the JCPOA that the Joint Commission should fix.
The report includes little reporting on Iran’s centrifuge research and development activities. It does state that Iran is now enriching uranium in a single IR-8 centrifuge and that after enrichment the enriched uranium is remixed with the depleted uranium, yielding natural uranium. The use of a single IR-8 centrifuge to enrich (and remix) uranium is consistent with Iran’s enrichment plan. However, missing is any discussion of whether Iran abiding by restrictions on centrifuge R&D under the JCPOA. One example is allegations that Iran exploited allowed “quality assurance” criteria at Kalaye Electric and possibly elsewhere to conduct additional mechanical testing of centrifuges beyond that allowed under the JCPOA.
Overall, the IAEA effort in Iran needs to be strengthened, in particular by gaining access to Iranian military sites and providing more comprehensive reporting, and that strengthening should be fully supported by the Board of Governors and the P5+1.

http://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/analysis-of-the-iaeas-fifth-iran-nuclear-deal-report#When:18:08:00Z

Fairewinds: Learning From Our Mistakes: It Could Have Been Worse

https://www.fairewinds.org/demystify//learning-from-our-mistakes-it-could-have-been-worse

Top Trump Advisers Are Split on Paris Agreement on Climate Change - The New York Times

Trump Wants to ‘Zero Out’ EPA Programs | Climate Central

Transporters gear up for resumption of WIPP shipments

Yes Vermont Yankee: Sooner Rather Than Later, the NorthStar Decomm Plans: Guy Page Guest Post

A visit to Russia's secret nuclear labs | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Russian nuclear forces, 2017 | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

New path suggested for nuclear fusion

Houston TX (SPX) Mar 03, 2017 - Controlled nuclear fusion has been a holy grail for physicists who seek an endless supply of clean energy. Scientists at Rice University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Chile offered a glimpse into a possible new path toward that goal. Their report on quantum-controlled fusion puts forth the notion that rather than heating atoms to temperatures found i ... morehttp://www.energy-daily.com/reports/New_path_suggested_for_nuclear_fusion_999.html

Norway helps improve Romania's nuclear safety

CGN, Ultra to develop next generation I&C systems

U-Battery begins Canadian pre-licensing process

U-Battery begins Canadian pre-licensing process
The U-Battery consortium, led by Urenco, has registered its micro-modular reactor technology for pre-licensing vendor design review with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS-U-Battery-begins-Canadian-pre-licensing-process-0303177.html

Cleanup after sulfuric acid leak at Cook Nuclear Plant | WSBT

Next Big Future: China will complete five nuclear reactors in 2017 and double nuclear power generation to about 420 TWh by 2021

Georgia Power suspends study for new nuke plant near Columbus

Nuclear Power Must Remain an Option for Energy & Jobs | Southern Political Report

India Said to Explore New Sites for Building Nuclear Projects

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-02/india-said-to-explore-new-sites-for-building-nuclear-projects-izs7r2s1

An Open Letter from Scientists in Support of the UN Nuclear Weapons Negotiations

Nuclear arms are the only weapons of mass destruction not yet prohibited by an international convention, even though they are the most destructive and indiscriminate weapons ever created. We scientists bear a special responsibility for nuclear weapons, since it was scientists who invented them and discovered that their effects are even more horrific than first thought. Individual explosions can obliterate cities, radioactive fallout can contaminate regions, and a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse may cause mayhem by frying electrical grids and electronics across a continent. The most horrible hazard is a nuclear-induced winter, in which the fires and smoke from as few as a thousand detonations might darken the atmosphere enough to trigger a global mini ice age with year-round winter-like conditions. This could cause a complete collapse of the global food system and apocalyptic unrest, potentially killing most people on Earth – even if the nuclear war involved only a small fraction of the roughly 14,000 nuclear weapons that today’s nine nuclear powers control. As Ronald Reagan said: “A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”

https://futureoflife.org/nuclear-open-letter/?utm_source=Federation+of+American+Scientists&utm_campaign=cdf3f49490-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_21&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_56a7496199-cdf3f49490-199338577

How US nuclear force modernization is undermining strategic stability: The burst-height compensating super-fuze

http://thebulletin.org/how-us-nuclear-force-modernization-undermining-strategic-stability-burst-height-compensating-super10578?utm_source=Federation+of+American+Scientists&utm_campaign=cdf3f49490-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_21&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_56a7496199-cdf3f49490-199338577

Crews at the DOE Idaho Site Complete Transuranic Waste Retrieval ff EM's Acting Assistant Secretary Sue Cange and Idaho's Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter speak to a crowd in celebration of the completion of the retrieval of over 53,000 cubic meters of waste at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project. Idaho Falls, Idaho - For more than 20 years, a gigantic building – covering seven acres of land at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho site – has been the temporary storage location for hundreds of thousands of containers filled with radioactively contaminated materials. About the size of an aircraft carrier, the Transuranic Storage Area-Retrieval Enclosure (TSA-RE) covered an earthen berm that protected more than 50,000 cubic meters of metal drums and boxes containing transuranic waste. In February, the final box was safely retrieved bringing an end to retrieval activities at the Department’s Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project, located 50 miles west of Idaho Falls, ID. An additional 15,000 cubic meters of waste had been stored in nearby storage modules and is included in the project. Retrieval of the above-ground stored transuranic waste was scheduled to be completed by this May. But an experienced workforce, innovative tools, and a safe work mindset enabled the project to finish ahead of schedule. “Completing the retrieval of the waste stored in TSA-RE is an important achievement for the Department of Energy,” said Jack Zimmerman, Deputy Manager for the Idaho Cleanup Project at the DOE Idaho Operations Office. “Retrieving waste that has been buried in an earthen berm for nearly 40 years is a complicated task, and to complete the work safely and ahead of schedule is a testament to the experience and tenacity of this project’s employees.” When excavation and retrieval activities started in 2003, backhoes and shovels were used to remove dirt from the 35-foot tall earthen berm to start retrieving drums and boxes. The first containers retrieved, having been under the berm the least amount of time, were in good structural shape and could be safely removed and stored, prior to their characterization, treatment, and shipment out of Idaho. However, as the project progressed to the older containers, the condition of the containers was noticeably degraded. “The complexity and hazards that retrieval crews faced while performing their work cannot be overstated. Many of the final drums and boxes were degraded after decades under dirt, challenging our workers,” said Fred Hughes, Program Manager for Idaho Cleanup Project contractor Fluor Idaho. “Understanding what they were up against, these skilled crews, working with robust administrative and engineered controls, made remarkable progress in further protecting the Snake River Plain Aquifer.” Fluor Idaho oversees environmental management work for the Department of Energy at its Idaho site. During the final five years of retrieval, crews reached containers that had been under the dirt for decades; many degraded containers were encountered. Through a thoughtful, deliberate approach, specially developed tools, and a confidence borne from experience crews were able to remove the degraded containers, repack the materials into new sturdy containers, and complete retrieval of the waste without any unexpected release of contamination, serious injury, or incident. Each of the drums and boxes retrieved from the TSA-RE has, or will be, repackaged and prepared for shipment out of Idaho for final disposal in accordance with the 1995 Idaho Settlement Agreement.

EM News Flash | March 3, 2017

Crews at the DOE Idaho Site Complete Transuranic Waste Retrieval

EM's Acting Assistant Secretary Sue Cange and Idaho's Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter speak to a crowd in celebration of the completion of the retrieval of over 53,000 cubic meters of waste at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project.

Idaho Falls, Idaho - For more than 20 years, a gigantic building – covering seven acres of land at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho site – has been the temporary storage location for hundreds of thousands of containers filled with radioactively contaminated materials.

About the size of an aircraft carrier, the Transuranic Storage Area-Retrieval Enclosure (TSA-RE) covered an earthen berm that protected more than 50,000 cubic meters of metal drums and boxes containing transuranic waste. In February, the final box was safely retrieved bringing an end to retrieval activities at the Department’s Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project, located 50 miles west of Idaho Falls, ID. An additional 15,000 cubic meters of waste had been stored in nearby storage modules and is included in the project.

Retrieval of the above-ground stored transuranic waste was scheduled to be completed by this May. But an experienced workforce, innovative tools, and a safe work mindset enabled the project to finish ahead of schedule.

“Completing the retrieval of the waste stored in TSA-RE is an important achievement for the Department of Energy,” said Jack Zimmerman, Deputy Manager for the Idaho Cleanup Project at the DOE Idaho Operations Office. “Retrieving waste that has been buried in an earthen berm for nearly 40 years is a complicated task, and to complete the work safely and ahead of schedule is a testament to the experience and tenacity of this project’s employees.”

When excavation and retrieval activities started in 2003, backhoes and shovels were used to remove dirt from the 35-foot tall earthen berm to start retrieving drums and boxes. The first containers retrieved, having been under the berm the least amount of time, were in good structural shape and could be safely removed and stored, prior to their characterization, treatment, and shipment out of Idaho. However, as the project progressed to the older containers, the condition of the containers was noticeably degraded.

“The complexity and hazards that retrieval crews faced while performing their work cannot be overstated. Many of the final drums and boxes were degraded after decades under dirt, challenging our workers,” said Fred Hughes, Program Manager for Idaho Cleanup Project contractor Fluor Idaho. “Understanding what they were up against, these skilled crews, working with robust administrative and engineered controls, made remarkable progress in further protecting the Snake River Plain Aquifer.” Fluor Idaho oversees environmental management work for the Department of Energy at its Idaho site.

During the final five years of retrieval, crews reached containers that had been under the dirt for decades; many degraded containers were encountered. Through a thoughtful, deliberate approach, specially developed tools, and a confidence borne from experience crews were able to remove the degraded containers, repack the materials into new sturdy containers, and complete retrieval of the waste without any unexpected release of contamination, serious injury, or incident.

Each of the drums and boxes retrieved from the TSA-RE has, or will be, repackaged and prepared for shipment out of Idaho for final disposal in accordance with the 1995 Idaho Settlement Agreement.

Like EM on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DOEEnvironmentalManagement

GAO-17-232, Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Regulatory Fee-Setting Calculations Need Greater Transparency, February 02, 2017 – SAT Press Releases

NRC approves transfer of FitzPatrick nuclear plant to Exelon | syracuse.com

Sale of FitzPatrick plant gets federal approval

CNYcentral.com - ‎3 hours ago‎

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has officially approved the sale of the FitzPatrick Nuclear Plant in Oswego County. The news comes just two days after the plant announced it had finished refueling its nuclear reactor. SEE ALSO | Take a look at how ...

Yet again, an expert – this time, a German – has announced that Germany’s energy transition cannot succeed. He has a surprising insight for Energiewende proponents: the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. The post Here Comes the End of the Energiewende,http://www.theenergycollective.com/energy-post/2399598/comes-end-energiewende?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Nuclear Roundup March 3, 2017

Nuclear Roundup

March 3, 2017

A compilation of quality nuclear policy news published on the Web, around the world.

Iran Nuclear Deal

Why Trump won't tear up Iran nuclear deal

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/03/opinions/trump-iran-deal-andelman/

IAEA chief meets Tillerson to discuss Iran nuclear deal

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/03/03/512808/Iran-IAEA-Amano-US-Secretary-of-State-Rex-Tillerson-JCPOA

Does the US nuclear deal with Iran matter?

http://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/nightlife/ramesh-thakur/8321448

United States

Senate confirms Rick Perry as energy secretary

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/rick-perry-confirmed-energy-secretary-235617

Exploring the Evolution of Nuclear Deterrence Through Interviews, Historical Footage

http://www.newswise.com/articles/exploring-the-evolution-of-nuclear-deterrence-through-interviews-historical-footage

Link to Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQBLpJFi6f0

America Needs Its Underwater Nukes. Delaying New Subs Would Be a Disaster.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/america-needs-its-underwater-nukes-delaying-the-process-19651

Wilson defends MOX following 'unfavorable' rating in NNSA report

http://www.aikenstandard.com/news/wilson-defends-mox-following-unfavorable-rating-in-nnsa-report/article_58f7cb52-ff7c-11e6-b78f-0f6e3db4c51b.html

NNSA Chief Klotz Says High Explosives Facility At Pantex Plant Ready To Operate

http://www.defensedaily.com/nnsa-chief-klotz-says-high-explosives-facility-pantex-plant-ready-operate/

NNSA Partners with Argentina on Nuclear Forensics Workshop

https://nnsa.energy.gov/mediaroom/pressreleases/nnsa-partners-argentina-nuclear-forensics-workshop

Is Yucca Mountain once again to be America’s nuclear waste dump?

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article136024748.html#storylink=cpy

DARPA Tests Dirty-Bomb Hunting Ambulances

http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2017/03/darpa-tests-dirty-bomb-hunting-ambulances/135860/?oref=defenseone_today_nl

International

North Korea nuclear threat growing

http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/north-korea-nuclear-threat-growing

Kazakhstan: A leader in global nuclear policy?

http://thebulletin.org/kazakhstan-leader-global-nuclear-policy10586

The robots sent into Fukushima's nuclear fallout site keep dying

http://mashable.com/2017/03/03/fukushima-robots-fail/#dUCjnXspZkqC

The nuclear fallout from Brexit

https://www.ft.com/content/9b99159e-ff2a-11e6-96f8-3700c5664d30

Germans are debating getting their own nuclear weapon

http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21717981-donald-trumps-questioning-natos-credibility-has-berlin-thinking-unthinkable-germans-are

Hezbollah-linked video threatens attacks on 9 Israeli nuclear, chemical sites

http://www.timesofisrael.com/hezbollah-linked-video-threatens-attacks-on-nuclear-chemical-sites/

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