Those who wish to comment on the controversial, possible transfer of 1 million graphite spheres containing highly enriched uranium from German research reactors to the Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C., have two more weeks to do so. The Department of Energy announced Thursday afternoon that it is extending the public comment period deadline to March 25. The initial deadline was March 11.
Comments can be submitted via mail to: Tracy Williams, NEPA compliance officer, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box B, Aiken, SC 29802. Comments also may be submitted by email to [email protected]. Once all of the comments are taken, they will be considered in the department’s decision. A final assessment will be submitted to upper management for approval and issued in the Federal Register.
DOE spokesman Jim Giusti said the department received several requests from the public to extend the comment period and to make available additional reference documents. “DOE has evaluated those requests and is extending the public comment two weeks,” Giusti said. He added that additional reference documents will be available by March 11 at http://www.srs.gov/sro/germanheuproj.html/.
Germany has already committed $10 million so the Savannah River National Laboratory can research the best way to handle the uranium, which totals 900 kilograms. The potential transfer of the material dates back to 2012 when Germany contacted the Energy Department for help in disposing of the uranium, which was sent to Germany from the U.S. via the Atoms for Peace Program under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Under the agreement, the U.S. agreed to take the uranium back, though a “No Action” alternative is also being considered that would leave the uranium in Germany. There is no timetable yet for when the department will decide whether to accept the material.
