The federal civil antitrust trial over the planned merger of radioactive waste management providers Waste Control Specialists and EnergySolutions was scheduled to close today in U.S. District Court for Delaware.
In the two-week bench trial, the Department of Justice laid out its case why the $367 million deal would deny competitive benefits to customers for low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) services in 36 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The companies have countered that there are other options for disposal of that waste and that Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions’ acquisition of its Dallas-based rival would benefit their employees, customers, and the entire industry, as the merger would provide a better price point for commercial generators of LLRW and nuclear power plant decommissioning projects.
Senior Judge Sue Robinson is hearing the case. Her office said Thursday it was not immediately known when Robinson would rule on whether to allow the merger to go forward.
Waste Control Specialists is one of two companies planning to build a facility for interim storage of spent fuel from U.S. nuclear power plants. In April, it asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend review of its license application until the after the merger was finalized, which it said should occur in late summer.
Members of the public will have an opportunity on May 31 to question Nuclear Regulatory Commission technical staff on the decommissioning of the Fort Calhoun Station nuclear power plant in Nebraska.
A public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31, at the DoubleTree Omaha Downtown hotel, 1616 Dodge St. in Omaha. Staff will provide a presentation on nuclear power plant decommissioning and then address questions and comments from the audience, the NRC said in a press release.
The Omaha Public Power District last October closed the single-reactor Fort Calhoun plant after 43 years of operations. The utility in March submitted its post-shutdown decommissioning activities report (PSDAR) to the NRC, formalizing plans to in 2018 place the facility into safe storage mode (SAFSTOR) until 2058, allowing time for radiation decay and for the decommissioning trust fund to accrue additional money. Future workers would prepare for dismantlement and decommissioning of the facility in 2059 to 2060, with actual decommissioning and site restoration scheduled for 2060 to 2066.
The entire process to maintain and then eliminate the facility is forecast to cost nearly $1.4 billion.
From The Wires
From the Quay County Sun: The Tucumcari City Commission votes against the proposed nuclear waste storage test borehole in Quay County, N.M.
From the Brattleboro Reformer: More than 2 million cubic feet of crushed concrete could be left by demolition of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station.
From E&E News:Names are being circulated to fill out the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has only three of the possible total five commissioners in place.
