ML20149F832

Responds to to D Rathbun,Requesting That NRC Look Into Matter of Licensing of Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant at Barnwell,Sc

ML20149F832
Person / Time
Site:	Barnwell File:Allied-General Nuclear Services icon.png
Issue date:	09/07/1994
From:	Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Goodlatte B HOUSE OF REP.
Shared Package
ML19344C639	List: ML20149F832 ML20149F833
References
NUDOCS 9409200196
Download: ML20149F832 (1)

Text

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t UNITED STATES e

!* j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 0001 i

September 7, 1994 The Honorable nob Goodlatte United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515-3816'

Dear Congressman Goodlatte:

In your letter dated August 18, 1994, to Mr. Dennis Rathbun, you requested that the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission look into the matter of the licensing of the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Barnwell, South Carolina, and provide you with a response for your constituent Mr. Walter R. Ripley.

Mr._Ripley, in correspondence to you, contended that the reprocessing facility was ready for licensing and that NRC " turned down the license" and that "we're spending $200 million a year to keep the facility in caretaker status."

NRC did not issue a license to the nuclear reprocessing facility in Barnwell, South Carolina, because during the 1977 licansing review, former Presideat Carter issued a Presidential Directive postponing any reprocessing of reactor fuel. As a result of that Presidential Directive, the licensing review of this facility was stopped. Although in 1981 former President Reagan rescinded this Presidential Directive, no commercial interest in reprocessing nuclear fuel occurred, and the NRC was never asked to complete its review of the i

Barnwell facility or to review any other commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing application.

The condition of the facility in question or the annual costs associated with maintaining the facility are unknown to the NRC because we have no active license applicable to the facility and this information is not provided to us, i

j I trust this reply responds to your concerns.

1 Sincerely, d}

mes M. TayFor  ;

,ecutive Director i for Operations i

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