BREAKING NEWS
NRC issues license for interim storage in Texas, Governor Abbott says facility is "illegal"
ECA Staff | 9/14/2021
Yesterday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a license for Interim Storage Partners LLC – a joint venture between Waste Control Specialists and Orano USA - to construct and operate a consolidated interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in Andrews, TX. The license authorizes
the company to “receive, possess, transfer and store up to 5,000 metric tons of spent fuel and 231.1 metric tons of Greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste for 40 years.”
Immediately complicating matters, however, is Texas House Bill 7, legislation passed by the Texas legislature and signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott just weeks ago on September 2, 2021, banning the storage and disposal of high-level radioactive waste anywhere within state lines. The law also prohibits the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from issuing certain permits for this kind of facility. In a letter to the NRC Chair Chris Hanson regarding the announcement, Abbott states, “…the State of Texas has serious concerns with the design of the proposed ISP facility and with locating it in an area that is essential to the country’s energy security. Now the State has made clear that a consolidated interim storage facility is not only unwelcome here, but illegal.”
This development illustrates the challenges that remain regarding the management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in the absence of a permanent geologic repository in the U.S. It is worth noting that just six years ago, in 2015, the Andrew County commissioners passed a resolution in support of establishing a site for consolidated interim storage in the community. Support from current commissioners, however, has waned.
The NRC last granted a license for a consolidated interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in Utah to Private Fuel Storage in 2006. As has historically been the case, political pressure came to bear and that facility was never constructed.
The NRC is also currently reviewing a license for a consolidated interim storage facility in Lea County, New Mexico, submitted by Holtec International. A decision on that project is expected early in 2022.
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GAO report calls on NNSA and EM to make improvements, highlights progress made
ECA Staff | 9/13/2021
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report calling on the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Office of Environmental
Management (EM) to “improve oversight of contractors and incorporate program and project management best practices.”
Since 1990, GAO has designated DOE’s contract management as a “high-risk area,” which is categorized by programs that are “vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement, or in need of transformation.” GAO has since narrowed the focus of DOE’s high-risk designation to NNSA’s and EM’s contracts and major projects with an estimated cost of $750 million or greater “to acknowledge progress NNSA and EM have made in managing nonmajor projects.”
In a change from its last report, GAO now rates the programs separately, though both remain under the high-risk area. The report ranks the programs based on the management of contracts and projects through several criteria: leadership commitment, capacity, action plan, monitoring, and demonstrated progress.
According to the report, “Since 2019, both NNSA and EM have taken actions to improve their capacities for managing their contracts and projects.” However, several of the criteria remain unchanged. The progress of each criteria for both NNSA and EM are listed on the ECA website; detailed descriptions may be found on the GAO website.
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POSTPONED National Cleanup Workshop; Alexandria, VA
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Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation
Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications
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Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World
Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.
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Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles
ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local governments.
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