Jeremy L. Dillon
RW Monitor
6/19/2015
The Department of Energy began a public comment period late last week to gather input into the proposed shipments of commercial spent nuclear fuel to the Idaho National Laboratory for a research study. Controversy surrounding the shipments erupted earlier this year when word of a compromise between the Idaho governor and DOE emerged that would enable spent fuel to enter state. The public comment period is asking whether additional National Environmental Policy Act analysis is needed to move forward with shipments or not. “A determination concerning the need for any further NEPA analysis will follow the public comment period,” DOE said in a release. “No decision has been made at this time regarding the destination of the proposed spent nuclear fuel shipments; that decision will be made following completion of this NEPA process.” The 30-day comment period will conclude on July 13.
Controversy erupted earlier this year when DOE sought a waiver that would allow research quantities of spent nuclear fuel into Idaho, but Idaho officials would only allow it if cleanup milestones at Idaho National Laboratory were met. The fuel shipments would be necessary to support Department’s high burnup fuel study, conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute. The research is aimed at better understanding the effects of high burn-up fuel aging on dry storage cask systems and to support DOE’s ongoing research and development to advance understanding of the long-term aging of spent fuel. The study plans to look at the technical, economic, and non-proliferation aspects of the fuel while also enabling fuel performance studies for the nuclear industry.
