Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
5/8/2015
After nearly two years of talks with Nevada officials regarding disposal of a batch of uranium-233 from Oak Ridge at the Nevada National Security Site, the Department of Energy is moving ahead with the shipments by conducting a trial run this week. DOE had originally hoped to complete in 2013 the shipments of the controversial group of uranium-233 canisters, but strong initial opposition within the state led high-level DOE and Nevada officials to form a working group to discuss the proposal. “Nevadans will always have concerns that our state is targeted for waste disposal without the ability to robustly participate in decision-making,” Michon Martin, chief counsel for Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R), said in a statement this week. The state of Nevada does not have “consent authority” under the MOU and cannot say yes or no to the shipments, Martin said. “The NNSS Working Group, for the first time, gives Nevada a seat at the table. Although we still do not have consent authority under the MOU, it does ensure that Nevada will always be informed of unique missions at the NNSS that warrant additional scrutiny.”
DOE conducted a test shipment this week that will not involve nuclear material, and instead sent empty canisters from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to NNSS. DOE declined to provide details on the timeframe for shipments of the actual material, citing security concerns. Last December, DOE and Nevada formalized the working group process and signed a memorandum of understanding on NNSS. “After productive discussions with the State of Nevada, resulting in numerous accommodations related to transportation, disposal, and stakeholder engagement, the Department of Energy is moving forward with the shipments of the Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Program materials from the Oak Ridge site to the Nevada National Security Site,” DOE Chief of Staff Kevin Knobloch said in a statement this week. DOE and Nevada officials did not respond to requests for details on the accommodations given to the state.
The material is comprised of 403 canisters of Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project (CEUSP) material in DOE’s inventory of uranium-233 being stored at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s aging Building 3019. DOE had originally planned to complete the first CEUSP shipments in 2013, but the subsequent delays have led to security and storage costs estimated to add up to about $2.6 million per month. Issues of concern in the DOE-Nevada MOU that were discussed in subsequent working group meetings include the NNSS waste acceptance criteria, low-level waste classification and transportation concerns.
Las Vegas Mayor Speaks Out Against Shipments
Despite the consent from state officials, some local opposition to the proposed shipments remains. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman (R) spoke out this week against the transport of the uranium-233 near the city. “Instead of talking about shipping this radioactive material 2,000 miles to Nevada from Tennessee, we should be devoting our resources toward neutralizing the waste where it is and look at other potential uses for it where it’s located,” Goodman said at a press conference. She pointed to a resolution passed last summer by the U.S. Conference of Mayors on the shipment of DOE waste. “The mayors pointed out that shipping the waste so far adds so much to the potential danger. First, it has such a long way to travel. Second, it must pass through states and communities over a 2,000 mile route. And third, the infrastructure it must travel over in many areas is old.”
However, state and DOE officials emphasized that the working group process gives a forum to address concerns. “This decision follows discussions by the leadership of both the State of Nevada and the Department of Energy to strengthen our working relationship and to address the concerns of the State over the past 18 months of focused dialogue” DOE’s Knobloch said. “The Nevada National Security Site is an important location for the Department of Energy, the State of Nevada, and our Nation, and we look forward to continuing this productive and mutually beneficial relationship.”
Martin echoed those sentiments, while noting that state officials have also reviewed DOE’s transport and disposal plans for CEUSP. “Nevada’s environmental, technical, public safety, legal and administrative experts have determined that the CEUSP materials meet the criteria for disposal at the NNSS,” Martin said.
