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NRC - NRC Schedules Enforcement Conference with Global Nuclear Fuel
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a predecisional enforcement conference in Atlanta for Friday, Dec. 11 to discuss with officials of Global Nuclear Fuel -- Americas, LLC of Wilmington, N.C., apparent violations of NRC requirements associated with the company’s safety analysis of the facility.
The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. at the NRC Region II office in Atlanta, located in the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, 61 Forsyth St. SW, Suite 23T85. The meeting will be open to observation by the public, and NRC officials will be available at its conclusion to answer questions from interested observers. Members of the public interested in attending the meeting or participating by toll-free audio teleconference should contact the NRC's Chad Cramer at
404-562-4712 or chad.cramer@nrc.gov or the NRC’s Richard Gibson at 404-562-4718 or richard.gibson@nrc.gov.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss apparent violations related to shortcomings in the company’s required safety analysis, including the failure to identify or document credible accident scenarios.
Duke Energy won't do more MOX tests - Augusta Chronicle
Duke Energy says first two tests were sufficient, denies waning interest
Duke Energy, which has been testing French-made mixed-oxide nuclear fuels in its Catawba 1 reactor to gauge the suitability of similar fuels to be made at Savannah River Site, has exercised an option not to conduct a third 18-month testing cycle.
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"It was used for two operating cycles and we made a decision that an additional cycle is not required," said Rita Sipe, a nuclear media relations spokeswoman for Duke Energy.
The reason, she said, is that the first two cycles provided sufficient data that will be analyzed as part of the evaluation process for MOX, which is made by blending plutonium from dismantled nuclear bombs with conventional reactor fuels.
Poll: Carolinians favor conservation over power plants - Charlotte Business Journal:
A growing number of Carolinians say rising demand for electricity can be met through conservation rather than by building more power plants.
That’s a key finding of a new poll commissioned by Duke Energy Carolinas. And it reflects a distinct shift in public opinion from two years ago.
In the latest poll, 43% of the 1,100 N.C. and S.C. residents surveyed say “people and companies will learn to conserve energy and use significantly less electricity.” Only 30% say “government will give permission for more power plants to be built.”
NC officials agree to pay more on litigation
North Carolina's top elected officials have agreed the state should pay another quarter-million dollars for outside lawyers and expert witnesses for three pending lawsuits.
Council of State members approved yesterday giving $253,000 from a special fund to the state Justice Department.
Attorney General Roy Cooper said the money will pay invoices for defending North Carolina against lawsuits filed by other states involving a low-level radioactive waste compact and the Catawba River basin. And Cooper said the state's lawsuit against the Tennessee Valley Authority already is leading to reduced pollution from TVA power plants.
Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry voted no because she's not persuaded all expenses are justified.
The council has authorized more than $4 million for the three lawsuits over the years.
Areva and Progress Energy form alliance
Areva Inc has announced a five-year deal that will see it become the comprehensive supplier of services and products for Progress Energy's four nuclear power plants.
The deal will see Areva provide refuelling and outage services, replace and repair plant equipment, and provide engineering and maintenance support plus other technical services to Progress Energy's plants in North and South Carolina and Florida.
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Duke Energy eyes delay for Lee nuclear project - Charlotte Business Journal:
Duke Energy Carolinas is likely to delay construction of its proposed Lee Nuclear Station for up to three years.
Duke’s latest long-term plan, filed this week with N.C. regulators, says the startup date for generating power at the Gaffney, S.C., plant could be put off to 2021.
The delay is particularly likely if Duke can’t find a construction partner for the $11 billion plant. The utility is moving its target date as concerns mount regarding the project’s cost. Also, demand for power appears to be growing more slowly than in recent years.
Duke’s updated plans also call for delays in building the utility’s proposed Buck Steam Station and Dan River combined-cycle gas plants.
Janice Hager, head of Duke’s resource planning, says it appears that demand for electricity — not adjusted for the weather — has been flat the last four years. Duke’s new projections call for demand growth to return to an average 1.5% per year in the long term. But the company isn’t projecting a spurt in demand once the recession ends.
NRC - NRC Accepts GE-Hitachi Application for Uranium Enrichment Facility in North Carolina
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted for formal review an application by General Electric-Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment for a license to construct and operate a uranium enrichment plant using laser technology in Wilmington, N.C.
GE-Hitachi submitted the application in two stages: an environmental report, submitted on Jan. 30, and a safety report, tendered on June 26. The NRC staff has completed an initial acceptance review and determined that the application is sufficiently complete for the agency to begin its formal licensing reviews. The agency has already requested additional information from the applicant, and additional requests are possible throughout the licensing review. Acceptance of the application for review does not indicate whether the Commission will issue a license.
GE, Hitachi to Seek Guarantees for Nuclear Project (Update1) - Bloomberg.com
General Electric Co., Hitachi Ltd. and Cameco Corp. plan to seek U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantees to help finance a venture that would use lasers to enrich uranium for nuclear fuel.
GE Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment said today it completed an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build the world’s first commercial uranium enrichment plant to use laser technology.
The proposed development in Wilmington, North Carolina, would create as many as 300 permanent engineering and support jobs, as well as employ more than 500 workers during construction, Tammy Orr, chief executive officer of Wilmington- based GE Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment, said today in a telephone interview.
Daily Journal: Duke plans for eventual reactor shutdowns
The companies that own almost half the nation's nuclear reactors are not setting aside enough money to dismantle them, and many may sit idle for decades an Associated Press (AP) investigation has found.
However, Duke Energy, which operates Oconee Nuclear Station (ONS) on Lake Keowee, is not among those companies.
Local Duke officials said this week that the firm has bankrolled $1.4 billion in a “decommissioning fund” and collects approximately $48 million annually under its current rate structure for this purpose. Duke began collecting the money in 1979, 15 years after it began operation at ONS.
Initially, ONS was granted a 40-year license. A 20-year extension has been obtained that will keep the unit 1 and unit 2 reactors on line until 2033, while the unit 3 reactor is scheduled for shutdown in 2034. Just this week, site manager Dave Baxter told community leaders that thought is being given to seeking another 20-year extension.
However, for now, Duke spokesperson Sandra Magee said ONS is operating from the premise that the reactors will go off-line in 2033 and 2034.
NRC: Oconee Nuclear operated safely | GreenvilleOnline.com | The Greenville News
But maintenance-related 2008 incident will trigger additional federal oversight
All three reactor units at Oconee Nuclear Station operated safely overall during 2008; however, Unit 1 will be under greater federal scrutiny due to an April 15 incident that raised safety concerns, federal officials said Thursday.
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With one exception, all findings during the year were of “very low safety significance,” said Andy Hutto, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission senior resident inspector at the plant. Those were corrected appropriately, he said.
Only the April 15 incident rose to a level of concern that triggers additional oversight, Hutto said.
NRC: NRC TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS MAY 19 IN WILMINGTON, N.C., ON ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR PROPOSED ENRICHMENT PLANT
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold two public meetings May 19 in Wilmington, N.C., to seek comments about specific issues that should be addressed in its environmental review of a proposed uranium enrichment facility.
The meetings will be held at the Warwick Center, Ballroom 1, at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, from 1 to 4 p.m., and 7 to 10 p.m. NRC staff members will be available for an hour prior to each meeting to speak informally to members of the public.
General Electric-Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment, LLC, (GLE) submitted the environmental report Jan. 30, as one part of an application for a 40-year license to construct and operate a laser-based uranium enrichment facility at the existing General Electric/Global Nuclear Fuels-Americas site near Wilmington. GLE has indicated it intends to file the rest of its application – pertaining to safety aspects of the facility – by the end of June.
NRC conference planned on Global Nuclear violation | StarNewsOnline.com | Star-News | Wilmington, NC
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday that its staff has scheduled a conference to discuss an apparent violation of requirements associated with a warning system at Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas.
The Criticality Warning System (CWS) is designed to sound an alarm in the very unlikely event of an accident at the nuclear fuel manufacturing operation located at GE’s Castle Hayne facility. The operation is jointly owned by General Electric, Hitachi and Toshiba.
ISS - New report details nuclear "sticker shock"
A new study out of North Carolina details the sticker shock electric customers could experience if the state's two big utility companies move forward with plans to build four new nuclear reactors -- but it also offers ways to avoid it. The findings come as the industry's boosters in Congress are pushing ahead with plans to offer up to $50 billion in new nuclear subsidies.
Advocacy group opposes nuclear - News & Observer
Electricity costs would rise 50 percent if Progress Energy is allowed to add two reactors at the Shearon Harris site in Wake County, according to a report by the N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network.
In a news conference Tuesday, the Durham advocacy group said that the typical residential bill would balloon from $100 a month to at least $150 a month if Raleigh-based Progress builds the two reactors for which it's seeking federal licenses.
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Electricity costs would rise 50 percent if Progress Energy is allowed to add two reactors at the Shearon Harris site in Wake County, according to a report by the N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network.
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In a news conference Tuesday, the Durham advocacy group said that the typical residential bill would balloon from $100 a month to at least $150 a month if Raleigh-based Progress builds the two reactors for which it's seeking federal licenses.
State regulators block Duke Energy's electricity plan
Duke Energy's bid to compete against other power companies for the largest and most lucrative electricity customers has been blocked by the N.C. Utilities Commission.
Duke, the state's biggest electric utility, had planned to sign a 10-year contract to sell electricity to the city of Orangeburg, S.C., which lies outside of Duke's regulated service area. The South Carolina city has been buying power from S.C. Electric & Gas since 1919 and is that utility's biggest single customer.
Study targets costs of Duke energy plans - Charlotte Business Journal:
A Durham environmental group says concentrating on conservation and cost-effective renewable energy would let Duke Energy Carolinas avoid costly new plants and soften steep rate increases.
The N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network’s new study says new-plant costs -- particularly for multi-billion nuclear plants -- will increase N.C. rates at least 50 percent by 2024.
Report coauthor John Runkle says the increases are likely to be even higher. Nuclear plant costs have increased significantly in recent years. The report used current estimates, but he thinks the plants will cost much more to complete. Prices, he says, could double if utilities go ahead with current plants.
A conversation about nuclear power | CITIZEN-TIMES.com | Asheville Citizen-Times
Physicians for Social Responsibility invites the public to "Nuclear Reconsidered–the Start of a Conversation" at 7 p.m. April 6 on the third floor of Owen Hall at UNC Asheville. The League of Women Voters co-sponsor the event with the World Affairs Council and United Nations Association.
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Two short films will be shown, each to be followed by discussion and comments from the audience. To set the scene for the conversation, "Building a World Beyond War" will offer rationale for ending war. After a short question and comment period, "Nuclear Weapons and the Human Future" will be the main presentation, followed by discussion.
Two member physicians, Lew Patrie & Don Richardson, will be resource people for questions. Leah Karpen, a member of both Physicians for Social Responsibility and the League of Women Voters, will be the moderator. A member of the league will explain its position on nuclear issues. This event is open to the public at no charge.
NRC - NRC Accepts for Review Environmental Report on Proposed Laser Uranium Enrichment Plant in North Carolina
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has accepted for formal review an environmental report submitted by General Electric-Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment LLC (GLE), as part of an application for a license to construct and operate a laser uranium enrichment plant near Wilmington, N.C.
GLE submitted the environmental report Jan. 30. The NRC staff has determined that the report is sufficiently complete to begin a formal technical review.
The report is one part of an application for a 40-year license to construct and operate a laser-based uranium enrichment facility at the existing General Electric/Global Nuclear Fuels-Americas site near Wilmington. The proposed facility would enrich uranium up to an assay level of 8 percent U-235, the isotope crucial for nuclear fission. The enriched uranium would be used in the production of fuel for commercial nuclear power reactors.
Deadly decisions | Mountain Xpress Opinion | mountainx.com
Transport of nuclear waste could put area residents at risk
Asheville? Nuclear waste? Why worry that Asheville City Council declined to pass a measure that would have sent federal planners the message “Don’t come through here” with these deadly wastes?
Taken in a larger context, this nonaction by City Council may be vitally important. Folks have a right to know about some very local nuclear history and the potential for future impacts on Asheville residents’ safety and welfare.
Does the name Sandy Mush mean anything to you?
About 25 years ago, a federal agency was studying Sandy Mush—a rural area in Leicester, about 20 miles from City Hall—as a potential site for a permanent high-level nuclear waste dump. Were you part of the citizen action that helped block it?
Nuclear plant gets 20-year extension
The Shearon Harris nuclear-power plant that supplies Wilson with most of its energy has received a 20-year license extension that allows it to operate through 2046.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the operating-license renewal of the power plant in southern Wake County. The license was set to expire in 2026.
The extension, which was granted earlier this month, could mean future lower electric rates for municipal members of the N.C. Eastern Municipal Power Agency. The agency owns a share of the Harris plant, and the plant provides member cities with 16 percent of their power generation. The plant is also the largest part of the agency's debt that the 32 member cities are set to pay down until 2026.
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