Battelle Memorial Institute, the Department of Energy contractor that recently abandoned a planned deep borehole nuclear waste storage field test in North Dakota, said Thursday that it is now considering a site in Spink County, S.D. The location would enable the company to explore nuclear waste storage methods in crystalline granite rock, according to a press release from the company.
Battelle said the potential test would not involve any nuclear waste, as was the case in Pierce County, N.D., where local officials and residents thwarted the original plan, fearing a successful trial run would lead to eventual storage. The Spink County site will not be considered for future disposal of radioactive waste, the company said, because of its proximity to subsurface water.
The company noted that Spink County is one of three sites under consideration for the research project, but Battelle spokesman T.R. Massey said by phone Thursday the company is furthest along in South Dakota. Massey declined to disclose the other locations, but said Spink County provides the exact type of granite DOE is exploring for storage of waste from weapons research and development at the Hanford Site, Idaho National Laboratory, and Savannah River National Laboratory. The International Atomic Energy Agency recommends borehole storage concepts for small-scale spent fuel storage, with examples in Ghana, Philippines, Malaysia, and Iran.
The news comes about 45 days after Battelle abandoned its estimated five-year, $35 million test project, proposed across 20 acres of state land in Pierce County. Battelle was scheduled to break ground Sept. 1, but plans quickly unraveled in February when members of the Pierce County Commission learned of the project. Commissioners claim they heard about it through reading the newspaper. Soon after, the commission placed a moratorium on deep borehole drilling, which was followed by a formal request that Battelle and its partner in the contract, the University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center, kill the project. Battelle stepped away from the project, saying it would seek a site with public acceptance.
Battelle is now collaborating with the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SD Mines), Rapid City-based consultant RESPEC, and Texas-based oil-field services company Schlumberger. Massey said the group would like to reach a decision on whether to move forward in South Dakota in a matter of weeks, with the goal of breaking ground this year. The group has scheduled two public meetings in Spink County, on April 27 and April 28.
“What we would like is people excited about a world-class science experiment, and not saying I don’t want this in my backyard,” Massey said, adding that local input will be factored into the team’s decision. “We’re confident. We like the spot; we like the people.”
Spink County Auditor Theresa Hodges said Friday that the county commission is expected to meet with the Battelle team on Tuesday for a project briefing.
If the site is deemed suitable for testing, crews would explore water chemistry, rock and water depth, and deep underground temperature. Additionally, the test could also allow teams to gather other local geologic data with potential implications for geothermal research, according to Battelle.
The new project is expected to carry the same price tag and five-year timeline. Drilling of a test hole would take six to eight months, while a series of tests inside the borehole would follow for another six months. The team would then decide whether to drill a second deep borehole for further testing on engineering and scientific characteristics of deep boreholes, the press release states. The initial test hole would measure 8.5 inches in diameter at the bottom, while the second deep borehole would measure 17 inches in diameter at the bottom, according to Massey. The boreholes would be drilled as deep as 3.2 miles underground.
“Due to the proximity of subsurface water (the Dakota aquifer) in the area, nothing beyond geological research can be done as part of this project,” the press release states. “Regulatory standards for nuclear waste disposal are extremely demanding, and due to the close proximity of water to the granite, this site is not expected to meet those performance standards. The DOE has no plans to use the field test site for the disposal of radioactive waste. Additionally, it would be performed on private land where the owners do not wish to host a waste disposal site.”
The April 27 meeting is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. at Tulare High School (4th Street, Tulare, S.D. 57476), while the April 28 meeting is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. at the Spink County/Redfield 4H building (38497 174th St., Redfield, S.D. 57469). Representatives from Battelle, DOE, the South Dakota School of Mines, and RESPEC will be available.
