ML20268A064

Comment (4443) E-mail Regarding Holtec-CISF Draft EIS

ML20268A064
Person / Time
Site:	HI-STORE
Issue date:	09/22/2020
From:	Public Commenter Public Commenter
To:	NRC/NMSS/DREFS
NRC/NMSS/DREFS
References
85FR16150
Download: ML20268A064 (3)

Text

From: Stan Penkala <sjpenkala@gmail.com>

Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2020 3:46 PM To: Holtec-CISFEIS Resource

Subject:

[External_Sender] Docket ID NRC-2018-0052 September 22, 2020

Dear NRC Commissioners and Staff,

This comment is in response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Docket ID NRC-2018-0052) regarding Holtec Internationals application for a license to build and operate a Consolidated Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel and High Level Waste (NUREG-2237).

I am an Environmental Scientist with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and with Professional certification as a Qualified Environemtnal Professional. Now retired, I spent most of my 47 year professional career in Air Pollution and dispersion modeling. Much of that work involved evaluating the risk of air pollution sources to ambient air concentrations affecting the public.

Nuclear power is a proven and effective way of generating electric power that eliminates air pollution emissions from combustion sources and the use of fossil fuel [coal, oil, natural gas]. It also eliminates emissions of carbon dioxide which are an integral byproduct of burning carbonaceous fuels and has been implicated in anthropogenic global warming.

For these reasons, I believe that nuclear power is essential to the future of our country. And that requires that the country have an operational system for "cradle to grave" treatment of the nuclear industry. We have laws governing the mining of uranium ore, licensing and operation of nuclear facilities, and treatment of the inevitable waste products.

Disposal of nuclear waste has been under consideration since the industry began. Ultimate disposal has been in limbo because of POLITICAL indecision on disposal methods and especially on site locations.

Those issues have yet to be settled. But in the interim, a safe and secure location for nuclear waste is essential. The current practice of in-situ storage of spent fuel rods and other materials cannot continue forever. As aging nuclear facilities are taken out of service, the wastes that they generated must be contained in a safe and secure location.

As an engineer, I have confidence in the ability of the industry to achieve adequate safety measures for the containment, transportation, and storage of nuclear waste. As an engineer, I also realize that NO measures are 100% perfect. Politicians will continue to use the argument that no matter how low the risk factor, it will always be too high to allow a proposed solution to go forward. However, the converse is also true. Inaction under the status quo also involves risk, and that risk will increase as the number of nuclear facilities storing waste on-site age.

Therefore, I support acceptance and approval of the DEIS for the Holtec/ELEA CISF project.

Sincerely, Stanley J. Penkala, Ph.D., Q.E.P.

1350 Snee Dr.

Pittsburgh, PA 15236-3447 412-519-2858

Federal Register Notice: 85FR16150 Comment Number: 4443 Mail Envelope Properties (01fe01d69119$0324c680$096e5380$)

Subject:

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