The company in charge of decommissioning a shuttered New York nuclear power plant forecast that it could finish moving the facility’s spent nuclear fuel inventory into dry storage early next year, according to regulatory filings.
Holtec International, which is dismantling Indian Point Energy Center, has told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission it expects spent fuel transfer at the Buchanan, N.Y., plant “will be completed in February 2023,” according to an agency filing made available Tuesday for public viewing on the Federal Register. Holtec is moving the facility’s spent fuel inventory onto a dry storage pad from its spent fuel pool.
Camden, N.J.-based Holtec took ownership of the Indian Point plant after it shut down in April 2021. The company has said it could finish decommissioning the facility by 2027.
Meanwhile, the company is working with NRC to secure license amendments necessary as it dismantles Indian Point, according to Tuesday’s Federal Register filing. The commission is considering changes to the plant’s license that would “modify” staffing requirements and prohibit using Indian Point’s spent fuel pool to store fuel rods.
Such changes would “support transfer of the spent fuel from the [spent fuel pool] to dry storage” as part of Holtec’s ongoing decommissioning activities, NRC said.
Once the proposed amendment is formally published on the Federal Register Wednesday, the agency will accept public comments for 30 days — until around Jan. 7.
NRC has also asked Holtec to clear up what it called “conflict” in its master trust fund agreement for the plant, according to an Oct. 21 letter. The agency said the trust agreement appears to give Holtec the power to direct investments from Indian Point’s multi-million-dollar decommissioning account. Federal regulations contradict such authority, NRC said.
