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.