TVA Signs on for Mixed Oxide Fuel to be Produced Near Augusta

The Tennessee Valley Authority, a federal nuclear operation and a major energy supplier in the South, has tentatively signed on to use mixed oxide fuel from a plant under construction near Augusta.

TVA has signed a letter of intent for the fuel, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration, and a final decision will come after the agency evaluates use of the fuel for reactors at the Sequoyah and Browns Ferry nuclear plants in Tennessee and Alabama, respectively.

The fuel would be made from weapons grade plutonium -- a total of 34 metric tons -- at the Savannah River Site, a massive federal entity near Augusta that processes nuclear materials, and used in commercial nuclear reactors. It is currently under construction, and at $4.8 billion, is one of the most expensive projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

TVA is so far the only agency on board to use the fuel. Duke Energy, which provides power to the Carolinas, did not renew a contract with the MOX plant earlier this year after delays in construction of the plant. The company has said it supports the plant, however, and might consider renewing its plans for the fuel at a later date.

Supporters of the MOX plant say it's a crucial part of nuclear nonproliferation efforts and provides yet another resource for energy. Opponents say the MOX project is too expensive and dangerous; they also have expressed skepticism over whether the fuel will work in the reactors.

Officials expect the plant to start producing fuel in 2016.

Federal Government Considers Savannah River Site Near Augusta for Mercury Storage

The federal government is considering the Savannah River Site near Augusta, along with six other sites, for the storage of more than 10,000 metric tons of mercury.

Officials are searching for a site to store the mercury, as federal law will ban the sale or export of the element by 2013, and require the federal government to store it.

Mercury is produced in the manufacturing of caustic soda and chlorine at a handful of plants in the U.S. It's also a by-product in gold mining, and in recycling and waste recovery.

Mercury is controversial, since it causes developmental disabilities in children, and also harm fetal development.

It's already a sore spot in Augusta, where environmental groups have been calling for the Olin Corporation to stop using the element in the manufacture of chlorine. A bill in Congress also seeks to eliminate mercury from the few chlorine plants that still use it. Olin, meanwhile, has maintained that is mercury use its safe.

The Savannah River Site is a massive federal entity that processes nuclear materials near Augusta.

The U.S. Department of Energy, meanwhile, will hold a public comment period on the proposal to store mercury. There will be a public meeting in North Augusta, South Carolina on July 30.

For more information, click here.

Nuclear Companies Near Augusta Say They Need Thousands of Workers

A new study says the nuclear industry could potentially create thousands of new jobs in the Augusta area throughout the next decade.

The region's major employers, including companies who manage operations at commercial nuclear power plants in Georgia and South Carolina as well as a federal site that processes nuclear materials near Augusta, say they will need 10,000 jobs.

The jobs would range from nuclear chemists and computer engineers to plant operators and sheet metal workers.

The study comes as power companies seek to meet rising demand for electricity with nuclear energy. That includes the construction of nuclear power plants would be among the first built in the U.S. in decades. State public service commission officials in both Georgia and South Carolina have already okayed new reactors, but the companies building them are still seeking approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Construction of a controversial new nuclear fuel plant near Augusta is also underway, although no power companies have committed yet to buying the fuel.

The Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization commissioned the study through Booz Allen, a technology consulting firm. The organization has said it is looking to develop a strategy between private and public entities to meet the growing demand for nuclear workers. The organization is also working to lease a portion of privately owned land at the site for development, possibly for a nuclear energy park or reactors that would be used for reactors.

Across the U.S., meanwhile, the nuclear industry has said it is looking to step up the recruitment and education of a new generation of workers to meet the emerging demand.

New DOE Budget Reflects Little Change at Savannah River Site

The Department of Energy budget released yesterday calls for little significant change at the Savannah River Site near Augusta.

SRS is the leading manufacturer of the radio active material tritium, used in nuclear weapons. Under the 2010 budget they will maintain that position.

Damien LaVera, a spokesperson for the National Nuclear Security Administration, says that the approach to defense related programs will remain in line with the 2009 budget until a series of national reviews reevaluate the country’s nuclear position. However, he expects to see significant changes in the 2011 budget once those reviews are complete.

With the Obama administration’s pledge to reduce the nuclear stockpile, SRS faces the possibility of a significant reduction in the manufacturing of tritium, which could lead to the loss of jobs. But for now they will stay the course.

The new budget maintains the allocation of over $1 billion for environmental cleanup operations and close to $500 million for the mixed oxide fuel reprocessing plant (MOX). The MOX facility recently received criticism from the DOE inspector general for failing to meet quality control standards.

For the full budget click here.

Federal Audit Questions Safety of Projects at Savannah River Site Near Augusta

The U.S. Department of Energy’s inspector general is sharply criticizing the DOE for safety and quality assurance controls in multiple projects at the Savannah River Site near Augusta.

An audit report by the inspector general focuses on the procurement of materials used in the construction of a mixed oxide fuel plant (MOX) that would convert weapons-grade plutonium to fuel for commercial reactors, as well as a tritium extraction facility and a salt waste processing plant to treat radioactive waste.

“In a worst case scenario, undetected, nonconforming components could fail and injure workers or the public,” the inspector general’s report says.

The inspector general noted problems with $11 million in weakened rebar procured for the $4.8 billion MOX facility, one of the Department of Energy’s most expensive projects. The company building the MOX plant said earlier this year that the problems had been corrected.

But the correction of such errors is costly, the inspector general says, adding that quality assurance and communication between contractors involved in the three projects should be improved.

“Although these are positive steps, weaknesses in oversight and communication remain; therefore, additional action is necessary.”

The audit also noted that none of the six safety issues reviewed by the inspector general at the tritium extraction facility adequately met quality assurance standards. The facility would replenish the nation’s tritium supply. The Savannah River Site conducts nearly all of the Department of Energy’s tritium activities.

In addition, any potential failure of a component procured for the salt waste project could have caused a radioactive spill of up to 15,000 gallons of high-level radioactive waste.

The National Nuclear Security Administration, meanwhile, disagrees with the inspector general’s safety concerns and related cost impacts, noting instead that the problems were of low significance, the report says.

The inspector general’s investigation spans from September 2008 until April 2009.

To see the report, click here.

U.S. Energy Secretary Confirms $1.6 Billion Coming to Savannah River Site

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu says the $1.6 billion will help speed up the de-commissioning of nuclear reactors and contaminated areas at the Savannah River Site near Augusta.

The money could provide up to 3000 new jobs in the area, although it's unclear how many of those jobs would be permanent. The funding is part of the new economic stimulus package that targets the environmental clean-up of nuclear sites in the U.S.

The Savannah River Site for years refined nuclear materials for weapons. But employment numbers there dropped by thousands after the Cold War ended.

Federal officials say the funding will pay for the clean-up of about 40 percent of the site's massive industrial area, and ship out about 4500 cubic meters of waste.

About $6 billion is going out to nuclear sites in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Savannah River Site is getting the second-highest funding. The Hanford Site, in Washington state, is getting most at about $2 billion.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy

Power Company Out of Fuel Deal with Plant Near Augusta

Photo of MOX plant under construction. (Courtesy Shaw Areva Mox Services)

A power company in North Carolina says its contract to buy fuel made from weapons-grade plutonium at a plant near Augusta has expired.

A spokeswoman for Duke Energy, based in Charlotte, says the company did not renew the contract after re-negotiations broke down with Shaw Areva Mox Services, a private company building the plant that will process the fuel. That comes after apparent delays in production of the fuel, she says. Duke had planned to use the fuel in some of its nuclear reactors.

The U.S. Department of Energy is funding the plant's construction. At $4.8 billion, it's one of DOE's most expensive endeavors.

Critics have long argued the plant is a waste of government money and say the contract's expiration is a major blow to the mixed oxide fuel (MOX) plant at the Savannah River Site near Augusta. They say Duke was the plant's only customer so far. The plant, which is under construction, is expected to go online by 2016.

But Duke Energy says it still supports the plant's construction, and may later renew efforts to get the fuel.

Duke says it successfully used similar fuel from France in one of its reactors for nearly three years.

Powered by Podbean.com

Savannah River Site Could Get Up to 3000 New Jobs

The economic stimulus could bring employment to the nuclear industry.

The stimulus would provide nearly $2 billion and up to 3000 jobs to the Savannah River Site, which is near Augusta.

"These are shovel ready jobs that have been identified and hopefully will make a big difference not only for environmental management in the area, but also create new jobs for the area," says Seth Kirshenberg, director of the Energy Communities Alliance, a national organization of counties and cities where sites operated by the U.S. Department of Energy are located.

However, there's been no official announcement yet.

The DOE will get about $6 billion in federal funds for environmental clean up at its sites.

The Savannah River Site refined nuclear materials for weapons during the Cold War. But employment numbers there dropped afterward, ever since the site's mission changed to cleanup efforts.

Powered by Podbean.com

SRS Land Being Leased for Energy Park of Nuclear Power Plant

Officials are reporting progress on leasing 2,500 acres of land within the Savannah River Site. This land could be used to make an energy park or possibly a site for a commercial nuclear power plant.

Rick Toole -Chairman of the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization- says his group and the U.S. Department of Energy are in the final stages of the deal. But- the location cannot be divulged until the lease is signed.

Toole believes that once the lease is done, SRS will be much more attractive as a potential site for energy projects.

(AP)

Powered by Podbean.com

Official: Lease Close for Savannah River Site

The Savannah River Site (Courtesy)


Officials report progress on leasing 2,500 acres within Savannah River Site that could be marketed as an energy park or a possible site for a commercial nuclear power plant.

Rick Toole, who heads the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization, says his group and the U.S. Department of Energy are in the final stages of the deal. But he says they cannot divulge its location until the lease is signed, possibly by this summer.

Once the lease is completed, Toole believes SRS will become much more attractive as a potential site for energy projects.


Photo of the Savannah River Site, taken from the International Space Station. The annotations are from the Wikipedia page.

The nonprofit reuse organization was formed 15 years ago to find ways to bring new jobs to SRS as its nuclear weapons mission and employment numbers dropped.

Information from: The Augusta Chronicle.

(AP)

Click here for more GPB News coverage of this and related stories about Savannah.

Savannah River Site Near Augusta May Take in Additional Nuclear Fuels

The Savannah River Site near Augusta could take in additional nuclear fuel used by other countries for research.

The U.S. Department of Energy has been taking back the research fuels since the mid-1990s, much of it at the Savannah River Site.

It's part of a nonproliferation program to help reduce security threats.

"Some of it is U.S. origin fuel...the other is highly enriched uranium that does not have proper security measures to protect from use by terrorists and groups who pose a threat to the U.S. or its allies," says Jim Giusti, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Energy who is based at the Savannah River Site.

The DOE is currently authorized to take back 19 metric tons, although officials say they've taken in far less. It is now seeking to take an additional metric ton, which would otherwise be especially vulnerable to security risks in its current locations. Giusti says officials have not determined which country or countries the extra fuel would come from.

The extra fuel, some of which was provided by the U.S. decades ago, would be stored and eventually reprocessed for use in research in the U.S. or for commercial nuclear reactors.

Environmental groups, meanwhile, say they support nonproliferation, but worry about environmental impacts of storage at the site, and reprocessing of the fuels. They also worry about cost factors.

The Savannah River Site is a massive federal entity along the South Carolina-Georgia border that processes nuclear materials.

Federal Officials Question Financial Discrepancies at Savannah River Site Near Augusta

Federal officials are questioning serious accounting discrepancies at a massive federal site that processes nuclear materials near Augusta.

The U.S. Department of Energy's inspector general says the Washington Savannah River Company can't properly account for $1.4 billion spent at the Savannah River Site in 2007.

It says auditors at the company failed to properly approve procurements and omitted information, and inappropriately changed information in its internal audits to hide discrepancies. The report says the company's actions violated procedures designed to detect costs that the federal government might not otherwise pay for, over the protests from the auditors themselves. It also blasts the DOE for inadequate oversight of the process.

"I have a feeling that over the years that a lackadaisical attitude has developed in managing all this money, and the company essentially thought that they could do as they pleased," says Tom Clements, a spokesman for Friends of the Earth, an environmental group.

The Washington Savannah River Company lost its contract to manage the site last year, after about 18 years there. It's unclear if the issues brought up in the audit were the reason for that.

A spokesman at the company declined to comment on the report.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Energy were not available for comment.

The Washington Savannah River Company still manages the removal and disposal of liquid waste there, employing about 2000 people. It managed about 6500 other employees under the management contract it lost a year ago.

Federal officials in December awarded the liquid waste contract to Savannah River Remediation, whose parent company is the same as the Washington Savannah River Company, but a losing bidder has challenged the award.

Salt Waste Plant Gets Okay Near Augusta

The U.S. Department of Energy says construction can begin on a new plant near Augusta that will process radioactive materials for disposal.

The plant will process about 33 million gallons of the waste at the Savannah River Site. The waste has resulted from plutonium production by the federal government since the 1950s. Much of the waste is stored in tanks in the form of salt cakes. After the cakes are liquefied, the plant will separate highly radioactive isotopes from lesser radioactive materials.

The highly radioactive materials will be turned into glass and stored at the Savannah River Site until a permanent disposal site is opened, presumably at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

The low level waste will be converted into a concrete grout mixture, which will be placed in vaults and also stored at the Savannah River Site.

Officials at the Savannah River Site expect the $1.34 billion plant to be online by 2013.

Preliminary site preparation has already begun. The DOE's decision is the final stage of the construction approval process.

The Savannah River Site is a massive federal entity that processes nuclear materials.

NRC approves construction procedures at nuclear fuel plant near Augusta

Construction is underway on a plant at the Savannah River Site near Augusta that will convert dangerous weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for commercial nuclear reactors.

The mixed oxide fuel fabrication facility, known as MOX, will turn 34 metric tons of plutonium from the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile into fuel for power plants.

Officials say the plant will reduce dangerous nuclear proliferation while providing much needed power.

"They have found nothing that we need to change in terms of management action, construction support, or facilities support," says David Stinson, president of Shaw Areva MOX Services, the contractor over seeing the plant's construction.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday said it has found no major performance issues with the construction. That follows two years of pre-construction and construction site inspections.

Yet, an earlier report from the NRC had criticized what it called poor quality control and a lack of oversight by the construction contractor. The agency had found concrete destined for the plant had been improperly manufactured. It also found problems with weakened concrete reinforcement bars, also known as rebar.

Construction at the $4.8 billion plant, one of the most expensive and significant projects by the U.S. Department of Energy, began last year. The plant is supposed to be built strong enough to withstand earthquakes or terrorist attacks.

Stinson says the amount of rebar in question was relatively small, and that MOX now gets the steel bars from another manufacturer.

"All the remaining rebar was removed from the site, and only new supplies that are fully compliant are there, so we feel very good about the work and that it's safe," says Stinson.

The NRC acknowledged the problems at a meeting this week to discuss its review of the MOX plant, but called them minor and, therefore, not warranting further action.

That angers environmental groups that are protesting MOX. They say the NRC is not doing enough to ensure that the building is safe.

"If you make mistakes building the plant, you are essentially building a potential time bomb," says Dr. Edwin Lyman, an analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists. "I think they're just trying to put the best possible face on a disturbing situation, and that situation is that there is a significant issue in the U.S. and abroad for having the correct procedures for making sure dangerous nuclear facilities are built to the highest standards."

With the NRC's inspection report this week, construction continues on schedule at the plant.

Officials expect operations to begin in 2016.

Congressional subcommittee issues report on nuclear funding

The federal government's efforts to re-process spent nuclear fuel from the nation's commercial nuclear reactors appears to be in jeopardy.

The U.S. House of Representatives energy and water development appropriations subcommittee says it's recommending against funding the Bush administration's Global Nuclear Partnership (GNEP). The Savannah River Site, near Augusta, is one of ten entities studying how to implement such a project, and therefore is in the running for the project.

In a strongly worded report, the subcommittee says that GNEP is rushed, poorly defined and expensive.

GNEP has requested about $300 million for fiscal year 2009.

The subcommittee says it still supports research on methods to re-process the fuel, though, and is recommending that about $90 million go to that.

The subcommittee also recommends about $487 million funding for a mixed oxide fuel plant, another major project currently under construction at the Savannah River Site. The plant would convert weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for nuclear reactors.

But the report questions the management of the construction.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently found problems with concrete and reinforcement bars.

The NRC will hold a meeting at 7 p.m. today at the Aiken Municipal Center in Aiken, South Carolina to discuss a recent review of the project.

As for congressional funding, the subcommittee's report is not a done deal. It still must pass muster from Congress.

Savannah River Site near Augusta to offer voluntary severance for employees

The Savannah River Site, a federal entity which processes nuclear materials near Augusta, is offering severance packages to employees who choose to leave their jobs voluntarily. Officials there say they're looking at likely freeing up dollars from those salaries for what they term higher priorities at the site, although they did not give specifics about what those priorities might be. They also did not connect the voluntary severance offer to tough economic times. A spokesman for the site was unsure if mandatory layoffs would follow, saying that depends on the status of federal funding under review by Congress. The employees will get a week's pay of severance for each year they've worked the site, for up up to 26 weeks. They can also take retirement if they qualify. SRS officials say they've offered the program for the past four years.

Savannah River Site near Augusta studying controversial proposal to reprocess fuel

The federal government is looking at ways to dispose of spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear reactors.

One idea under consideration is to reprocess it and use it again.

The Savannah River Site near Augusta, a federal site which processes nuclear materials, is one of 11 sites studying the feasibility of reprocessing. It's also one the sites in the running for the reprocessing plant, if approved by the federal government.

More than 100 commercial reactors produce about 2000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel each year and then store it at their sites. That's because the U.S. has no permanent disposal site.

Officials are again looking into expanding nuclear power in the coming years as demand for electricity increases. The federal government says the reprocessed fuel could be re-used in nuclear reactors.

Officials say the process would reduce the hazards of radiotoxicity, as well as the risk of dangerous proliferation, where hostile countries get hold of the fuel and develop nuclear weapons.

The idea is highly controversial, though. At a recent public hearing near Augusta, the plan drew a hefty amount of both support and opposition.

"You will eliminate things that people worry about for thousands of years," says Nick Kuehn, a retired nuclear engineer. "You'll burn them in the reactors. You'll get some power out of them so you will not be putting them in the ground and so you won't be asking the question, 'Will it be safe hundreds of thousands of years from now.' "

But opponents worry that a reprocessing plant would require massive amounts of federal money. They also worry that the Savannah River Site would become a temporary dumping ground for the nation's spent nuclear fuel. The site already stores spent nuclear fuel from the U.S. Department of Energy.

"I believe the whole reason they're doing this whole re-processing scam is just to get the waste into interim storage and get it somewhere, because the utilities are screaming we want it somewhere and this is the path of least resistance," says Leslie Minerd, who opposes the idea.

Federal officials say they're unsure how much a reprocessing plant would cost, and don't yet have a timeline for the process, if approved.

Construction issues at plant near Augusta raises concerns about nuclear construction

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has found problems with concrete used in the construction of a nuclear fuel plant near Augusta, raising concerns about quality control as the nation prepares for a likely surge in new nuclear construction.

The NRC is criticizing what it calls poor quality control and a lack of oversight by the contractor building a mixed oxide fuel plant at the Savannah River Site, a massive operation that processes nuclear materials in South Carolina, just across the state border from Augusta.

The agency found that the concrete used in the plant, which will convert weapons-grade plutonium into nuclear fuel, was improperly manufactured. It also found problems with concrete reinforcement bars used in construction.

A report by the NRC says it also found problems with quality control assurance and a lack of oversight by the contractor on the matter. It also notes that similar problems were found in nuclear construction 20 years ago.

Opponents of nuclear expansion say the report heightens their concerns that a lack of oversight in nuclear construction industry-wide could potentially lead to safety issues. They hope the report serves as a wake-up call to contractors as efforts increase to build nuclear reactors and other nuclear operations.

The $4 billion mixed oxide fuel (MOX) plant is currently one of the U.S. Department of Energy's most significant and expensive new nuclear construction projects underway.

The Savannah River Site is a major employer and economic engine in the Augusta area.

Savannah River Site near Augusta hits milestone

The Savannah River Site's defense waste processing facility has poured its ten millionth pound of radioactive glass.

The site reached the milestone on Tuesday.

The facility converts highly radioactive liquid waste, which is currently stored in 49 underground tanks at the site, into a solid glass form suitable for long-term storage and disposal, according to a spokesman for the site.

About 36 million gallons of liquid nuclear waste are stored in the tanks.

The federal site near Augusta processes nuclear materials, much of it nuclear waste left over after the Cold War ended.

Radioactive salt waste decontamination begins at site near Augusta

The Savannah River Site has begun decontaminating radioactive salt solution at its facilities.

Officials of the U.S. Department of Energy say it's a move toward closing the site's 49 high-level waste tanks, which contain 36 million gallons of waste. The radioactive salt makes up about 90 percent of the waste in the site's tank farms.

The interim process will eliminate nearly all of the radioactive isotopes from about two million gallons of salt solution until a new salt waste processing facility opens in 2013, according to officials.

The Savannah River Site is a federal facility near Augusta that processes nuclear materials.