The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued an export license for UniTech Services Group to return up to 10,000 metric tons of radioactively contaminated material to Canada.
The April 30 license covers “tools, metals and other solid materials contaminated with byproduct materials,” and was signed by David Skeen, deputy director for the NRC’s Office of International Programs. Total activity for all radioactive contaminants over the 10-year term of the license is capped at 650 terabecquerels.
The Longmeadow, Mass.-based nuclear services company in 2016 initially applied for import and export licenses, to truck the material into the United States for decontamination and then return whatever material could not be decontaminated for disposal in Canada. Staff at the NRC, though, determined an import license was not required.
Mike Fuller, UniTech’s manager of health physics and engineering, said Monday said he could not discuss specific Canadian clients, and the list of “ultimate foreign consignees” is fully redacted on the NRC license. Broadly, the waste generators would cover Canadian nuclear power and fuel-cycle operations, Fuller said.
Contaminated material would go to company facilities in Oak Ridge, Tenn.; Morris, Ill.; or Royersford, Pa. No material covered by the license has yet been returned to Canada, UniTech said.
Antinuclear and environmental organizations, and at least one member of Congress, had expressed deep concerns about shipment of radioactive waste by road into and out of the United States. Earlier this spring, the NRC rejected a request from several groups for a hearing on the export license application. Terry Lodge, an attorney representing the organizations Beyond Nuclear and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, said Monday the groups would not appeal the NRC decision.
