The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled a public meeting for Jan. 15 to discuss the post-shutdown decommissioning activities report (PSDAR) and decommissioning cost estimate for the Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Massachusetts.
Owner Entergy plans to shut down the single-reactor facility on Cape Cod by June 1 of this year. In the PSDAR submitted to the NRC in November, the New Orleans-based power company laid out a decommissioning approach under which Pilgrim would be largely dormant until 2073, with major license termination operations completed by 2080. Total license-termination, spent fuel management, and site restoration costs are estimated at $1.66 billion.
Entergy has applied to the NRC to transfer the license for Pilgrim to New Jersey energy technology company Holtec, which would buy the facility late this year. In its own PSDAR, Holtec estimates its cost for decommissioning, site restoration, and spent fuel management at $1.134 billion. It plans to largely finish decommissioning and site restoration by 2025, with remaining work wrapping up by 2063 after spent fuel is finally removed from the property.
The NRC will take comments on the Entergy PSDSAR at the meeting, to be held at the Hotel 1620 in Plymouth, Mass. Comments can also be submitted at Regulations.gov, under Docket ID NRC-2018-0286.
An NRC webinar on decommissioning at Pilgrim is scheduled for 2 p.m. Jan. 8. ‘The purpose of the webinar… is to provide key facts about the decommissioning process and how the NRC regulates such activities through on-site inspections and other reviews,” the agency said in a press release.
Participants will be able to submit questions to NRC staff. Registration is required for participation.
Private equity firm J.F. Lehman & Co. has announced the promotions of two directors who have been involved in management of its nuclear cleanup and waste businesses.
Glenn Shor is being elevated to partner and David Thomas to principal, according to a Dec. 20 press release from the New York City-based company.
Shor has been with Lehman since 2010 and most recently served as a director for four businesses, including NorthStar Group Services and Waste Control Specialists.
Thomas also joined Lehman in 2010. His portfolio as director also covered NorthStar and Waste Control Specialists (WCS).
Lehman in June 2017 acquired NorthStar, a New York City-based demolition and decommissioning specialist with over 4,500 employees. The company is completing its acquisition of the retired Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. Once the deal with owner Entergy is complete, NorthStar will assume all responsibility for decommissioning, site restoration, and spent fuel management at the site.
In January 2018, Lehman bought WCS from holding company Valhi Inc. Waste Control Specialists primarily operates a facility in Andrews County, Texas, for disposal of low-level radioactive waste and other waste types. It has applied for a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license to build and operate a facility for temporary storage of spent fuel from U.S. commercial power reactors.
Lehman did not respond to a request for additional information regarding the promotions.
Spent fuel management specialist NAC International said Friday it had hired a longtime nuclear industry executive as its new vice president of consulting.
Michael McMahon assumed the new position at NAC last month. He now leads nuclear fuel cycle consulting at the Norcross, Ga., company, according to a press release.
“We are pleased that Michael McMahon has joined NAC International to lead the company’s consulting business,” CEO Kent Cole said in the release. “He brings with him significant leadership experience as well as an extensive background in nuclear energy and the nuclear fuel cycle, including used fuel transportation, storage, and disposal solutions.”
McMahon most recently spent two years as senior vice president for business development at EXCEL Services Corp. That was preceded by a 17-year stint at nuclear company AREVA, including leading its Transnuclear branch. That business, now Orano TN, provides logistics for the U.S. nuclear industry.
NAC International provides global consulting on a range of nuclear operations, including fuel cycle services, material controls, nuclear quality services, and government consulting services. It is a full subsidiary of Hitachi Zosen Corp. of Osaka, Japan.
From the Wires
From KPBS: Attorney calls for FBI probe of spent fuel management at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in California.
