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Bulletin Intelligence 3 Sep 2019 07:15:06 -0400 NRC@Bulletinlntelligence.com
[External_Sender] NRC News Summary for Tuesday, September 03, 2019 NRCSummary190903.doc, NRCSummary190903.pdf This morning's Nuclear Regulatory Commission News Summary and Clips are attached.
Website: You can also read today's briefing, including searchable archive of past editions, at http://NRC.Bulletinlntelligence.com.
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News FPL Prepared To Shut Down St. Lucie, Turkey Point Nuclear Plants.................................................................................... 1 Advocacy Group Sues SoCal Edison Over San Onofre Nuclear Storage.................................................................................. 2 Ohio Approves Anti-HB 6 Group's Initial Batch Of Petition Signatures............................................................................. 2 Georgia Power: Plant Vogtle Still On Budget And On Schedule... 2 ASLB Grants Sierra Club Approval To Argue Contention Before NRC On Spent Fuel Storage Site......................................... 3 Activists Said To Be "Outraged By Pilgrim Plant's License Transfer Approval.................................................................. 3 Algae Bloom On Lake Anna Continues To Worsen...................... 3 Editorlal Chides Cuomo For Shortsighted Energy Policies........... 3 PG&E Says Bill Aiming To Revive Diablo Canyon Won~
Change Utility's Plans For Plant's Closure........................... 3 SC Lawmakers Seeking Applicants For PSC Regulator Elections................................................................................4 Letter Writer Lauds Proposed Waste Storage In Permian Basin..4 Beason: Time To Deal With Nuclear Waste Is Now......................4 NRC NEWS:
FPL Prepared To Shut Down St. Lucie, Turkey Point Nuclear Plants. Bloomberg (8/31, Sullivan, Levin, 4.73M) reported that Dorian's projected turn north would brrng the storm close to FPL's St. Lucie Nuclear Power Station.
Bloomberg (8/31, Baker, 4.73M) reported that FPL is prepared to shut down its St Lucie and Turkey Point nuclear plants, which "both lie within the possible path of the storm."
FPL spokesperson Peter Robbins said the company will shut the plants down once hurricane-force winds are forecast at the sites. Robbins said that if the plants are shut down, they would remain offline until the storm passes and the facilities are inspected. The Miami Herald (8/31, Brasileiro, 1.09M) reported, "Halting the reactors wouldn't significantly affect power supply during the storm as energy consumption usually drops due to damage to distribution lines."
The Miami Herald (8/31, Ocner, 1.09M) carried a video-linked report on how St. Lucie nuclear plant might be in the Yucca Mountain Advocate Rep. Shimkus To Retlre From Congress............................................................................... 4 DOE Touts Commitment To Nuclear Power Programs.................4 Conca Profiles UNM's SLIMM Nuclear Reactor............................ 4 Related News Decision Needed To Keep Nuclear Waste Treatment On Schedule At Hanford, Report Finds...................................... 5 WIPP Refuses To Accept Shipment Of Nine LANL Waste Containers............................................................................. 5 International Nuclear News France Halts Plans To Build Sodium-Cooled Reactor Design...... 5 Trends In Solid Tumor Incidence In Ukraine 30 Years After Chernobyl Examined............................................................. 5 Iran: "Strong Step" Away From Nuclear Deal If Europe Offers No New Terms By End Of Week.......................................... 5 North Korea Accuses Pompeo Of Seeking To Derail Talks With US.......................................................................................... 6 path of the oncoming hurricane. In a commentary on Naples
/FU Daily News (8/29, 185K), Eric Silagy, CEO of Florida Power & Light, answers questions about the hurricane season and what the company is doing to prepare for it.
Rumors Persist Of Disney World's Nuclear Power Plant. The Orlando (FU Weekly (9/1, Storey, 182K) reported on the "various urban legends and other spurious stories" that always upop up about how Walt Disney World prepares" for hurricanes. Among those stories are the rumors that Disney operates a nuclear power plant. The article adds, "Thanks to agreements with the state that date back to the 1960s, Disney is technically able to build its own on-site nuclear power plant," but "restrictions on nuclear facilities would prohibit resort development around it." Even so the rumors are persistent that such a facility exists. "No such facility exists anywhere in the Metro Orlando area; the closest nuclear power facility Is Crystal River on the west coast.
Florida has two other nuclear plants, both south of Central Florida."
Advocacy Group Sues SoCal Edison Over San Onofre Nuclear Storage. The San Diego Union-Trib~ne (8/30, McDonald, 755K) reports that advocacy group Public Watchdogs "is asking a federal judge to halt the on-site transfer of spent nuclear fuel at San Onofre until a full hearing on the project can be convened." The nonprofit's lawsuit "seeks a temporary restraining order under the legal theories that the storage plan is a public nuisance and violates strict product liability rules." The lawsuit "names multiple parties, including majority plant owner Southern California Edison" and "minority owner San Diego Gas & Electric."
The Orange County (CA) Register (8/30, Sforza, 546K) notes that "the lawsuit against Southern California Edison, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Holtec and others claims they're 'risking the lives of millions of California residents and irreparable harm to the environment by unsafely moving and storing spent nuclear fuel at SONGS a mere 108 feet from one of California's most populated public beaches, within a tsunami zone, and surrounded by fault lines in canisters that are damaged, defective, and are not adequately designed to serve their intended purpose."'
The Palm Springs (CA) Desert Sun (8/30, Paluch, 131 K) reports that "Edison spokesperson John Dobken told The Desert Sun that stopping the fuel transfers from wet to dry storage could potentially strand spent fuel on site, even when options for transport or disposal become available.
Courthouse News (8/30, 2K), KFMB-TV San Diego (8/30, 30K), KUSI-TV San Diego (8/30, 1K) and KGTV-TV San Diego (8/30, 177K) carry additional coverage.
Ohio Approves Anti-HB 6 Group's Initial Batch Of Petition Signatures. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (8/30, Pelzer, 895K) reported that supporters of a proposed referendum to overturn Ohio's House Bill 6 "have been cleared to start collecting petition signatures after Secretary of State Frank LaRose certified an initial batch of signatures on Friday." The anti-HB6 group Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts "now has just over seven weeks to gather the almost 266,000 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters needed to place the measure on the 2020 ballot. Last Thursday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost "approved the group's proposed ballot summary language - a succinct explanation of the proposal provided to voters asked to sign a petition supporting the measure." Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts spokesperson Gene Pierce, "said his group is 'pretty confident' it can get the necessary petition signatures by Oct.
21, when HB6 takes effect."
The Sandusky (OH) Register (9/2, Jackson, 84K) reported that if "the state question gets approved, it would overturn House Bill 6, which provided subsidies to keep Ohio's two nuclear power plants open." Yost "had rejected a previous summary as inaccurate but gave a thumb's up after 2
a revised summary was submitted." Yost said, "Without passing on the advisability of the approval or rejection of the measure... I hereby certify that the summary is a fair and truthful statement of the measure to be referred."
The Willoughby (OH) News-Herald (8/30, Arnold, 91 K) reported that Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts spoke_sperson, Gene Pierce, "accused Ohioans for Energy Secunty of fear-mongering." Pierce said, "These ads are designed to intimidate and threaten our petitioners who are exercising their Constitutionally-guaranteed right to place this ridiculous bailout on the ballot."
The Willoughby (OH) News-Herald (8/30, Sharp, 91 K) reported that House Bill 6 "provides funding to subsidize the Perry and Davis-Besse nuclear power plants through the creation of the Ohio Nuclear and Renewable Generation Fund." The "owner of those two plants, FirstEnergy Solutions, had said it would close them down if it did not receive support from the state." Additional coverage was provided by AP (8/30), WVXU-FM Cincinnati Cincinnati (8/30, Chow, 4K) and Energy News Network (8/30, Balaskovitz),
Suddes: Referendum On HB 6 Would Let Voters Decide On Nuclear Subsidies. In a piece for the Gteveland Plain Dealer (8/31, 895K) editorial board member Thomas Suddes wrote that Ohioans for Energy Security is televising ads_ that "demonstrate that if there's one thing that big business fat cats fear, it's ticked-off Ohio voters: Suddes adds that HB 6 will impose a new monthly fee on all Ohio electricity customers - not just FirstEnergy customers." The fee will "subsidize FirstEnergy Solutions' Perry and Davis-
~esse, nuclear power plants and two coal-burning plants (one 1n Indiana) run by the Ohio Valley Electric Corp." Suddes adds, "As a sinister trade-off, HB 6 will meanwhile cut the monthly charges that Ohio electricity customers now pay to spur power-plant efficiency and the production qf power from the wind and sun." The "pro-HS 6 ads allude to Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts," which is working to collect enough signatures to place a referendum on the 2020 ballot allowing "voters to kill, or approve." A referendum "is the last thing Ohioans for Energy Security wants, because voters might decide that what's good for FirstEnergy Solutions might not necessarily be good for Ohio's electricity customers."
Georgia Power: Plant Vogtle Still On Budget And On Schedule. The Atlanta Business Chronicle (8/30, Williams, Subscription Publication, 947K) reported that the Vogtle expansion project is still on schedule and on budget, according to a construction update Georgia Power filed with the Public Service Commission on Friday. The company has asked the PSC to approve $1.25 billion in project costs incurred between July 2018 and June 2019. The request brings Georgia Power's share of the project to $8.4 billion, with the project now 79 percent complete. In Friday's
construction update, Georgia Power said it expects to spend an additional $2.8 billion to complete the project. The Business Chronicle added that the Vogtle expansion project's workforce "remains at approximately an all-time high of 8,000."
The Albany (GA) Herald (9/1) reported that Georgia Power's in-service dates for the project "remain unchanged at November 2021 for Unit 3 and November 2022 for Unit 4; the company announced in its most recent project update filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission. Georgia Power "also said it expects the project will remain within the current cost forecast." Significant progress continues, "with the project now approximately 79 percent complete." Georgia Power officials said the project met all major milestones in 2018, and met all first-and second-quarter major milestones in 2019. With about 8,000 workers on-site and more than 800 permanent jobs available when the units enter service, "Vogtle 3 and 4 is currently the largest jobs-producing construction project in the state of Georgia, officials with Georgia Power said,"
ASLB Grants Sierra Club Approval To Argue Contention Before NRC On Spent Fuel Storage Site. Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (8/30) reported that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board gave limited approval to the Sierra Club to argue an environmental contention against the NRC licensing of the WCS West Texas facility for temporary storage of spent reactor fuel.
Activists Said To Be "Outraged" By Pilgrim Plant's License Transfer Approval.
Cape Cod (MA) Today (8/31) reports, 'The rapid license reassignment of the Plymouth Pilgrim nuclear power plant left Commonwealth officials blindsided and community activists outraged." The page includes an attached video of the broadcast report.
Algae Bloom On Lake Anna Continues To Worsen. The Fredericksburg {VA) Free Lance-Star (8/30, Shenk, 98K) reports that the news has "grown worse for Lake Anna as the most recent water samples collected resulted in more swimming advisories because of harmful alga.e blooms, according to a Friday update by the Virginia Department of Health." Initially, there were "swimming advisories issued in the upper branches of the lake," but last week's samples "revealed more algae blooms and an expansion of swimming advisories." While the "swimming advisories now cover a larger area, the harmful algae does not appear to be in the lake's most popular area used by swimmers and boaters." In July, the health "department issued an alert about harmful algae blooms in the 13,000-acre man-made lake that cools 3
the Dominion Virginia Energy North Anna nuclear power plant and spans Spotsylvania, Louisa and Orange counties. The Augusta (VA) Free Press (8/30) also provided coverage of the story.
Editorial Chides Cuomo For Shortsighted Energy Policies. In an editorial, the New York Post (8/31, 4.57M) criticized New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's policies for the state's growing shortage of natural-gas supplies. The Post asserts that Cuomo "ignored both science and upstaie's economic straits when he made the tracking ban permanent in 2014." Then "there's his renewable-energy goals. In 2015 he pledged to run the state on 50 percent renewable energy by 2030. New York actually lost ground on that front last year, but he just upped it to 70 percent -
and 100 percent by 2040. Those carbon-free goals will turn even harder to reach when the Cuomo-engineered shutdown of the Indian Point nuclear-power plant begins next year: It supplies a quarter of New York City's electricity, and there's no way to get enough 'green' replacement power in time."
Letter Writer Faults Plan. In a letter to the editor of the Adirondack (NY) Dally Enterprise (9/2, 16K)Charles F.
Heimerdinger of Edinburg, also adds the "closure of two baseload nuclear reactors at Indian Point by 2021 will leave a 2000 megawatt (MWe) hole in New York's electricity supply."
The "Solar Star power station in California is rated at 570 MWe and occupies 3,200 acres of land. The writer adds, "It would take seven Solar Star power stations, about 4,000 MWe, to replace the Indian Point power plants because a pumped storage facility would be needed to store the excess 2,000 MWe produced during the day and release 2,000 MWe all night; this would require the equivalent of two Blenheim-Gilboa-class plants."
PG&E Says Bill Aiming To Revive Diablo Canyon Won't Change Utility's Plans For Plant's Closure. KSBY-TV San Luis Obispo, CA (8/30, 16K) reports on its website that PG&E "says a bill introduced this week by Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham to allow nuclear power to qualify as a renewable energy source won't keep Diablo Canyon from shutting down." PG&E spokesperson Suzanne Hosn said: The State has pretty clearly indicated their positions on the future of nuclear power in California. The CPUC approved the joint proposal and the state legislature passed Senate Bill 1090. We appreciate Assemblyman Cunningham's strong leadership to help California meet its clean energy goal."
Shellenberger: California Could Go Nuclear If Legislation Passes. Writing for Forbes (9/3, Shellenberger, 9.71 M), contributor Michael Shellenberger notes that "last week, a California state legislator Introduced an amendment to the state's constitution that would classify nuclear energy
as 'renewable."' The amendment, if it passes, "would likely result in the continued operation of the state's last nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon, well past 2025, its current closure date." If Governor Gavin Newsom decides to back the legislation, "it would likely become law and Diablo Canyon could continue operating to 2045 or even 2065.
SC Lawmakers Seeking Applicants For PSC Regulator Elections. The Charleston (SC} Post and Courier (9/1, Brown, 290K) reported that South Caroliha state lawmakers are "seeking candidates for the S.C. Public Service Commission, setting the stage for a possible sea change on the board that decides how much utilities can charge for water, gas and electricity." The state House and Senate will "accept applications for four of the seven seats on the utility commission from Sept. 16 to Oct. 11.~ The "once-overlooked commission was thrust into the spotltght in 2017 after SCANA Corp.-owned South Carolina Electric & Gas -
now part of Dominion [Energy] - announced the cancellation of the financially disastrous expansion of the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Fairfield County. Concerning the sec, Dominion Energy spokesperson Rhonda O'Banion said, "Dominion Energy recognizes the importance in the selection of commissioners, as these are very important positions responsible for regulating our business and making decisions that not only impact our company's commitment to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy, but also impact our customers and other stakeholders, as well as the overall vitality of South Carolina."
Letter Writer Lauds Proposed Waste Storage In Permian Basin. In a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal (8/30, Subscription Publication, 7.57M),
Paul Cantonwine of Wilmington, North Carolina wrote about the NRC's review of proposals to store nuclear waste at two Permian Basin sites. The writer points out the irony how supporters of tracking rail against the storage of nuclear waste and how spent fuel may be the only type of waste that is so well managed there has never been a release into the environment.
Beason: Time To Deal With Nuclear Waste Is Now. Writing for the Washington Examiner (9/3, 448K), Dr.
Doug Beason, former Associate Laboratory Director at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, says that nuclear power plants generate a fifth of all US electrlcity. If these "indispensable plants were closed," he says it would take 1decades to make up their loss... not to mention that people would have to live with 20% less energy." The bigger issue, however, he says is nuclear waste, as nuclear waste would not go away even if every reactor in the US were immediately shut down. He urges lawmakers to address the issue now 4
and "stop kicking that can down the road -
either by reopening Yucca Mountain or by building other sites."
Yucca Mountain Advocate Rep. Shimkus To Retire From Congress.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal (8/30, Martin, 345K) reported that a "key congressional proponent of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada announced Friday that he would not seek reelection, becoming the latest Republican in the House to bow out before next year's partisan battles.
Rep. John Shimkus, R-IL, "is the ranking Republican on the House Ener.gy and Commerce subcommittee on environment and climate change." This year he "pushed legislation to authorize funding to restart the licensing process to open Yucca Mountain after decades of stalemate." Rep. Shimkus "was an ardent proponent of the Trump administration's proposal to bring nuclear waste from power plants across the country to the Nevada site that was designated in 1987 by Congress as the permanent repository for*such waste."
DOE Touts Commitment To Nuclear Power Programs.
The Executive Intelligence Review (9/1) reported on the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy's August 28 statement, that "the Trump Administration is committed to reviving and revitalizing the nuclear industry, and it is leading by action not just words." The statement "cited 11 substantial accomplishments by this administration
'to support the development of advanced reactors that will position the United States as the global leader in nuclear innovation."' Among those accomplishments were the naming of Dr. Rita Baranwal, lndian~American engineer as Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy; the progress on nation's first small modular reactor design, NuScale's SMR, which recently cleared phases 2 and 3 of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) design certification process, and is "on track to be operating at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) by 2026."
Hewitt: Trump's Efforts To Revive US Nuclear Energy Deserve More Attention. Washington Post (9/2, Hewitt, 14.2M) contributor Hugh Hewitt says that President Trump's efforts to "revive the U.S. nuclear power industry" is receiving too little coverage despite its critical importance to the US energy mix and national security. According to Hewitt, "if people are serious about significant slowing of carbon emissions, they have to be for safe nuclear power production, and if they care about national security, they should agree wtth President Trump's message that the country must "reinvigorate the entire nuclear fuel supply chain, consistent with United States national security and nonproliferation goals.
Conca Profiles UNM's SLIMM Nuclear Reactor.
In a piece for Forbes (8/31, Conca, 9. 71 M), nuclear energy
expert James Conca, writes that nuclear scientists and engineers have "not been idle over the last decade in designing new small nuclear reactors that can't melt down, and that will be essential to address our environmental and industrial needs in the coming decades." Ever since the "world's top climate scientists, including Dr. James Hansen, Dr. Tom Wigley, Dr. Ken Caldeira and Dr. Kerry Emanuel, urged world leaders and environmental campaigners to support the expansion of nuclear ene~gy as essential for addressing global warming, many new smaller and modular reactors have appeared on the scene in different stages of development." Conca zeroes in on one of the "latest to emerge" called "the SLIMM - the Scalable Liquid Metal -
cooled small Modular reactor. This is a "fast reactor that uses liquid sodium (Na) to cool and exchange heal, and that generates 10 to 100 MW for many years, even decades, without refueling, depending on what power level is desired.
It's very smaller version, the VSLIMM, generates 1 to 10 MW." The design comes from researchers at the University of New Mexico's Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies.
RELATED NEWS:
Decision Needed To Keep Nuclear Waste Treatment On Schedule At Hanford, Report Finds. The Tri-City Herald (WA) (9/3, Cary, 154K) reports that the National Academies of Sciences said that even though not enough is known on the "best and most economical way" to treat much of the low-activity radioactive waste at the Hanford nuclear reservation, a decision may still need to be made soon in order to treat the waste on schedule. Because the plant was not planned to be large enough to treat all the low activity waste, the options now on the table include "expanding the plant or finding supplemental treatments for the waste to provide additional treatment capacity by 2034."
WIPP Refuses To Accept Shipment Of Nine LANL Waste Containers. The Los Alamos (NM)
Monitor (9/3, DeRoma) reports that nine containers of transuranic waste are "stuck at the Los Alamos National Laboratory's Plutonium Facility after the Carlsbad Waste Isolation Pilot Plant refused to take them in back In July." The canisters, which contain "waste items such as gloves, tools and other items that have come into contact with radiological mater.ials, were scheduled to be shipped to WIPP during the week of July 26." DOE contractor N3B which operates WIPP "inspected the drums at LANL prior to the shipping date and determined that the drums contained materials that could combust."
5 INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
France Halts Plans To Build Sodium-Cooled Reactor Design. Reuters (8130) reports, France's CEA nuclear agency has "dropped plans to build a prototype sodium-cooled nuclear reactor, rt said on Friday, after decades of research and hundreds of millions of euros in development costs." The state agency "said it would finalize research in so-called 'fourth generation' reactors in the ASTRID (Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonsiration) project this year and is no longer planning to build a prototype in the short or medium term."
The CEA said, "In the current energy market situation, the perspective of industrial development of fourth-generatton reactors is not planned before the second half of this century."
Trends In Solid Tumor Incidence In Ukraine 30 Years After Chernobyl Examined. The incidence rates of many solid organ malignancies in Ukraine are rising, but the rates of solid organ malignancy in the five regions most affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant fallout did not substantially differ from national patterns, except for Kyiv, Ukraine, according to the Journal of Global Oncology (8/27, Leung).
Iran: "Strong Step" Away From Nuclear Deal If Europe Offers No New Terms By End Of Week.
The AP (9/2, Karimi) reports, "Iran will 'take a strong step' away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers if Europe cannot offer the country new terms by a deadline at the end of this week, a government spokesman said Monday as top Iranian diplomats traveled to France and Russia for last-minute talks." Ali Rabiei "described Iran's strategy to journalists at Monday's press conference in Tehran as
'commitment for commitment."' Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Moscow "reiterated that it was up to Europe to ensure the dears survival." Zarif said Iran will "be complying with its obligations in full when the Europeans comply with theirs in full."
France Offers Iran $15 Billion. The New York Times (9/2, Sanger, Erlanger, Nossiter, 18.61M) reports, "A senior Iranian delegation arrived in Paris on Monday to work out the details of a financial bailout package that France's president, Emmanuel Macron, intends to use to compensate Iran for oil sales lost to American sanctions." In return for the funds, "Iran would agree to return to compliance with a 2015 nuclear accord. According to the article, "the core of the package is a
$15 billion letter of credit that would allow Iran to receive hard currency, at a time when most of the cash it makes from selling oil is frozen in banks around the world." White House officials "say the French effort, which other European nations
appear to support, is undermining" its "effort to exert" what President Trump "calls 'maximum pressure' on Tehrano
Iran Confirms Explosion Of Rocket At Space Center. The AP (9/2) reports, "Iran acknowledged for the first time on Monday that a rocket at its Imam Khomeini Space Center exploded after satellite photos showed the blast last week, with an official saying a technical malfunction during a test caused the explosion." While suspicions of sabotage in Iran's space program" had been raised, government spokesman Ali Rabiei "dismissed that, saying that 'this has been a technical matter and a technical error. Our experts unanimously say so."'
The New York Times (9/2, Specia, 18.61 M) reports Rabiei also criticized President Trump's Twitter post "referring to the explosion -
accompanied by an image of the site that some suspected was once classified -
noting that 'the United States of America was not involved in the catastrophic accident.'" He said, 'We don't understand why the U.S.
president tweets and posts satellite pictures with excitement.
This is not understandable."
North Korea Accuses Pompeo Of Seeking To Derail Talks With US. The New York Times (8/31, Sang-Hun, 18.61M} reports North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui "said on Saturday that its expectations for more dialogue with the Trump administration were
'gradually disappearing,' and threatened to reconsider its conciliatory gestures toward the United States, potentially including its moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests." The Times adds Choe also accused Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of blocking efforts to restart dialogue.
According to the Times, Choe became the second senior North Korean official in a week to attack Mr. Pompeo, this time over a speech on Tuesday in which he said the administration had 'recognized North Korea's rogue behavior could not be ignored."'
US Sanctions Taiwanese, Hong Kong-Based Entities For Allegedly Shipping Fuel To North Korea. The Wall Street Journal (8/30, Talley, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) report the US imposed sanctions on various Taiwan and Hong Kong-based entities for alleged fuel shipments to North Korea. The Administration claims that the shipments erode the campaign to prevent Pyongang to further advance its nuclear weapons program North Korea Missile Tests, Downplayed By Trump, Show Signs Of Improvements. The New York Times (9/2, Sanger, Broad, 18.61M) reports that "as North Korea fired off a series of missiles in recent months - at least 18 since May President Trump has repeatedly dismissed their importance as short-range and 'very standard' tests." But "American intelligence officials and outside experts have come to a far different conclusion: thal the launchings 6
downplayed by Mr. Trump, including two late last month, have allowed" North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "to test missiles with greater range and maneuverability that could overwhelm American defenses in the region." The Times says that "Mr. Kim's flattery of Mr. Trump with beguiling letters and episodic meetings offering vague assurances of eventual nuclear disarmament, some outside experts say, are part of what they call the North Korean leader's strategy of buying time to improve his arsenal despite all the sanctions on North Korea."
WTimes Analysis:
Japan-South Korea Rift Threatens Trump's North Korea Policy. The Washington Times (9/2, Taylor, 492K) reports, "South Korea's cancellation of a key intelligence-sharing pact with Japan has triggered a growing diplomatic spat with Washington that analysts say weakens President Trump's North Korea policy and throws into question the three-way alliance underpinning American security architecture across Asia." According to the article, "with South Korea summoning U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris last week to demand that Washington tone down its criticism, the Trump administration is facing calls to tread with care in its efforts to contain the rift between its two East Asian allies." Some "warn that the feud" between South Korea and Japan "puts in jeopardy Mr. Trump's signature diplomatic overture: the pursuit of nuclear diplomacy with North Korea."
North Korea Denies It Amassed $28 Through Cyberattacks On Banks. Reuters (9/1) reports North Korea denied on Sunday "allegations that it had obtained $2 billion through cyberattacks on banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, and accused the United States for spreading rumors." A UN report seen by Reuters last month "said North Korea had used 'widespread and increasingly sophisticated' cyberattacks to steal from banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, amassing $2 billion which it used to fund weapons of mass destruction programs," North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency reported, "The United States and other hostile forces are now spreading ill-hearted rumors."
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Bulletin Intelligence 4 Sep 2019 07:08:15 -0400 NRC@Bulletinlntelligence.com
[External_Sender] NRC News Summary for Wednesday, September 04, 2019 NRCSummary190904.doc, NRCSummary190904.pdf This morning's Nuclear Regulatory Commission News Summary and Clips are attached.
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELLIGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News FPL's Turkey Point, St Lucie Nuclear Plants Continue Operating At 100 Percent...................................................................... 1 Groups Call On NRG To Suspend Pilgrim Plant's License Transfer................................................................................. 1 States With Nuclear Power Assets Urge FERC To Not Bar Them From PJM Auction...................................................... 2 Exelon Begins Reducing Power At Three Mile lsland-1 Nuclear Unit Before Permanent Shutdown........................................ 2 HB 6 Referendum Supporters Have About Seven Weeks To Get Required Signatures...................................................... 2 Former Officials Identify Some Regulatory Challenges Facing Nuclear Technology Innovation............................................2 NRC Employee Runs 10K While Juggling..................................... 2 Point Beach Plant Testing Warning Sirens Later This Month....... 3 Xcel, G4S, Lock Out 25 Union Guards At Monticello Plant........... 3 Site Of Former Zion Nuclear Plan Declared An Enterprise Zone,.3 Judge Halts SCANA Shareholder Suit Over Failed VC Summer Nuclear Project...................................................................... 3 Energy Experts Pessimistic Yucca Mountain Will Get Funding Amid Focus On 2020 Election.............................................. 3 Shuttered Plant Owners Want Lawmakers To Find Permanent Home For Spent Nuclear Fuel.............................................. 3 Wyoming Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee To Hold Inaugural Meeting.................................................................................. 3 NRC NEWS:
FPL's Turkey Point, St Lucie Nuclear Plants Continue Operating At 100 Percent. S&P Global Platts (9/3, Cha, 1 K) reports that all four of "Florida Power &
Light's nuclear units - St. Lucie-1 and -2 and Turkey Point-3 and operated at 100% of capacity August 30 through Tuesday as Hurricane Dorian stalled off the state's coast, according to FPL spokesman Matthew Eissey." FPL has "two nuclear plants of two units each on south Florida's Atlantic Coast: the 1,770-MW Turkey Point plant in Homestead and the 2,213-MW St. Lucie plant in Jensen Beach." Eissey said Tuesday, "We will continue to monitor the storm." NRC Spokesman Joey Ledford indicated Tuesday that FPL had Related News NAS Study Assesses Waste Treatment Options At Hanford........ 3 Officials Reconsider Plan For Toll Road Near Rocky Flats Site After Discovet:y Of Plutonium................................................4 Nuclear Inspectors Trained At LANL.............................................4 DOE Expects Waste Shipments To WIPP To Increase By 50 Percent By 2023....................................................................4 International Nuclear News France Considers $15 Billion Bailout For Iran To Comply With Nuclear Deal.........................................................................4 China Pursuing Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant With France....4 Fuel Removal From Calder Hall Complete....................................4 French Nuclear Reactor T ricastin 3 Ramps Up Power After Month Offline.........................................................................4 Canada Announces Transfer Of Radioactive Waste To Long-Term Storage.........................................................................4 Lithuania Concerned About Opening Of Nuclear Power Facility In Belarus.............................................................................. 5 Japan Meets With Diplomats To Debunk Fukushima Radioactive Water Concerns................................................ 5 US Imposes Sanctions On Iranian Space Agency........................ 5 "classified the status of St. Lucie-1 and -2 as undergoing an
'unusual event' emergency Sunday ahead of the arrival of Dorian."
Natrona! Post (CAN) (9/2, 75K) reported that Hurricane Dorian's "current projected turn would also bring it close to the St. Lucie nuclear power station, home to two nuclear reactors owned by Nextera Energy lnc.'s subsidiary Florida Power & Light."
Groups Call On NRC To Suspend Pilgrim Plant's License Transfer. The Cape Cod (MA) Today (9/3) reports that 96 concerned organizations including Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth and Cape Downwinders are calling for "suspension of the NRC Pilgrim license transfer to Holtec." NRC finalized the license transfer August 22 from Entergy to Holtec '
1without addressing
petitions to intervene and request for adjudicatory hearings by the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office and Pilgrim Watch." The groups want NRC to suspend the license transfer until all "contentions on radiological, environments, and financial concerns are heard and resolved."
The Brockton (MA) Enterprise (9/3, Young, 52K) reports, Environmental organizations from across the country and Canada have joined Cape Downwinders and other local advocacy groups in urging the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend its recent approval of the transfer of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station license." In a Tuesday letter to NRC "Chairwoman Kristine Svinicki, Cape Downwinders and 95 other organizations urged the commission to suspend the decision to allow the transfer unless the concerns raised by the state and local groups are aired in a public hearing."
States With Nuclear Power Assets Urge FERC To Not Bar Them From PJM Auction.
In its "Morning Energy column, Politico (9/3, Tamborrino, 4.29M) reports, "States home to major nuclear power resources are warning FERC against blocking nuclear and renewable energy from the PJM Interconnection's power market."
They're "threatening that such a move would force them to reduce their participation in the 13-state power trading pact."
With "Republicans now holding the FERC majority -
Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur had her last day on Friday -
the commission is expected to soon resolve a longstanding impasse over state energy subsidies in the PJM power market." However, regulators and senators from "nuclear-heavy states are urging the commission against instituting a strict price floor that would block subsidized resources from participating in the capacity auction." If that happens, "some regulators warn they could opt out of PJM's capacity market altogether to preserve their policies, while some states could even go the extra step of exiting the entire PJM framework."
Exelon Begins Reducing Power At Three Mile lsland-1 Nuclear Unit Before Permanent Shutdown. S&P Global Platts (9/3, 1K) reports Exelon said Tuesday its "890-MW Three Mile lsland-1 nuclear unit in Middletown, Pennsylvania, is reducing its output prior to being permanently shut later this month." Daily reactor status reports from the NRC state the "unit was operating at 97% of capacity early Tuesday morning, down from 99% Monday, 98% Sunday and 100% August 31. Exelon said in May 2017 that it would close the unit in 2019 because the unit was "unprofitable."
HB 6 Referendum Supporters Have About Seven Weeks To Get Required Signatures. In its "Rotunda Rumblings" column, the Cleveland Plain Dealer 2
(9/3, 895K) reports that the "group pushing for a statewide referendum to overturn House Bill 6... cleared its final hurdle Friday to start collecting the almost 266,000 petition signatures needed to place the measure on the 2020 ballot."
But "referendum supporters now only have about seven weeks to get the signatures."
Letter Writer Blast HB 6. In a letter to the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/3, 895K), Thomas Collins of Garrettsville, writes that House Bill 6 "is a horrible pile of favors Congress itself could not pass." One would "think a group called 'Ohioans for Energy Security' would not advocate putting all our eggs in the nuclear basket, and instead would understand that a well-distributed, multilayered, and renewable system makes absolute sense as we look to the future." There are "many things wrong with HB 6, and I ask every Ohioan to join me in repealing it."
Former Officials Identify Some Regulatory Challenges Facing Nuclear Technology Innovation. In a piece appearing on Utility Dive (9/3),
three former Assistant Secretaries of Nuclear Energy al DOE, Warren F. Miller, nuclear engineer, Peter B. Lyons, a former NRC Commissioner, and John F. Kotek., Vice President of the Nuclear Energy Institute, write that development of "next-generation nuclear energy technology enjoys broad bipartisan support" that has only grown stronger as concern about climate change escalates. The writers add that the "NRC is widely viewed as the world's leading nuclear safety regulator, and NRC approval" carries "great weight with safety regulators around the world," but "as with any organization, the NRC must evolve to keep up with changes in technology."
They add that among other challenges, the NRC must adapt "regulations and oversight practices to a generation of technologies that didn't exist when today's regulatory framework was developed."
NRC Employee Runs 10K While Juggling. The Allentown /PA) Morning Call (9/2, Huang, 555K) reports on JoAnn Ireland recent feat, finishing the "eighth annual Saucon Rail Trail 10K on Labor Day in one hour, six minutes and 42 seconds." But Ireland was "'joggling' on the trail." Joggling is essentially "juggling while jogging, and it has a "small, dedicated legion of competitors across the world." When she
wasn't joggling, Ireland pursued a career in engineering and found similar success." She worked at "NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland as a student engineer, and later worked at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland as a thermo engineer." Currently, "she works at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Rockville, Maryland." In "some ways, engineering and juggling are similar, both male-dominated fields that require technical skills and knowledge."
Point Beach Plant Testing Warning Sirens Later This Month. WBAY-TV Green Bay, WI (9/3, 113K) reports on its website that the Point Beach nuclear plant will test emergency sirens within 10 miles of the plant between Sept. 16 and Sept. 27.
Xcel, G4S, Lock Out 25 Union Guards At Monticello Plant. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (9/3, Hughlett, 1.04M) reports, "About 25 guards at Xcel Energy's Monticello nuclear power plant have been locked out by their employer, G4S, and no resolution to the labor impasse appears to be in sight" United Security Professionals Local 2 members, representing lieutenants" or "shift leaders" at Monticello plant, "were locked out at midnight Saturday when their contract expired." The "union and G4S, a large global security firm, have been at odds for several months, and negotiations broke down earlier this summer." Xcel and G4S "have been training replacements for Local 2 guards over the past month." Xcel, "Minnesota's largest electricity provider, has said it provides training for all security contractors at its properties, a common power-industry practice."
Site Of Former Zion Nuclear Plan Declared An Enterprise Zone. The Lake County (IL} News-Sun (8/31, Newton, 1.75M) reports on the announcement from Sen.
Melinda Bush that the Zion nuclear power plant site - which left the city "reeling" from the loss of jobs and tax revenue following its closure - "has been approved as a state enterprise zone." The designation "provides potential financial incentives for companies and organizations seeking to develop or create new jobs in the enterprise zone, including property tax reductions, sales tax exemptions on qualifying building materials, investment tax credits and utility tax exemptions." Said Bush, "It's been decades since the Zion Nuclear Power Station shut down and the community is still reeling from loss of jobs and tax revenue." Bush, a Grayslake Democrat, added, "An enterprise zone in Zion is crucial to create jobs, recruit new businesses and boost the local economy."
Judge Halts SCANA Shareholder Suit Over Failed VC Summer Nuclear Project.
Behind a paywall, Law360 (9/3, Subscription Publication, BK) reports a
SCANA Corp. shareholder suit stemming from problems with the company's $9 billion nuclear reactor project can't proceed, a South Carolina federal judge ruled Tuesday, saying the company's recent merger blocks the claims."
SCANA became a "subsidiary of Dominion Energy Inc. in January, which means that the two stockholders who brought the derivative complaint no longer own SCANA stock."
Without "holding stock, they don't have standing to sue on 3
behalf of the company, according to U.S. District Judge Margaret B. Seymour."
Energy Experts Pessimistic Yucca Mountain Will Get Funding Amid Focus On 2020 Election. The Las Vegas Sun (9/3, Sadler, 170K) reports energy professionals say "there is little chance the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository will receive funding this fiscal year." Energy Communities Alliance Executive Director Seth Kirshenberg said at the Radwaste Summit that "political disagreements will likely continue to stop any movement on Yucca Mountain this year." He said, "Because it's a presidential election, I think people are concerned -
they're not really expecting that to move forward." Colin Jones, the deputy general manager for the Jacobs North American Nuclear Group, also "said the political environment will likely drown out business as usual."
Shuttered Plant Owners Want Lawmakers To Find Permanent Home For Spent Nuclear Fuel.
The Lower Hudson Valley (NY) Journal News (9/3, Zambito, 328K) reports that the owners of "shuttered nuclear power plants, exhausted by a decades-long political stalemate, are pressing Congress to find a permanent home for tons of nuclear waste stranded at their sites across the U.S. The article adds that Yankee Atomic Electric Company is leading that charge. The company operated nuclear plants in "Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine until they shut down in the 1990s." Today, its "sole function is as a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in three states, their payroll covered by
$30 million in federal tax dollars every year." Yankee's President and CEO, Wayne Norton, "finds himself in the unusual position of begging the federal government to put him out of a job."
Wyoming Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee To Hold Inaugural Meeting. Douglas (WY) Budget (9/3, Reynolds} reports the Wyoming Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee will meet for the first time Thursday morning in Casper "to consider temporarily storing spent nuclear fuel in the state to help offset declining coal revenues." Officials from the NRC and DOE "will discuss the feasibility of such a controversial nature." Dr. William J. Boyle, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Spent Fuel & Waste Disposition, will attend the meeting.
RELATED NEWS:
NAS Study Assesses Waste Treatment Options At Hanford. Drawing coverage from the Tri-City Herald, the AP (9/3) reports that a National Academies of Sciences study has "analyzed options for treating waste" at the
"decommissioned" Hanford Nuclear Reservafion site in Washington state. The NAS draft analysis "considered three ways to treat the waste at a $17 billion plant that is under construction." The report "says vitrifying or glassifying the waste would be considerably more expensive than other options," which include "expanding the plant or finding supplemental treatments to provide additional capacity by 2034."
Officials Reconsider Plan For Toll Road Near Rocky Flats Site After Discovery Of Plutonium.
The AP (9/2) reports, "Broomfield city officials are suspending their search for investors to help build a toll road after a soil test found elevated levels of plutonium in the highway's planned path." The road would "cross a buffer zone on the east side of the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant northwest of Denver. The "Broomfield City Council announced it was halting efforts to find a private partner for the project." The Rocky Flats plant "made plutonium triggers for nuclear warheads from 1952 to 1989," after which 'the manufacturing site underwent a $7 billion cleanup."
Nuclear Inspectors Trained At LANL.
In a commentary for the Albuquerque (NM) Journal (9/1, 196K),
Olga Martin serves of the Nuclear Engineering and Nonproliferation Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory andWilliam Geist, a nuclear physicist at LANL, write, "You have no doubt heard news reports about nuclear inspectors traveling to a country to examine its use of nuclear materials."
What "you might not know is that these inspectors' mission stems from a proposal that President Dwight D. Eisenhower put forth to the United Nations General Assembly in 1953, when he called for the creation of an international organization to regulate and promote the peaceful use of nuclear power." This vision became "reality with the formation of the International Atomic Energy Agency, more commonly known as the IAEA." To carry out its mission, the "IAEA sends out teams of nuclear inspectors who scrutinize nuclear facilities around the world to ensure that their nuclear materials are used only for peaceful purposes." Inspectors "go through training" at LANL "in one of the laboratory's nuclear facilities, as part of their requirements to become qualified inspectors."
DOE Expects Waste Shipments To WIPP To Increase By 50 Percent By 2023. Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/3) reports that the Energy Department "expects the number of transuranic waste shipments to its Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, N.M., to grow by more than 50% between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2023."
4 INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
France Considers $15 Billion Bailout For Iran To Comply With Nuclear Deal.
In continuing coverage, The Hill (9/3, Rodrigo, 2.98M) reports France may offer "Iran a $15 billion financiaf bailout package in exchange for compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, The New York Times reported Monday." The credit would "give Iran access to hard currency at a time when it is being frozen out of global oil markets." However, "failure to secure American support could complicate any potential deal, as European banks may not want to risk U.S. sanctions, according to the Times."
China Pursuing Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant With France. Reuters (9/3) reports, "China is still actively promoting a nuclear fuel reprocessing project with France's Orano, formerly called Areva, the head of China's nuclear safety watchdog said on Tuesday." China is seeking to "acquire the technology to reduce its reliance on nuclear fuel imports." Liu Hua, the head of the National Nuclear Safety Administration and vice minister of ecology and environment "said that commercial negotiations on the fuel recycling project are 'almost concluded.'"
Fuel Removal From Calder Hall Complete. World Nuclear News (9/3) reports Sellafield said that work has been completed to remove fuel from the world's first commercial nuclear power plant at Calder Hall in west Cumbria." Defueling the plant involved the retrieval of 38,953 used fuel rods from the plant's four reactors and their transferral in shielded flasks to Sellafield's Fuel Handling Plant. After being cooled in a storage pond, the casings are removed and the rods taken to Sellafield's Magnox Reprocessing Plant to be reprocessed."
French Nuclear Reactor Tricastin 3 Ramps Up Power After Month Offline. S&P Global Platts (9/3, 1K) reports, "The 915 MW Tricastin 3 nuclear reactor in the south of France was seen ramping up Tuesday after a month offline, with nearly 200 MW online by mid-morning." EDF on Tuesday announced the end of "specific management of modulation" that had seen the reactor "ramping up and down since late January before going offiine completely August 1.
Canada Announces Transfer Of Radioactive Waste To Long-Term Storage. Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/3) reports, "The Canadian Nuclear Laboratories on Friday announced the full transfer of radioactively contaminated soil from three locations in Port Hope, Ontario, into a long-term storage facility."
Lithuania Concerned About Opening Of Nuclear Power Facility In Belarus. Bloomberg (9/4, Seputyte, 4.73M) reports Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania and the city where the TV miniseries Chernobyl was filmed, "is on
~dge ov~r the imminent opening of a nuclear-power facility Just 40 kilometers (25 miles) away in Belarus." Many view the "R~ss!an-built A~travets plant unsafe" in response to a "string of IncIdents during construction - and attempts to conceal th~m.~ The government is "buying 900,000 euros ($1 million) of iodine tablets in the event of a radiation leak, which could affect a third of Lithuania's 2.8 million population." Nationwide drills will begin Oct. 1 "and involve a Chernobyl-like scenario where a nuclear accident at Astravets sends out a radioactive cloud helicopters monitor." Belarus denies the facility has safey problems.
Japan Meets With Diplomats To Debunk Fukushima Radioactive Water Concerns. The AP (9/4, Yamaguchi) reports diplomats from 22 countries and re~i.ons ~~ Wednesday attended a briefing at Japan's Foreign Ministry, where Japanese officials stressed the importance of combating rumors about safety" at the "crippled Fukushima nuclear plant amid concerns about massive amounts of treated but radioactive water stored in tanks. TEPCO, the plant's operator "said last month that it would run out of storage space for the water in 2022, prompting South Korea to raise safety questions amid tensions with Japan that have intensified over trade and history." Japan has still not decided what to do with the radioactive water, but a "government-commissioned panel has picked five options, including the controlled release of the water into the Pacific Ocean."
Reuters (9/4) reports that Japanese government officials Wednesday "told diplomats they were still considering options for handling contaminated water at Tokyo Ele~tric P_ower's wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant amid worries the water may be dumped into the ocean." The briefing for "embassy officials in Tokyo follows a meeting in August of a government panel of experts looking into ways to solve the water problem." The final "government decision will be made based on a report by the panel.
US Imposes Sanctions On Iranian Space Agency. Reuters (9/3, Brice, Chiacu, Lambert) reports the Administration has "imposed sanctions on Iran's civilian spa~e agency and two research organizations on Tuesday, saying they were being used to advance Tehran's ballistic missile program." The Treasury Department sanctions "targeted the Iran Space Agency, Iran Space Research Center and the Astronautics Research Institute." Secretary of State Pompeo released a statement reading: "The United States will not allow Iran to use its space launch program as cover to advance its ballistic missile programs."
5 The Washington Free Beacon (9/3, Kredo, 78K) calls the move "a global first," noting the move comes after "Iran last week took renewed steps to launch rockets and satellites as part of its space program. The latest launch is believed to have ended in catastrophe, according to satellite photos and a subsequent image of the destruction disseminated on Twitter" by President Trump. To the Washington Post (9/3, Morello, 14.2M), "the State Department designatlon... was another step up in tensions between Tehran and Washington," which it says has "grown exponentially since the United States withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year and began a diplomatic and economic pressure campaign."
Cruz: "Deep State" Working To Undermine Trump's Efforts To Counter Iran. The Washington Examiner (9/3, Read, 448K) reports Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) claimed Tuesday that "the deep state" within the Treasury and State Departments is "trying to undermine the Trump administration's efforts to counter Iran." Speaking that the Huds~n l~stitute, Cruz said, "I am here to tell you the deep state Is alive and well and has circled the barricades around Washington, D.C. And the number one objective of the deep state at the department of State, at the department of Treasury, is to preserve the disastrous Obama Iran nuclear deal." He added, "Their overarching objective is to prevent this administration from dismantling the Iran deal completely because they believe one of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates is going to win."
Iranian Tanker Pursued By US Turns Off Tracking Beacon. The AP (9/3, Gambrell) reports that the Adrian Darya 1, formerly known as the Grace 1, "an Iranian oil tanker blacklisted and pursued by the US, turned off its tracking beacon off the coast of Syria, leading to renewed speculation Tuesday that its oil will end up there, d~spite earlier assurances it wouldn't."
France Proposes Extending $15 Billion To Iran If It Complies With Nuclear Deal. Reuters (9/3, Irish, Hafezi) reports France has "proposed offering Iran about $15 billion in credit lines until year-end if Tehran comes fully back into compliance with its 2015 nuclear deal." Foreign Minister Je~n-Yves le Drian "said talks on the credit arrangement, which would be guaranteed by Iranian oil revenues, were continuing, but US approval would be crucial." Le Drian said the Macron government intends to "exchange a credit line guaranteed by oil in return for, one, a return to the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal)... and two, security in the Gulf and the opening of negotiations on regional security and a post-2025 (nuclear program)." Le Drian added, "All this (pre)supposes that President Trump issues waivers."
Bloomberg (9/3, 4.73M) reports Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire "met with US authorities in Washington as part of
[the] plan to offer Iran a $15 billion economic lifeline and rescue the Iran nuclear accord." However1 Bloomberg says
an unidentified "senior US administration official" said the plan is "a non-starter," and reiterated that President Trump "has been clear that Iran won't receive any economic benefit from the US for reverting back to the nuclear accord."
The AP (9/3, Gambrell), meanwhile, reports that Iran "stands poised this week to further break the terms of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, over a year after... Trump unllaterally withdrew America from the accord and imposed crippling sanctions on the country."
Israel Eyeing Trilateral Summit With US, Russia To Discuss "Iran's Removal From Syria." Townhall (9/3, Pavlich, 177K) reports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday "that his office is working on bringing the United States and Russia together for a summit to address the ongoing threat of Iran in the Middle East. The summit would be held in Jerusalem and would involve all three countries." Netanyahu's office tweeted, There is a current effort to hold another trilateral summit with Russia, the US and Israel here in Jerusalem, to continue discussing Iran's removal from Syria. We will continue to take all diplomatic, security, intelligence and professional steps to achieve the goals we have set."
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 7:00 AMfDT NRC.BULLETININTELLIGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News FirstEnergy Solutions Argues Before Ohio High Court That HB6 Cannot Be Repealed............................................................. 1 Georgia Power's New VogUe Units Approximately 79%
Complete............................................................................... 2 Massachusetts AG Urges NRC To Halt Sale, License Transfer For Pilgrfm Plant.................................................................... 2 TVA Seeks Federal Partnership To Build Small Modular Reactors................................................................................ 2 Judge Blocks Investor Lawsuit Against SCANA For VC Summer Fiasco.................................................................................... 3 Exelon Seeking Safety Changes After Three Mile Island Unit 1 Reactor Closes...................................................................... 3 Royal: California Should Avoid New York's Perilous Path On Renewables.......................................................................... 3 Wyoming Officials Consider Proposals To Store Spent Nuclear Fuel........................................................................................ 3 NRC Begins Hearing On Disputed Powertech Uranium Mine......4 Op-Ed: California Renewable Push Ignores Total Cost Of Green Energy.....................,.............................................................4 NRC NEWS:
FirstEnergy Solutions Argues Before Ohio High Court That HB6 Cannot Be Repealed.
Behind a paywall, Bloomberg Environment (9/4, Subscription Publication) reports that FirstEnergy Solutions is fighting in the Ohio Supreme Court to "protect $150 million in annual nuclear plant subsides that opponents are seeking to repeal in a statewide referendum." In a September 4 Ohio Supreme Court petition, FirstEnergy Solutions argued that the recently enacted subsidies for Davis-Besse and Perry "plants are a tax, which can't be repealed in a referendum under Ohio law:
The company, "which is going through bankruptcy reorganization to detach it from parent FirstEnergy Corp.,
said it would close the plants without the subsidies."
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/4, Pelzer, 895K) reported that in its lawsuit Wednesday, "FirstEnergy Solutions
- which stands to receive $150 million per year for seven years under House Bill 6 - argues that the new 85-cents-per-NRC Expects To Give Public More Time To Comment On GTCC Waste Rules..............................................................4 Northwest Medical Isotopes Lands $15 Million In Federal Funds....................................................................................4 Related News Four More Democrats Release Climate Plans Ahead Of Town Hall Event..............................................................................4 Environmental Groups Want New Mexico Uranium Mine Blocked.................................................................................. 6 DOE Alerts Washington That Hanford Vitrification Plant May Not Be Finished On Time...................................................... 6 International Nuclear News IAEA Director Candidates' Field Grows To Four........................... 6 Turkey Should Be Allowed To Obtain Nuclear Weapons, Erdogan Says........................................................................ ?
Iran To Begin Developing Centrifuges For Faster Uranium Enrichment............................................................................ 7 month 'charge' imposed on all Ohio ratepayers to pay for the bailout constitutes a tax." The lawsuit "cites, among other cases, the U.S. Supreme Court's 2012 ruling that the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate -
which fines people who don't have health insurance - is a tax, even though the legislation called it a 'penalty."' The filing "notes that a number of opponents of HB6 argued that it was a tax during legislative debate over the measure earlier this year."
The AP (9/4) reports that FirstEnergy Solutions argued in a "lawsuit filed Wednesday that the financial rescue approved by state lawmakers in July can't be overturned by voters because it amounts to a tax." But opponents of the
"$1.5 billion rescue package for the nuclear plants and two coal-fired plants are collecting signatures to put the issue on the ballot in November 2020."
The Columbus (OH) Dispatch (9/4, Rowland, 367K) reports that the FirstEnergy Solutions filing said, "Because House Bill 6 is a 'law providing for a tax levy' that is expressly excepted from a referendum under the Ohio Constitution., the
... referendum petition, as a matter of law, cannot be certified,
circulated to electors for signature, accepted for filing, determined to be sufficient, or placed on the ballot." The filing continued, "It is inherently misleading and confusing to Ohio voters for the (referendum) committee and its circulators and other agents to pursue, circulate, and file a referendum petition that states, implies or otherwise suggests that House Bill 6 is subject to a referendum when that is not true.
WVXU-FM Cincinnati (9/4, Chow, 4K) reported online that an "Ohio State University energy economics professor disagrees with that argument. He "says, if the additional charge on electric bills qualifies as a tax increase, then state utility regulators have been illegally creating new taxes for years." Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts is "trying to gather enough signatures to put the referendum on the November 2020 ballot. They must turn in 265,774 valid signatures by October 21." WFMJ-TV Youngstown, OH (9/4, Gauntner, 19K) reported online, that the law "adds a new fee to every electricity bill in the state and reduces requirements that utilities generate more power from wind and solar sources."
The Toledo (OH) Blade (9/4, Provance, 88K) also provided coverage.
Group Cleared To Begin Effort To Get Anti-HB6 Referendum On 2020 Ballot. Platts (9/3, Andrejasich) reports that after state regulators gave organizers the go-ahead, "plans to ask Ohio voters to repeal a law granting subsidies" to FirstEnergy Solutions' Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear power plants are moving ahead." The group Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts "wants to put on next year's ballot a referendum repealing House Bill 6." Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost August 29 "approved summary language for the proposed referendum." The next day, "Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose certified 1,000 signatures of registered voters in favor of the referendum, the repeal group said."
Georgia Power's New Vogtle Units Approximately 79% Complete. DailyEnergylnsider (9/4, Kovaleski) reports, "Georgia Power's Vogtle 3 & 4 nuclear expansion projects are on target to be opened within the next few years." Vogtle 3 will be complete in November 2021, while Vogtfe 4 will be complete in November 2022, according to a recent Georgia Power filing with the Georgia Public Service Commission. Georgia Power "also said it expects the project will remain within the current cost forecast." The company said the Vogtle expansion project is now 79 percent complete. AIIOnGeorgia (9/4) reports similarly.
Bond Buyer (9/4, Sigo) reports, In 2018 and in the first half of 2019, the project met all major milestones, and the first nuclear fuel load was ordered for Unit 3, marking the first nuclear fuel order to be placed in more than 30 years for a newly designed reactor in the US, Georgia Power officials 2
said in a release." Georgia Power said the Vogtle expansion project is critical to its "energy mix and remains in the best interests" of its customers. The company said Vogtle 3 and 4 will enable it to deliver reliable and economical power in the coming decades. Georgia Power's filing said, "Upon completion, Vogtle Units 3 and 4 will be an asset to Georgia Power, its customers, the state, and the nation for 60 or more years. The project remains the most Important infrastructure project currently underway in Georgia, providing over 8,000 construction jobs and approximately 800 permanent careers once complete."
Massachusetts AG Urges NRC To Halt Sale, License Transfer For Pilgrim Plant.
Behind a
- paywall, Bloomberg Environment (9/4, Subscription Publication) reports that Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey asserted that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission "wrongly approved the sale and decommissioning" of Pilgrim nuclear power plant and "should halt both immediately." NRC staff "violated NRC regulations and the National Environmental Policy Act by approving the license transfer and exemption requests for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station 'even though it is clear today that insufficient funds exist' in the decommissioning trust fund to protect the public and the environment," Healy "said in the request to the NRC."
The Cape Cod (MA) Times (9/4, Legere, 64K) reports,
The reasons given for the stay, submitted in an application filed right on Tuesday's deadline, were identical to those the attorney general's office has repeated to the NRC going back to February, when it first filed the petition to intervene:
concerns over new owner Holtec lnternational 1s financial ability to decommission Pilgrim and the need for an environmental assessment of the site before decommissioning begins. The NRC's "staff approved the license transfer from Entergy Corp. to Holtec on Aug. 22, despite never having taken action on the state's petition to intervene." The "lack of action deprived the public its chance to weigh in, since a hearing would have been part of that process, the attorney general has said."
MA Lawmakers Urge NRC To Uphold Emergency Measures At Pilgrim Plant.
Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/4) reports, "Three members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation want the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission to keep emergency preparedness and planning regulations in place for the retired Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station."
TVA Seeks Federal Partnership To Build Small Modular Reactors. The Chattanooga (TN) Times Free Press (9/3, Flessner, 171K) reports TVA "is poised to receive the first early site permit for America's first Small Modular
Reactors (SMRs) proposed to be built in Oak Ridge," But TVA CEO Jeff Lyash "said TVA has no immediate plans at this t1me to build any more nuclear plants and probably won't pursue the Small Modular Reactor project without more federal assistance." Lyash added, "We will only build if there is a need. Even if we build, we would be very cautious not to put the price or the risk on the citizens of the Tennessee Valley. We would look to this as part of a national strategy to develop this technology. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is expected to vote soon "on whether to grant an early site permit for small modular reactors to be built on the Clinch River." An environmental assessment "concluded there are no safety problems with the site for a nuclear plant, which could help power DOE's nearby Oak Ridge facilities." Last month, NRC staff "conducted a required hearing on the environmental study last month as the final step in the approval process."
Judge Blocks Investor Lawsuit Against SCANA For VC Summer Fiasco. FITSNews (9/4) reports that a US "district court judge has blocked an investor lawsuit filed against crony capitalist utility SCANA and three of its former executives - former chief executive officer Kevin Marsh, former chief financial officer Jimmy Addison and former chief operating officer Stephen Byrne." The lawsuit was filed by former shareholders of the company, and it "claimed these three corporate chieftains knew that a project to build a pair of nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer nuclear generating station in Jenkinsville, S.C. was doomed-and covered it up."
But, according to US "district court judge Margaret Seymour, though, the shareholder suit is invalid because SCANA is now a subsidiary of Virginia-based Dominion Energy."
Because the "petitioners no longer own SCANA stock, Seymour claimed they lacked standing to file suit."
Exelon Seeking Safety Changes After Three Mile Island Unit 1 Reactor Closes. The Middletown (PA) Press And Journal (9/4, Miller, 23K) reports that concerning "Exelon's planned shutdown of the Unit 1 reactor at TMI on Sept. 30," Exelon Spokesman David Marcheskie "states that 'as plant conditions change, the already low risk to public health and safety is reduced even further, and an emergency plan tailored to those conditions allows for more effective emergency management."' The company has filed requests with the NRC to reduce its responsibility for emergency planning to not extend beyond the island itself*
Off-site "emergency planning no longer would be necessary, because by about Jan. 30, 2021 - 488 days after the Sept.
30 shutdown - conditions on Three Mile Island will have changed to where a release of radiation into the atmosphere in excess of safety thresholds established by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency will no longer be 3
considered 'credible,"' according to Exelon documents filed with the NRC.
Royal: California Should Avoid New York's Perilous Path On Renewables. Writing for Fox And Hounds Daily (9/3), consultant Todd Royal says "if California follows New York's headlong rush into renewables (solar and wind) our demographic shifts towards foolish renewable energy policies voted into existence will bring a new destiny that should never take place in New York or California." He says "energy only works when it is affordable, reliable, scalable, affordable, and flexible" and "only fossil fuels and nuclear power plants currently meet this crtteria."
Wyoming Officials Consider Proposals To Store Spent Nuclear Fuel. The AP (9/4) reports that Wyoming lawmakers are "considering allowing the storage of spent nuclear fuel in the state as a way to boost revenue."
The "Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee meets for the first time in Casper on Thursday to discuss the idea." The panel will hear from Energy Department and Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials, among others. The "Star-Tribune reports Wyoming officials are considering storage as a way to help offset declining coal revenues." Thursday's meeting.is informational only, according to Casper Republican Sen. Jim Anderson, who "says that he has heard opposition to the proposal in dozens of calls and emails."
The Casper (WY) Star-Tribune (9/3, Reynolds, 104K) reported, "Chaired by Casper Republican Sen. Jim Anderson, the committee meets for the first time 10 a.m. Thursday at the Ramkota Hotel." A "lineup of top officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy will discuss the feasibflity of such a controversial measure."
Anderson "said Thursday's conversation is intended to be of an informational nature and may result in a presentation to the Legislature's Minerals, Business and Economic Developmerit Committee -
which Anderson co-chairs -
for further consideration in October."
KUNR-FM Reno, NV (9/4, Glick) reported on its website that area lawmakers are "meeting Thursday to discuss the potential economic windfalls from nuclear waste storage. It's the first meeting of Wyoming's Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee, which was created earlier this year." The "subcommittee, made up entirely of Republican lawmakers, will hear presentations from top officials with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Energy. The article adds, "Kara Colton is the director of nuclear energy programs with the Energy Communities Alliance. She says it's critical that Wyoming lawmakers clearly articulate what they're willing to store - and for how long.
NRC Begins Hearing On Disputed Powertech Uranium Mine. Drawing coverage from the Rapid City Journal, the AP (8/28) reports on the three-day hearing before "federal regulators that began Wednesday" and which "aims to resolve a long-running dispute over the potential impact of a proposed uranium mine in South Dakota on sites of Native American cultural, histotical and religious significance." The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted "Powertech, a subsidiary of Canada-based Azarga Uranium,"
a license to mine uranium for use in nuclear power plants in 2014, even though a "dispute over the lack of an adequate cultural resources survey was still pending before the commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board." The proposed mine,;would be located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the Pine Ridge Reservation." The "Oglala Sioux Tribe has said it would encroach on traditional homelands and argues that the commission didn't sufficiently study the potential impact of the project on Native American burials grounds, artifacts and other cultural sites."
Op-Ed: California Renewable Push Ignores Total Cost Of Green Energy. ln an opinion piece, Ronald Stein of the Heartland Institute (9/4) writes that "the green movement" has had success in shutting down growth in the nuclear power sector and "has now set its sights on oil."
Despite the efforts, Stein believes that "California is seemingly going green at any cost, and as a result the slate is driving up the populations of the homeless and those falling below the poverty line. Those leading the green parade are either blind to this fact or just don't care." Stein believes that a push into renewables will push California's already-high energy prices even higher, while additional taxes on legacy fuels will add to the cost.
NRC Expects To Give Public More Time To Comment On GTCC Waste Rules.
Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/4) reports the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission "expects to give stakeholders more time to provide input on its draft regulatory basis for a potential rulemaking on disposal of Greater-Than-Class C (GTCC) low-level radioactive waste."
Northwest Medical Isotopes Lands $15 Million In Federal Funds. The Corvallis (OR) Gazette-Times (9/4, Hall, 28K) reports, "A Corvallis startup company has been awarded $15 million in federal matching funds to help it commercialize a new method of producing molybdenum-99, a crucial component in medical imaging procedures." Northwest Medical Isotopes is the "last of four companies selected by the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration to receive one of the grants, which are aimed at ensuring a reliable supply of moly-99." Northwest Medical 4
Isotopes is "working to obtain approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its molybdenum-production process, which is based on technology developed at Oregon State University, as well as for a planned 60,000-square-foot processing plant to be built in Columbia, Missouri."
RELATED NEWS:
Four More Democrats Release Climate Plans Ahead Of Town Hall Event. Four more Democrats in the 2020 presidential race unveiled plans to address climate change through a fundamental restructuring of the US energy economy. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Sen. Gory Booker of New Jersey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg released detailed proposals ahead of a CNN town hall event on Wednesday.
Reuters reports that during Wednesday's CNN forums, the candidates will "talk about their plans to adapt to climate change including protecting communities from the devastation of intensified storms, floods and droughts." The forums will also "feature individual candidates fadng questions from moderators and voters." Sen. Bernie Sanders
has taken a more confrontational approach with a "$16.3 trillion plan" that does away with gasoline-powered cars and new nuclear power."
The Washington Examiner (9/4, Siegel, 448K) reports "Warren, and to a lesser extent, Harris, are explicitly gunning to replace Jay lnslee as the most serious proponent of federal climate change action.
CNN (9/3, Krieg, Lee, 83.16M) reports "Warren on Tuesday announced she would adopt Washington Gov. Jay lnslee's 10-year climate plan, while also expanding on his blueprint with a series of additional investments costing $1 trillion to offer additional protections to workers and help fund a radical transition of American infrastructure and industry away from fossil fuels.
The Washington Post (9/4, Stokes, 14.2M) and Reuters (9/4, Gardner, Volcovici) feature further analysis of the candidates'.climate plans.
Warren Says She Opposes Nuclear Power At Climate Change Town Hall.
The Washington Examiner (9/4, Siegel, 448K) reports Sen. Elizabeth Warren said at CNN's climate change town hall Wednesday that she opposes the building of new nuclear plants in the US and, if elected president, she would work to phase out existing nuclear power. She added, "We will start weaning ourselves off nuclear and replace it with renewables" by 2035.
Politico (9/4, Siders, Colman, 4.29M) reports that the "climate forums on Wednesday" represented "a sharp turn in the 2020 presidential contest," as "the leading Democratic candidates showed the first signs of weaponizing climate change in the primary campaign." For instance, Sanders
"pressed more moderate Democrats on a proposal to ban" tracking, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) "called for weaning the nation off nuclear power," and Biden framed "his international experience as instrumental in getting the 'rest of the world to come along' on climate."
Opinion: Without Nuclear Power, Warren's Climate Change Plan "Isn't Serious." Washington Examiner (9/4, Polumbo, 448K) deputy contributors editor Brad Polumbo writes that Elizabeth Warren's proposal to fight climate change "doesn't add up" and "offers zero solutions or insight as to how" her administration "would get international buy-in, or force India and China... to cut emissions as well."
Moreover, Polumbo says Warren's proposal does not include nuclear power, "one of the most efficient, emission-free power sources available." He concludes, "Warren's plan just isn't serious or well-supported, even if it's grand in its ambitions."
Booker Praises Nuclear Power At Climate Change Town Hall. CNN (9/5, 83.16M) reports New Jersey Sen.
Cory Booker, speaking at CNN's Climate Change Town Hall, said to reach zero-carbon electricity by 2030, nuclear power needs to be part of the blend. He says nuclear opponents, which include several of his presidential opponents, "aren't looking at the facts." Booker added that he started warming to nuclear power after he decided to "read everything he [could]"
and visited with nuclear scientists. Booker also praises the future of nuclear power, saying new technologies would eliminate the risk of meltdown.
Klobuchar Takes Moderate Path On Climate Change. The New York Times (9/4, Astor, 18.61M) reports that "Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has banked her presidential campaign on the idea that voters want a more moderate approach in a Democratic Party moving rapidly left, and her CNN town hall on climate change fit that mold neatly." Klobuchar has called for "sweeping legislation" that would involve investing in clean energy jobs and infrastructure, but "she hedged on nuclear energy, the future of natural gas and the role of dietary guidelines in combating climate change." Klobuchar stressed, *1 think you have to be honest with people" about what is feasible.
Warren Proposes Additional $1 Trillion In Spending To Decarbonize Buildings, Vehicles.
Bloomberg (9/4, Harney, 4.73M) reports that Senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday night proposed spending
$1 trillion for
'decarbonizing our electricity, our vehicles, and our buildings.'" That, she said on Twitter, is "on top of the $2 trillion I've already committed to green
- research, manufacturing, and exporting." In her climate change plan, Warren acknowledges that "with a commitment of this size, we must ensure that we use taxpayer dollars as efficiently as possible."
Warren: US Needs Climate Plan That Works For Everyone. In an op-ed for CNN (9/4, Warren, 83.16M), Sen.
Elizabeth Warren says "taking bold action to confront the 5
climate crisis is as important - and as urgent - as anything else the next president will face." She says she was "an original supporter of the Green New Deal, which commits us to a 10-year mobilization through 2030 to reach the goal of net.zero domestic greenhouse gas emissions as fast as possible.fl Warren adds that "we need big, structural change across every sector, and we need to sustain it over time."
Moreover, she says, "we must address the legacy of environmental racism and recognize that climate change doesn't impact every community equally."
Buttigieg Hopes To Create Over 3 Million Clean Energy Jobs. CNBC (9/4, McDonald, 3.62M) reports that "Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday unveiled a climate change plan that would include more than $1 trillion in federal investment, with a goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and creating over 3 million clean energy and infrastructure jobs in the next decade." Buttigieg's plan features three pillars, including "building a clean economy by creating clean energy jobs,"
increasing investment in "disaster relief and prevention in vulnerable communities," and "building America's role on the international stage in combating climate change."
Newsweek (9/4, Stockier, 1.53M) reports that 'the second part of Buttigieg's plan would acknowledge the inexorable effects of climate change, despite efforts to curb the most harmful consequences."
Fox Business (9/4, Fordham, 1.73M) notes that "Buttigieg's plan, which could cost between $1.5 trillion and
$2 trillion over 10 years, is small change compared to the ones unveiled by other Democratic presidential hopefuls."
Politico (9/4, Tamborrino, 4.29M) also reports on Buttigieg's climate change proposals.
Harris Promises To Deliver "Climate Justice" To Poor Communities. The New York Times (9/4, Davenport, Friedman, 18.61 M) reports that Sen. Kamala Harris released an ambitious new climate change plan on Wednesday, calling for $10 trillion in spending over a decade to combat human-driven global warming and a new tax or fee on companies that emit greenhouse pollution." The former California attorney general has "styled herself as a uniquely qualified prosecutor-in*chief who would maximize the power of the legal system to penalize corporate polluters and deliver
'climate justice' to poor communities that suffer disproportionately from the impacts of climate change, like flooding, heat waves and food and water shortages.
Biden Says He Wouldn't Ban Fracking, Would Evaluate Existing Permits. The Washington Examiner (9/4, Siegel, 448K) reports former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said that he would not ban tracking, but would evaluate existing permits to determine whether or not they are safe. Biden said, "We can pass national legislation, but I don't think we would get it done to say all tracking going on ends unless we can say there is
some physical security need." Biden "has joined most of the other Democrats in endorsing the goal of the United States reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, but has stopped short of calling for the end of fracking, as competitors such as Sens. Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris have done."
Waldman: A Democratic Win In 2020 Means A Major Piece Of Climate Legislation In 2021. Writing for the Washington Post (9/4, Waldman, 14.2M), columnist Paul Waldman notes that "if a Democrat is elected president in 2020, a major piece of climate legislation will be offered in 2021." He says "the system is operating in such a way that it's pushing all the candidates in the same direction -
and making it impossible for the one who wins to go back on what they're promised." Among the climate plans' similarities are: a pledge to rejoin the Paris climate agreement, investments in clean energy research and a promise to create green jobs, taxes on polluters along with stricter pollution controls, a pledge to reach zero emissions within the next few decades, and an empahsis on environmental justice.
Democratic Candidates Want Increases In R&D Spending As Part Of Climate Plans. Axios (9/4, Geman, 521 K) reports that several 2020 Democrats want huge increases in federal energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) as part of their larger multitrillion dollar climate proposals. A recent report from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, however, "shows the challenge of enacting even comparatively modest goals on that front, despite some support across the aisle for increases as Congress keeps rebuffing White House calls for deep cuts. The report "notes that the Senate Appropriations Committee is poised to start work on its version," while "GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander favors significantly increased spending on energy RD&D."
Chamber Issued Statement On Climate Change During Climate Town Hall.
The New York Times (9/5, 18.61 M) reports on the recap of the "marathon" seven hour climate town hall on CNN for Democratic presidential candidates. The Times says that while President Trump "issued a series of mocking tweets as CNN prepared to begin the forum," other Republicans "took the discussion of how to rein in emissions seriously." While Republicans did not always agree with the candidates' views, "a number of conservatives did strive to show that they also want to address climate change and have their own solutions in mind," including Reps. Greg Walden (OR) and Dan Crenshaw (TX). The Times adds the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "which historically has lobbied against laws and regulations that would curb emissions, issued a news release promoting the 'pioneering groundbreaking solutions' in the energy sector to curb climate change."
Olsen Urges Voters To Not Trust Candidates That Reject Nuclear Power. In a piece for the Washington Post (9/4, Olsen, 14.2M), columnist Henry Olsen wrote that voters 6
should take note of the Democratic presidential hopefuls who mention nuclear power. Climate change activists "tell us that the planet's future is at stake if we don!t act now. The Green New Deal resolution says the United States needs to engage in climate mobilization on a scale not seen since World War II. One might think such activists would be clamoring for the rapid deployment of the one existing, proven technology that is totally free of greenhouse gas emissions: nuclear power.
Yet they are not."
Environmental Groups Want New Mexico Uranium Mine Blocked. The Houston Chronicle (9/4, 1.64M) reports that the environmental groups Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment and Amigos Bravos are "asking a New Mexico appeals court to review a ruling that would allow uranium to be extracted again from an inactive western New Mexico mine." The groups want the New Mexico Court of Appeals to "review a lower court ruling that upheld the New Mexico Mining Commission's decision allowing renewed mining at the Mount Taylor Mine, the Gallup Independent reports." In "July, state District Judge Francis Mathew affirmed the commission's decision to reopen the mine."
DOE Alerts Washington That Hanford Vitrification Plant May Not Be Finished On Time. The Tri-City Herald (WA) (9/4, Cary, 154K) reports the Department of Energy notified the Washington state Department of Ecology on Wednesday that it is "at risk of missing deadlines to have the Hanford vitrification plant fully operating by a federal court deadline of 2036. Maia Bellon, the director of the Department of Ecology, "said the state wanted to work with the federal agency to identify a 'realistic path forward for Hanford's tank waste, one that addresses all aspects of the tank waste mission and, ideally, does not need to be revisited every few years."' However, she said the state would not move on key terms of the deal.
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
IAEA Director Candidates' Field Grows To Four. Reuters (AF) (9/4, Murphy, SK) reports that the head of the global nuclear test-ban agency - Lassina Zerbo of Burkina Faso - "is running to become the next director general" of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, after its Director General Yukiya Amano died in July. Zerbo's entry brings "the number of candidates to four from three continents." Amano's "right-hand man, Cornel Feruta of Romania, is now acting director general and running to take over the position fully against Rafael Grossi, a veteran of nuclear diplomacy, currently Argentina's ambassador to the Vienna-based IAEA." Also, Slovakia's government has
"approved a run by the head of its Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Marta Ziakova, a former chairwoman of the IAEA's two top decision-making bodies, the Board of Governors and the General Conference."
Turkey Should Be Allowed To Obtain Nuclear Weapons, Erdogan Says. Reuters (9/4, Toksabay) reports Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "said on Wednesday it was unacceptable for nuclear-armed states to forbid Ankara from obtaining its own nuclear weapons, but did not say whether Turkey had plans to obtain them." Erdogan told members of his ruling AK Party, "There is no developed nation in the world that doesn't have them." He "hinted that he wanted the same protection for Turkey as Israel."
Iran To Begin Developing Centrifuges For Faster Uranium Enrichment. Reuters (9/4, Hafezi, Mohammed) reports Iran announced Wednesday that it "would take another step away from a 2015 nuclear deal by starting to develop centrifuges to speed up its uranium enrichment but it also gave European powers two more months to try to save the multilateral pact." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised address that the country will start "developing centrifuges to speed up the enrichment of uranium." Meanwhile, the US "refused to ease its economic sanctions," but did not rule out "a French plan to give Tehran a $15 billton credit line." Reuters says the moves suggest "Iran, the United States ahd the major European powers may be leaving the door open for diplomacy to try resolve a dispute over Iran's nuclear program even as they largely stuck to entrenched positions."
BBC World News (UK) (9/4, 3.28M) reports Iran has consistently insisted "it has never sought to develop" a nuclear weapon. However, evidence collected by the International Atomic Energy Agency suggesting that until 2003 Iran conducted "a range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device." Nevertheless, US intelligence sources assessed in January that Iran was "not currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activities we judge necessary to produce a nuclear device."
Trump Says He Is Open To Meeting Rouhani At UN.
Reuters (9/4) reports on Wednesday, President Trump "left the door open to a possible meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly in New York." Reuters says that when "asked about the possibility," Trump told reporters, "Sure, anything's possible.
They would like to be able to solve their problem.... We could solve it in 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />." According to Reuters, Trump "has publicly said multiple times he would be open to talks with Iranian leaders, but Tehran has rejected any negotiations with Washington unless sanctions are dropped."
7 The Times Of Israel (9/4, 83K) also reports that "this is not the first time that Trump has expressed an interest in such a meeting," including a week ago Monday when he "said that he was ready to meet with the Iranian president within weeks." Politico (9/4, Toosi, 4.29M) reports that Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, "insisted" that Trump "still wants to negotiate a diplomatic solution to the standoff with Tehran."
Marc Thiessen of the Washington Post said on Fox News Special Report (9/4, 1.53M), "Iran has a lot of leverage over Europe, because Europe trades with Iran and we do not.
... What their strategy is is to pressure the Europeans to pressure us. Is that going to work? No. It's not going to work.
The reason is that President Trump is willing to talk to the Iranians," but "he is no hurry, because his Iran strategy is working.
Rouhani Announces That Iran Will Resume Centrifuge And Enrichment Development.
The Washington Post (9/4, Cunningham, 14.2M) reports Rouhani announced Iran will "abandon restrictions on nuclear research and development, including the advancement of centrifuges used to enrich uranium, as the next step toward reducing its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal." Rouhani "made the announcement in a televised address and said the change would go into motion Friday." The Post says the announcement is "part of an effort to persuade European nations to reset the terms of the deal." Bloomberg (9/4, 4.73M) reports Iranian officials have said they are "unlikely to reach a much-anticipated agreement with Europe in time to avert another Iranian retreat from the timping nuclear deal, but gave European powers two more months to try to keep the accord alive." Reuters (9/4, Hafezi) also reports.
NYTimes Magazine:
Bannon, Bolton Plotted Withdrawal Of From Iran Nuclear Deal. In a piece running nearly 11,000 words, the New York Times Magazine (9/4, 18.61 M) details Israel's effort to pressure both the Obama and Trump Administrations to go to war with Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons. Ronen Bergman and Mark Mazzetti write that as of July 2017, the White House was "at a crossroads on the question of Iran." President Trump "had made a campaign pledge to leave the 'terrible' nuclear deal that" President Obama negotiated, "but prominent members of Trump's cabinet spent the early months of the administration pushing... to negotiate a stronger agreement rather than scotch the deal entirely, and "thus far, the forces for negotiation had prevailed." However, Bergman and Mazzetti say "counterforces were also at work," and then-White House Counselor Steve Bannon "turned to" John Bolton, who was not yet National Security Advisor, "to draw up a new Iran strategy that would, as its first act, abrogate the Iran deal.... The document that Bolton produced at Bannon's request was not a strategy so much as a marketing plan for the administration to justify leaving the Iran deal.fl
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News Duke Energy To Shut Down Brunswick Plant Ahead Of Hurricane Dorian................................................................... 1 Wyoming Lawmakers Reconsider Nuclear Waste Storage After Leaming About Total Revenue............................................. 1 Assemblyman Looks To Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant In Operation............................................................................... 2 Massachusetts AG Asks NRC For Temporary Stay Of Pilgrim Plant's License Transfer....................................................... 2 FirstEnergy Solutions Wants OH High Court To Block Nuclear Bailout. Referendum.............................................................. 2 Opinion: Illinois Chamber Of Commerce Opposes Capadty Market Reforms..................................................................... 3 Public Watchdog Group Sues SCE, Requests Immediate Halt To Transfer Of Nuclear Waste.............................................. 3 Yucca Mountain Opponents Meet To Discuss Issues, Concerns............................................................................... 3 Group Outlines Threat To Seabrook Station From Concrete Degradation........................................................................... 3 Xcel Files NLRB Complaint Against Monticello Plant Securlfy Guards.....................,.,........................................................... 3 NRC NEWS:
Duke Energy To Shut Down Brunswick Plant Ahead Of Hurricane Dorian. The AP (9/5, Biesecker) reports that forecasters expect Hurricane Dorian to produce
high storm surges and drenching rains that could trigger flooding and unleash environmental hazards in areas still recovering from last year's Hurricane Florence." The article notes that Duke Energy, which operates the Brunswick Nuclear Plant, said it will safely shut down the plant's twin nuclear reactors at least two hours prior the arrival of any hurricane force winds."
Nuclear Plants Prepared To Shut Down Ahead Of Hurricane Dorian.
S&P Global Platts (9/5, Newkumet, Ryser, Fisher, lnnace, McGurty, 1 K) reports that Hurricane Dorian had significant impacts on energy infrastructure as it moved along the US East Coast on Thursday. Duke Energy was prepared to shut down its 1,978 MW Brunswick nuclear Idaho, EPA Approve Design For Nuclear Waste Cover................ 3 Related News DOE Nuclear Official Touts Merits Of Parallel Paths For Waste Storage..................................................................................4 In Contrast To Warren's Claims, Climate Experts Agree Nuclear Power Needed To Meet Climate Goals,............................,..4 Candidates Present Climate Plans At Town Hall, Noting Inspiration From Jay lnslee...................................................4 International Nuclear News Report Shows That In 2018 Nuclear Generation Grew for Sixth Straight Year.........................................................................4 Somerset County Denies Hinkley Point A Nuclear Waste Tran sport Plan.......................................................................4 Nuclear Waste Management Reps Speak At PROBUS Club About Nuclear Fuel...............................................................4 Iran Stops Honoring 2015 Nuclear Agreement Limits On Nuclear R&D.......................................................................... 5 plant near Wilmington, North Carolina, operators told the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Thursday. While the plant can withstand high winds and flooding, the facility must be shut down as a precaution two hours before winds of at least 74 miles per hour are forecast to arrive. NRC spokesperson Roger Hannah sald Thursday that the agency kept two resident inspectors at the Brunswick facilrty in case access to the site proved difficult during the storm.
Meanwhile, "Dominion Energy's Surry nuclear station near Newport News, Virginia also was preparing for the arrival of the storm, although the company had no immediate plans to shut the two reactors at that site."
Wyoming Lawmakers Reconsider Nuclear Waste Storage After Learning About Total Revenue. The Casper (WY) Star-Tribune (9/5, Erickson, 104K) reports that this week Wyoming lawmakers said they are serious about "exploring the possible construction of a nuclear waste storage facility within state borders." Spent
Fuel Rods Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Jim Anderson (R-Casper) said "this was a very preliminary meeting to try and get something going." On Thursday, lawmakers "learned that the potential windfall from the federal government - at just
$10 million a year - might not be worth the political battle ahead to make the proposal happen."
KPVI-TV Idaho Falls, ID (9/5, Reynolds) reported that while "conversations about potential risks to the environment or to human health were front and center at this week's first -
and only - meeting of the Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee in Casper, the possibility that Wyoming would ever get a repository to store the nation's nuclear waste seemed a distant one at the close of business Thursday." Committee chairman Sen. Jim Anderson, said, "I don't know if we're going to move it-and thaes the thing," Anderson added, "It's just an exercise at the moment, but "probably one we had to go through." The article added that in "testimony, some members of the public expressed concerns that the transportation and storage of nuclear waste could be dangerous -
a fear representatives from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission disputed - while others saw the economic benefits of a nuclear storage facility to be minima!,
and not worth the trouble heading into a monthlong budget session in 2020."
Assemblyman Looks To Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant In Operation. The San Luis Obispo (CA) New Times (9/5, Johnson, 122K) reports that "Central Coast Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-Templeton) does not want to see Diablo Canyon Power Plant decommissioned." Cunnningham, who questions why California would want to take a productive nuclear power plant offline, is turning to Sacramento to try to make a significant reversal of energy policy that could keep Oiablo Canyon a part of California and SLO County's future." On August 28, he "introduced a proposed state constitutional amendment to classify nuclear power as a renewable energy source," which he says would make the plant worth roughly
$3.6 billion.
SLO Tribune: Keeping Diablo Canyon Open Is More Trouble Than It Is Worth. In an editorial, the San Luis Obispo (CA) Tribune (9/5, 139K) argues that "proponents of a last-ditch effort to save the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant are trying to mess with our minds" by ignoring the plant's liabilities." The Tribune says "relicensing Diablo Canyon would be hugely expensive in and of itself' and "it's also possible that more seismic upgrades may be required."
Moreover, the Tribune says, "if the state were to require cooling towers to replace the current system -
which discharges heated sea water back to the ocean - that could cost as much as $12 billion, which is more than twice the $5.7 billion it cost to build the plant."
2 Fresno Bee: Efforts To Save Diablo Canyon Are "Doomed." The Fresno (CA) Bee (9/5, 246K) editorializes against efforts to save the Diab!o Canyon nuclear power plant, saying that it is "time to face reality: The shuttering of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant has been approved, and preliminary work is underway.~ However, the Bee says nuclear power can still have a future in California if nuclear energy advocates focus on the next generation of nuclear technology and urge the federal government "to deal with the long-term storage of spent fuel."
Massachusetts AG Asks NRC For Temporary Stay Of Pilgrim Plant's License Transfer. The Cape Cod (MA) News (9/5) reports on Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's application for a temporary stay of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's license transfer approval for Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station from Entergy Corp. to Holtec International. The AG's application asked that
'there be a stay, pending final decision on their petition seeking a public hearing on the license transfer." AG Healey's spokeswoman Chloe Gotsis said, "We are deeply disappointed In the NRC's misguided decision to approve the license transfer and trust fund exemption requests, and its failure to meaningfully consult with our state prior to doing so." Gotsis added, "We continue to have serious concerns about Holtec's financial capacity, technical qualifications, and judgment to safely and properly clean up the site, and store and manage Pilgrim's spent nuclear fuel."'
Behind a paywall, ExchanqeMonitor (9/5) reports, "Massachusetts' government on Tuesday pressed the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission for 'a stay of the effectiveness' of agency staff's approval of the license transfer and decommissioning trust fund exemption for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station."
FirstEnergy Solutions Wants OH High Court To Block Nuclear Bailout Referendum. The Cleveland Plain (9/5, Pelzer, 895K) Dealer (9/5, Pelzer, 895K) reports on FirstEnergy Solutions' bid to have the Ohio Supreme Court halt a statewide referendum effort to overturn House Bill 6. The "lawsuit claims that the law's new 85-cents-per-month surcharge to pay for FES' bailout (and to subsidize six solar projects) is a tax, and that the Ohio Constitution forbids referendums on tax levies."
On its website, WOSU-FM Columbus, OH (9/5, Thompson, Brown) reported that this week's episode of "Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU," the hosts "discuss Ohio's nuclear power plant bailout and the campaign to [dismantle] it. Gene Pierce, spokesperson with the group Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts, joins the show. The law "adds 85 cents to the monthly electric bill of nearly all Ohio customers," which will fund "the $150 million a year going to
two failing nuclear power plants" - FirstEnergy Solutions' Davis-Besse and Perry plants.
Opinion:
Illinois Chamber Of Commerce Opposes Capacity Market Reforms. Todd Maisch, President of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, writes in the Chicago Sun-Times (9/5, 875K) that two bills proposed by Illinois lawmakers in this spring season would benefit nuclear giant Exelon and "raise Illinois resident and business' (ratepayers) electricity bills significantly in the process." He says the nuclear industry and environmental activists are pushing a false narrative" that uses a "set ?f figu'.es presented by an independent energy market monitor during this regulatory proceeding as the basis for saying electricity prices in Illinois will increase significantly" without the bills' passage. Maisch says, "One thing is clear, if the legislature passes the proposed capacity market reforms, Exelon's profits will increase and it will be the public's increased electricity bills that pay for it."
Public Watchdog Group Sues SCE, Requests Immediate Halt To Transfer Of Nuclear Waste.
The Capistrano (CA) Dispatch (9/5, 33K) reports that the nonprofit advocacy group Public Watchdogs is suing Southern California Edison, Holtec International and other stakeholders for how they have handled nuclear waste. The group is requesting an immediate court-ordered halt to the transfer of the waste into 'thin-walled' dry-storage canisters."
Southern California Edison spokesperson John Dobken said that the lawsuits does not represent the interest of the communities neighboring the San Onofre nuclear plant "by potentially stranding spent fuel on site, even when options for transport and off-site storage or disposal become available."
Rauda Discusses SONGS Spent Fuel At Aliso Viejo Town Hall. The Laguna Beach (CA) Independent (9/6, Hall, Jarrell) reports that Rep. Harley Rouda, a Democrat from Laguna Beach, "chronicled his first six months serving in Congress during a town hall meeting on Tuesday in Aliso Viejo." Rouda spent most of the evening '1alking about environmental issues, namely, climate change and the decommissioning of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS)." On the topic of moving spent nuclear fu?I from the area, he said: "What we have to do, first of all, 1s identify where we can take this stuff, and I'm working on drafting legislation that would create a market-based effort to find suitable conditions. We can't put all our eggs in one basket -
what we have to do is have multiple sites bidding... There's a point where it's almost like a reverse auction, where if enough money is provided by the federal government, state government, then some community will say, 'yes."'
3 Yucca Mountain Opponents Meet To Discuss Issues, Concerns. Public News Service (9/6, Potter) reports, "Opponents of reviving the proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain held a panel discussion in east Las Vegas" this week to "raise awareness about the issue."
Though the government plans for the repository were "shelved during the Obama administration," US Energy Secretary Rick Perry has "requested $116 million in this year's budget to restart licensing hearings on the project."
Nevada Conservation League exec Emily Woodall, "said people need to stay engaged." Woodall said, "You know, Yucca has been in the background, but it's becoming a bigger and bigger issue, especially under the current administration."
Group Outlines Threat To Seabrook Station From Concrete Degradation. Seacoast Online (NH)
(9/5, Chiaramida, 32K) reports that the nuclear watchdog group C-1 O based in Newburyport, Massachusetts Is "publicly setting the stage for its case against NextEra Energy with its expert comparing the Seabrook Station's plan to address concrete degradation to treating cancer in the 19th and early 20th centuries." C-10 will "go before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Sept. 24 at Newburyport City Hall, contesting a license amendment granted to allow the nuclear power plant to operate until 2050." The amendment "C-10 contests addresses how NextEra will mitigate the alkali-silica reaction in Seabrook Station's concrete over the coming decades." C-1 O also "opposed the plant's 2010 application to have its license extended 20 years, from 2030 to 2050."
Xcel Files NLRB Complaint Against Monticello Plant Security Guards. The St. Cloud (MN) Times (9/5, Hughlett, 64K) reports, Xcel Energy Wednesday "as~ed
- federal labor regulators to intervene after locked out-union security guards at its Monticello nuclear plant extended their picketing to all plant gates." According to Xcel, the picketing by guards employed by G4S is "now interfering with its own unionized workers' access to the plant" Some "Xcel union employees have refused to cross the guards' picket lines."
Xcel filed an "unfair labor practice charge against the guards' union with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regarding the picketing of both plant gates."
Idaho, EPA Approve Design For Nuclear Waste Cover. The Idaho Falls (ID) Post Register (9/5, Brown) reports that the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality have approved plans by the Energy Department to design "the cover that will go over part of the U.S. Department of Energy's desert site after crews are done removing transuranic waste from it." The plans for the "subsurface disposal area cover earlier this
summer, said Erik Simpson, spokesman for cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho.
RELATED NEWS:
DOE Nuclear Official Touts Merits Of Parallel Paths For Waste Storage.
Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor {9/5) reports that Energy Department Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Rita Baranwal Wednesday "said there is value in 'parallel paths' for management of the nation's nuclear waste, encompassing consolidated storage and a permanent repository."
In Contrast To Warren's Claims, Climate Experts Agree Nuclear Power Needed To Meet Climate Goals. The Washington Examiner (9/5, Klein, 448K) reports that presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren benefits from the myth that she's some sort of policy whiz, but her pledge during Wednesday night's climate town hall to eliminate all nuclear power flies in the face of the advice of climate experts." Many of those experts have "argued that nuclear power needs to increase significantly to move society away from carbon-based energy and avert catastrophe." Warren not only pledged to "prevent the building of new power plants, but she also said she would phase out" existing nuclear plants by 2035 and replace them with renewables. The "International Energy Agency has concluded that meeting the goal of keeping warming to no greater than 2 degrees Celsius would require doubling global nuclear energy generation capacity by 2050."
Candidates Present Climate Plans At Town Hall, Noting Inspiration From Jay lnslee.
Newsweek (9/5, Goodkind, 1,53M) provides several "takeaways" from Wednesday's CNN town halls, where Democratic candidates addressed their plans to tackle climate change. Several of the candidates pointed to former candidate and Washington Governor Jay lnslee as an inspiration. lnslee, who recently dropped out of the race,
focused the majority of his energy on bringing attention to climate change." Newsweek notes that all of the candidates "agreed that climate change needs to be prioritized and said that they would work within the first 100 days of their presidency to reverse some of the president's environmental rollbacks and bring the U.S. back into the Paris climate agreement." However, there were some noticeable differences, especially on the issue of nuclear energy.
Writing for the National Review (9/5, McCormack, 731K), contributor John McCormack says increasing nuclear power appeared to be the most controversial option among the Democratic candidates, with several vowing to "stop at 4
nothing to stop climate change" except embrace the energy source.
Bloomberg (9/5, Korte, 4.73M) notes that, "even as they touted ambitious proposals to reduce carbon emissions to a national audience, Democratic candidates for president tried to balance the boldness of their plans with the need for simplifying a complex scientific problem to make it palatable to voters. The Daily Intelligencer (NY) (9/5, Levitz, 1.1 M) also provides cover89e.
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
Report Shows That In 2018 Nuclear Generation Grew For Sixth Straight Year. POWER (9/5, Patel) reports that according to the August 29-released World Nuclear Performance Report, '1he world's nuclear generation grew [for] the sixth successive year." The "news is bright for the sector that has been concerned about its future role in a renewables-heavy world." The IAEA said in 2018 that "nuclear power's share of the world's power generating mix could shrink dramatically from 10% In 2017 to just 5.6% in 2050 as the industry struggles with
'reduced competitiveness."' However, "several prominent global organizations, including the IAEA, the WNA, and the International Energy Agency (IEA), note that nuclear has been the biggest low-carbon source of power for more than 30 years." The IEA said in May, Without additional lifetime extensions and new builds, achieving key sustainable energy goals, Including international climate targets, would become more difficult and expensive."
Somerset County Denies Hinkley Point A Nuclear Waste Transport Plan. BBC News Online (UK) (9/5, 1.02M) reports that the Somerset County Council has rejected plans by the company which manages Hinkley Point A - Magnox - "to bring waste from three UK power stations to the site by road," through Somerset County.
Magnox had hoped to change rules which only allow waste generated at the under-construction Hinkley A site to be stored at Hinkley Point A. Somerset County "council's regulation committee voted unanimously to oppose the application."
Nuclear Waste Management Reps Speak At PROBUS Club About Nuclear Fuel. The Clinton News Record (CAN) (9/5) reports that Nuclear Waste Management senior engagement advisor Cherie Leslie and regional communications manager Becky Smith were guest speakers at the first PROBUS meeting of this season, where they provided "a detailed outline about the storage of spent nuclear fuel cells, the proper storage techniques that Bruce
Power uses on a daily basis, and the plans that Bruce Power has underway for the storage on their nuclear waste."
Iran Stops Honoring 2015 Nuclear Agreement Limits On Nuclear R&D. The New York Times (9/5, Gladstone, 18.61 M) reports that Iran on Thursday announced it will no longer honor limits on its nuclear program research and development in the country's "third retaliatory suspension of compliance... since President Trump renounced" the 2015 nuclear agreement. Iran made the notification by letter to the EU, describing "the step as a response to the American sanctions and to what the Iranians called the inability of Britain, France and Germany, all parties to the accord, to fulfill their commitments under the agreement to provide Iran with economic relief."
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Bulletin Intelligence 9 Sep 2019 07:14:46 -0400 NRC@Bulletinlntelligence.com
[External_Sender] NRC News Summary for Monday, September 09, 2019 NRCSummary190909.doc, NRCSummary190909.pdf This morning's Nuclear Regulatory Commission News Summary and Clips are attached.
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM I ----------------:1=-o-o-Av----=--'s-----=E=--o,--=r1-=-:0N--:------------,
NRC News NRC Commissioner To Visit Retrofitted Purdue University Research Reactor................................................................. 1 Wyoming Legislators Considering Proposals For Spent Fuel Storage.................................................................. :............... 1 Activists Plan To Speak Out At NRC Pilgrim Plant Public Meeting.................................................................................. 2 NRC To Discuss Vermont Yankee Decommissioning At Tuesday Meeting................................................................... 2 NRC To Discuss Managing Spent Nuclear Fuel At Pennsylvania Meeting........................................................... 2 Carlsbad City Council To Consider SONGS Resolution On Tuesday................................................................................. 2 FirstEnergy Solutions Wants Ohio High Court To Block Proposed HB 6 Referendum................................................. 2 Monticello Plant Union Security Guards Reach Deal To End Lockout.................................................................................. 3 Goldstein: We Should Reconsider Opposition To Nuclear Power.................................................................................... 3 Booker Says Government Needs To Partner With Local Communities On Nuclear Waste Storage............................ 3 NRC NEWS:
NRC Commissioner To Visit Retrofitted Purdue University Research Reactor. The Lafayette (IN)
Journal and Courier (9/7, Bangert, 119K) reports, "When Purdue ceremonially flipped the switch Tuesday on a retooled PUR-1, the university's nuclear reactor retrofitted with first-of-its-kind digital controls, President Mitch Daniels wasn't shy about envisioning the equipment's place in what he called a second nuclear era. Completed earlier this summer, the
"$1.2 million digital conversion of PUR-1, in the basement Purdue's Electrical Engineering Building," was "celebrated Tuesday ahead of a three-day nuclear innovation conferen~e on campus and in front of members of Congress and Anrne Caputo, commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission." The move "positions Purdue's nuclear engineering program to test digital capabilities - including the Nye County Officials Weigh In On Yucca Mountain... :......... :......... 3 NEI Urges Trump Administration To Bolster US Uranium M1rnng lndustry.................................................................................. 4 Related News Montana Considering Revisions To Radioactive Waste Rules.....4 Agency Says New Soils Tests Find Lower Radioactivity Near Rocky Flats Plant..................................................................4 Candidates Present Climate Plans At Town Hall, Noting Inspiration From Jay lnslee...................................................4 In the Biogs Yang Would Spend $3 Trillion On Residential Solar, But The Same Money Could Decarbonize The Grid Entirely............ 5 International Nuclear News China Unconcerned With US Blacklisting Nuclear Firms.............. 5 Belgium Government Regulator Says More Room Needed For Nuclear Waste....................................................................... 5 IAEA Nuclear Watchdog Has 4 Candidates To Take Top Slot..... 5 Pompeo: Iran Won't Have A Nuclear Weapon On Trump's Watch.................................................................................... 5 potential for big data, artificial intelligence and analytics - on a small, 10-kilowatt scale for an industry that hasn't moved far from the vacuum tubes and hand-soldered wires of analog equipment."
Wyoming Legislators Considering Proposals For Spent Fuel Storage. The Jackson Hole {W!)
Buckrail (9/6) reported that Wyoming is considering "allowing nuclear waste to be buried in state." A "specially appointed group of state legislators met this morning to discuss the feasibility" of "storing spent fuel rods underground somewhere in Wyoming." The "Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee - made up of Sens. Jim Anderson, Eli Bebout, and Hank Coe, with Reps. Donald Burkhart, Jr, Tom Crank, Shelly Duncan, and Joe MacGuire; all Republican -
welcomed presentations today from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and (NRC) the Department of Energy." The state lawmakers are hoping to offset "losses in declining coal revenue by accepting radioactive nuke waste for cash.
Environmental groups are expected to oppose any such effort as potentially harmful."
The Wyoming Business Report (9/6, Reynolds, 24K) reported that Sen. Jim Anderson, R-Casper, who also cochairs the Joint Minerals Committee, said, "I don't know if we're going to move it - and that's the thing." He added, It's just an exercise at the moment," but "probably one we had to go through." Last week lawmakers "learned that the potential windfall from the federal government - at just $10 million a year - might not be worth the political battle ahead to make the proposal happen."
Drawing coverage from the Casper Star-Tribune, the AP (9/6) reported that the "discussion of the Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee focused largely on potential environmental and health risks of having a nuclear waste storage facility in the state." Sen. Jim Anderson, from Casper, "says if the revenue isn't there, there won't be any interest in the plan."
The idea was "introduced in July as a way to boost state revenue with the coal industry waning. A similar plan was vetoed by then-Gov. Mike Sullivan in the early 1990s."
Local TV Broadcast Coverage.
KTWO-TV (9/7, 2.62M) broadcast, "Wyoming lawmakers are considering allowing the storage of spent nuclear fuel in the state as a way to boost revenue."
Activists Plan To Speak Out At NRC Pilgrim Plant Public Meeting. The Quincy (MA) Patriot Ledger (9/8, Kindy, 86K) reports, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can "expect a vociferous greeting at its public meeting in Plymouth Wednesday." Local officials and protest groups plan to "speak about the commission's handling of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station's license transfer. The NRC "allowed the license to go to Holtec International - a company that designs and manufactures nuclear reactor parts -
despite several motions requesting stays of lhe decision." A "number of planned attendees say they're frustrated by an apparent lack of concern by the NRC to allegations of wrongdoing and unethical behavior by the new license holder." The company was "temporarily barred from working with a nuclear facility for paying $50,000 to secure a contract. In addition, it "failed to disclose that it had tax credits revoked for noncompliance and that its CEO was questioned as part of a criminal investigation.
NRC To Discuss Vermont Yankee Decommissioning At Tuesday Meeting.
The Brattleboro (VT) Reformer (9/8, 21 K) reports, the NRC will hold a "hearing on Tuesday at Brattleboro Area Middle School to discuss community involvement and citizen advisory boards associated with nuclear plant decommission activities." Vermont "already has the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel, which is working 2
on issues associated with the decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon." The Brattleboro "meeting is one *of 10 planned around the country in communities affected by nuclear plant decommissioning."
A "similar meeting will be held the next night in Plymouth, Mass., about the decommissioning of the Pilgrim nuclear plant." The meeting will also give the public an opportunity to talk to the NRC to hear about "lessons learned" by the citizen advisory panel."
NRC To Discuss Managing Spent Nuclear Fuel At Pennsylvania Meeting. The Sanatoga (PA) Post (9/6) reported that the NRC will host an open-to-the-public federal "conference on spent nuclear fuel management topics" scheduled for "Sept. 17 and 18 (2019; Tuesday and Wednesday) at the Crowne Plaza Philadelphia Hotel, 260 Mall Blvd., the agency announced.~ More than "200 participants are expected to attend." The "NRC Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Division of Spent Fuel Management, is organizing the conference as the division's annual engagement with the public and industry."
They plan to "share latest developments in the area of spent nuclear fuel (at top), and to hear from stakeholders regarding the future of spent fuel management.n Carlsbad City Council To Consider SONGS Resolution On Tuesday. The San Diego Union-Tribune (9/6, 755K) reports that, on Tuesday, the Carlsbad City Council "will consider adopting a resolution asking the state legislature and governor to address concerns about the safe handling and storage of nuclear waste at the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station."
FirstEnergy Solutions Wants Ohio High Court To Block Proposed HB 6 Referendum. Utility Dive (9/6) reported on its website that FirstEnergy Solutions last week filed a lawsuit with the Ohio Supreme Court to "stop a proposed referendum on the state's recently passed nuclear bailout law frorn getting on next year's ballot." FES which owns Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear power plants, "argues in its lawsuit that the new monthly charge on all ratepayers in the state as part of the bailout legislation constitutes a tax, and as such it can't be overturned in a referendum." The group seeking to include the referendum on next year's ballot
- Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts - "said the FES' lawsuit is another 'desperate attempt' to protect Its 'ill-gotten' billion dollar bailout, according to a recent statement."
Suddes Faults FirstEnergy's Argument To Ohio High Court On HB 6. In a piece for the Cleveland Plain Deafer (9/7, 895K) columnist Thomas Suddes wrote that voters "may be surprised to know that Ohio's anti-tax, Republican-run legislature imposed a new tax on Ohio's
electricity customers in July - House Bill 6, the FirstEnergy Solutions bailout bill. That's what "FirstEnergy Solutions, HB 6's chief beneficiary, claims in a lawsuit filed this week in the Ohio Supreme Court." If the court accedes to FirstEnergy Solutions' demands, Ohio voters would lose "any chance to vote HB 6 up or down at the ballot box, because the state constitution forbids a statewide referendum on tax legislation." Suddes adds that without the subsidies, Perry and Davis-Besse plants' "comparatively costly electricity can't compete with electricity generated by natural gas." The result is that through 2026, "HB 6 imposes a monthly charge of 85 cents (the residential rate) on all Ohio electricity customers -
not just FirstEnergy customers."
Ohio Petition Drive Must Be Completed Before Referendum Ruling. The Columbus (OH) Dispatch (9/8, Rowland, 367K) reported that even if "Secretary of State Frank LaRose agreed that a referendum on the bailout for FirstEnergy Solutions would be unconstitutional, he apparently could have done nothing to stop the petition drive to put the measure on the November 2020 ballot." The lawyer for the "two nuclear plants' owner, John Zeiger of Columbus, asked the Ohio Supreme Court last week to halt the referendum signature-gathering effort asserting that a "statewide r-atepayer increase to plow more than $1 billion into the Akron-based utility and its two northern Ohio plants actually constitutes a tax increase -
for which the Ohio Constitution bars a referendum." But Zeiger "said that under Ohio law, LaRose can't halt the process until the petition with 265,000 valid signatures is submitted in October -
even if he knows the entire effort would be futile.
Monticello Plant Union Security Guards Reach Deal To End Lockout. KSJR-FM Collegevflle, MN (9/6, Marohn, 78K) reported, "Security workers at Xcel Energy's nuclear power plant in Monticello have reached a tentative agreement to settle a labor dispute with their employer."
Members of United Security Professionals Local 2 "have been picketing in front of the plant this week, along with other union supporters." The "23 union employees work for G4S,. a London-based company under contract to provide security for the plant." G4S locked the workers out "after their contract expired and they rejected a proposed new contract" The union "said the company wants to change the employees' health plan, which it said would result in higher costs and less coverage for workers."
Goldstein: We Should Reconsider Opposition To Nuclear Power.
Bernard D. Goldstein, of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, wrote in The Hill (9/6, 2.98M), that in the 22nd century, as our descendants "struggle with... implications of global climate change, they will be both angered and puzzled by our 3
decision to decrease our use of nuclear power. Jn "just the two decades following the political decisions that have blocked storage of nuclear power wastes in Yucca Mountain Nevada the risks of serious health impacts from global climate change have become increasingly evident. Just in Europe and the US, "deaths from unprecedented heat waves since 2000 are in the tens of thousands, a number likely-to be far higher in less developed parts of the globe. Before even one case of cancer due to loss of nuclear waste containment can be anticipated, the direct and indirect death toll from climate change globally likely will be in the millions."
Booker Says Government Needs To Partner With Local Communities On Nuclear Waste Storage. The Aiken (SC) Standard (9/7, Demarest, 40K) reports, "The future of nuclear waste storage demands an in-concert effort between the federal government and the communities where the waste might end up, according to presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, who spoke briefly Friday with the Aiken Standard." Booker, who "supports advancing nuclear power but opposes the Yucca Mountain venture in Nevada, said local perspective is vital, adding that environmental justice and cleanup, more broadly, deserves greater attention. Resources especially matter, he said, when dealing with the remediation of toxic sites." In April, Sen. Booker "co-sponsored the Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act, which requires the U.S. Department of Energy to secure approval from -a state 1s governor, local-level governments and nearby tribes before a nuclear waste repository could be constructed."
Nye County Officials Weigh In On Yucca Mountain. The Las Vegas Sun (9/8, Sadler, 170K) reports that Nevada leaders from Gov. Steve Sisolak and current members of the state's congressional delegation to past governors, senators and representatives have long pushed back against the development of a permanent nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain." However, officials in "Nye County - home to the proposed nuclear dump - have been much more willing to discuss the issue." Nye County Commissioner Leo Blundo is a liaison on nuclear issues "and has been avowed in his support for the project. Blundo, along with Darrell Lacy, director of Nye's Nuclear Waste Repository Project Office, recently sat down with the Sun to discuss Yucca Mountain." Asked what Nye County's position on Yucca Mountain is, Lacy said, if it can be shown that Yucca Mountain is safe, then we feel a need to be open-minded about potential benefits, Economic development in a rural county is always tough. We're not willing to sell our safety for a few dollars, but if it can be shown to be safe, then the benefrts as far as jobs, as far as health care - we had to shut down -a hospital in T onopah because we don't have the
funding at the county level to keep it open." The article contains the rest of the interview.
Shimkus To Retire From House. The Pahrump (NV)
Valley Times (9/6,
- Jacobs, 12K) reported on the announcement from Rep. John Shimkus, a key congressional proponent of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, announced that he would not seek re-election becoming the latest Republican In the House to bow out before next year's partisan battles." Shimkus was an "ardent proponent of the Trump administration's proposal to bring nuclear waste from power plants across the country to the Nevada site that was designated in 1987 by Congress as the permanent repository for such waste." Shimkus accused
'1ormer Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and former President Barack Obama of playing politics to shelve t~e Department of Energy's application for a repository license before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has blocked development of the waste repository."
NEI Urges Trump Administration To Bolster US Uranium Mining Industry. Reuters (9/6, Volcovici, Gardner) reports that the US nuclear energy industry has "called for the Trump administration to revive domestic uranium mining and enrichment by unlocking funds through a Cold War-era program, in a letter sent to a Cabinet-level working group." The Nuclear Energy Institute wrote a letter August 18 "to national security adviser John Bolton and White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, urging the Trump administration to "authorize funds through the 1950 Defense Production Act to procure domestic fuel for defense requirements and boost federal reserves of uranium for nuclear power utilities." The NEI urged unspecified 'direct payments to either a U.S. utility or domestic uranium producer for sale of U.S.-origin uranium to a utility."' The NEI letter says that the "most effective support the federal government can provide to the domestic mining, conversion, and enrichment industries is to fulfill the government's national security needs with long-term contracts."
Bloomberg (9/6, Natter, 4.73M) reported that the White House is "considering a plan that would have the government directly purchase uranium from U.S. producers as it contemplates ways to revive the flagging domestic mining industry." The nuclear industry has posited that the Trump administration "use the Defense Production Act, a 68-year-old Cold War-era statute once invoked by President Harry Truman to help the steel industry." The plan "calls for requiring the government to buy American uranium to replenish their stockpiles and for other purposes, Paul Goranson, chief operating officer for Energy Fuels Inc., said in an interview," Energy Fuels and Ur-Energy Inc.
"unsuccessfully petitioned the White House to put quotas on foreign imports of uranium." The concept of "direct 4
government purchases of U.S. uranium was among ideas discussed during a roundtable with administration staff and the. nucl~ar industry at the Old Executive Office Building earlier this week, Goranson said."
RELATED NEWS:
Montana Considering Revisions To Radioactive Waste Rules. KPVI-TV Idaho Falls, ID (9/8, Su~ut) reported online that Montana is "considering quadrupling the amount of radioactive waste it can accept, according to a proposed rule change" released by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. The new draft would regulate the "disposal of radioactive waste commonly left over from oil and gas production" and would "include regulations for waste facility designs and construction operations and monitoring, spill reporting, financial assurance, closure and post-closure care of facilities, and would be the first statewide regulation for technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material, or TENORM." Currently, "regulations are addressed in a case-by-case basis when licensing facilities, combined with existing laws for solid waste disposal and landfills.n Agency Says New Soils Tests Find Lower Radioactivity Near Rocky Flats Plant. The AP (9/6, Elliott) reports that according to US Fish and Wildlife Service officials, a "new round of soil testing" near the former nuclear weapons plant at Rocky Flats outside Denver "found no radioactivity above the cleanup standard for the site with a history of environmental violations." The FWS "released the results of tests on 48 soil samples from planned trails at the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge.
The agency "contracted with Engineering Analytics Inc. of Fort Collins to test for two kinds of plutonium, three kinds of uranium and americium." At least "one of the five showed up in all 48 samples, but all were below the cleanup standards set for the site, according to the company's report."
Candidates Present Climate Plans At Town Hall, Noting Inspiration From Jay lnslee.
Newsweek (9/5, Goodkind, 1.53M) provides several "takeaways from Wednesday's CNN town halls, where D~mocratic candidates addressed their plans to tackle climate change. Several of the candidates pointed to former candidate and Washington Governor Jay lnslee as an inspiration. lnslee, who recently dropped out of the race, "focused the majority of his energy on bringing attention to climate change." Newsweek adds that all of the candidates "agreed that climate change needs to be prioritized and said that they would work within the first 100 days of their presidency to reverse some of the presi(lent' s environmental
rollbacks and bring the U.S. back into the Paris climate agreement."
However, there were some noticeable differences, especially on the issue of nuclear energy.
More Commentary. In a commentary appearing in the Boston Herald (9/9, Goldberg, 41 OK) Jonah Goldberg write that both Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth "Warren (and others) are against using nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions." Warren said, "In my administration, we won't be building new nuclear plants," Warren added. She also asserted, "We will start weaning ourselves off nuclear and replace it with renewables," by 2035.
IN THE BLOGS:
Yang Would Spend $3 Trillion On Residential Solar, But The Same Money Could Decarbonize The Grid Entirely.
Writing for CleanTechnica (9/6, Barnard, 59K), contributor Michael Barnard argues that Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang's climate platform "is misguided" and "his approach to renewables is very cost-inefficient." Barnard says about 62% of Yang's proposed budget "is for home solar loans, which would address perhaps 2% to 5% of US energy consumption annually." He argues "that's a bad investment," as the same amount of money could pretty much decarbonize all primary energy use in the United States with utility-scale wind and solar." Barnard also contends that Yang's "focus on non-existent forms of nuclear generation - thorium and fusion -
for near-term utility-scale generation are just absurdly wrong."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
China Unconcerned With US Blacklisting Nuclear Firms. RT (9/9, 209K) reports, "Following the blacklisting of a major Chinese energy firm by the US, Beijing has made it clear that they are not dependent on Washington for energy trade and development." In August, the US "made the controversial decision to blacklist one of China's most significant state-owned nuclear power companies," China General Nuclear Power Group along with "three of its subsidiaries were placed on the US Department of Commerce's 'entity list', meaning that CGN will no longer be able to obtain technology, parts or materials from the United States, unless they are able to secure a (very rarely-granted) license to do so."
Belgium Government Regulator Says More Room Needed For Nuclear Waste. The Brussels (BEL) Times (9/8) reports, Belgium has no more room in its storage spaces for low-grade nuclear waste, according to the latest annual report from Belgoprocess, the government 5
agency responsible." The Times article adds, "Belgoprocess' waste storage bunker in Dessel in Antwerp province, close to the nuclear research centre in Mol, already contains 50,000 vats of waste, and there is not enough room left over for the quantity of waste expected in the coming year." The agency "intends to build a new bunker with space for 5,000 vats, but warns that action needs to be taken in the meantime."
IAEA Nuclear Watchdog Has 4 Candidates To Take Top Slot. The AP (9/6) reports, "Four candidates from three continents hope to succeed the late Yukiya Amano as the director general of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog." The International Atomic Energy Agency "said Friday that Cornel Feruta of Romania, its chief coordinator under Amano and currently the acting director general, is one of the candidates." Another candidate is Lassina Zerbo of Burkina Faso, the executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization." Additionally, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Argentina's ambassador to the Vienna-based IAEA, and Marta Ziakova, the head of Slovakia's nuclear regulatory authority, were also nominated in time for the Sept. 5 deadline."
Pompeo: Iran Won't Have A Nuclear Weapon On Trump's Watch. Secretary of State Pompeo was asked on Fox News Sunday (9/8, 79K) about Iran's announcement that it will use advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium faster. Pompeo said, "We hope the Whole world will join us. President Trump has been very clear, Iran won't have a nuclear weapon on our watch. We will stop it. He's made clear we are prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure that that's the case. The challenge is, of course, we came in after the previous Administration had given [Iran] billions of dollars in economic wealth with which to build these very programs.
And as you see they can turn them back on like that. One of the central failures of the JCPOA is that whatever it limits their were could be turned back on in a minute." Pompeo said on ABC's This Week (9/8, 1.96M), "I predicted if we stayed in the Iran nuclear deal that we were guaranteeing the Ayatollah a pathway lo a nuclear weapon system. It's why we broke away from the deal. It's now why we made Iran's economy a shambles. We think their economy could shrink as much as 10 percent in the next year. This denies their capacity to work on their missile program."
Diplomats Say IAEA Found Traces Of Uranium At "Atomic Warehouse" In Tehran. Reuters (9/8, Murphy) cites "two diplomats who follow [the IAEA's] inspections work closely," saying that samples taken at a location Israel's
[prime minister called a "secret atomic warehouse" in Tehran "showed traces of uranium that Iran has yet to explain."
According to the diplomats, the IAEA "is investigating the particles' origin and has asked Iran to explain the traces," but
Tehran "has not done so... stoking tensions between Washington and Tehran."
Iran Announces Faster Uranium Enrichment With Advanced Centrifuges. Secretary of State Pompeo, on Fox News Sunday (9/8, 79K), discussed Iran's announcement that it will use advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium faster.
Pompeo said, "We hope the whole world will join us.
President Trump has been very clear, Iran won't have a nuclear weapon on our watch. We will stop it. He's made clear we are prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure that that's the case. The challenge is of course we came in after the previous administration had given the Islamic republic, given him billions of dollars in economic wealth with which to build these very programs and as you see they can turn them back on like that. One of the central failures of the JCPOA Is whatever it limits their were could be turned back on in a minute. We see,this. They make an announcement, the next thing you know they are spinning centrifuges, higher and higher enrichment rates."
On ABC's This Week (9/8, 1.96M), Secretary Pompeo said, I predicted if we stayed in the Iran nuclear deal that we were guaranteeing the Ayatollah a pathway to a nuclear weapon system. It's why we broke away from the deal. It's now why we made Iran's economy a shambles. We think their economy could shrink as much as 1 O percent in the next year. This denies their capacity to work on their missile program.... The terror attacks around the world increased under the JCPOA. Now Hezbollah is struggling for resources.
Iraq, same thing. This is the mission set we're engaged in.
We want to negotiate. President Trump said he would meet with the Presideht of Iran. No preconditions, he said that repeatedly. We know how this must end. We don't want violence. We don't want war with Iran. We want that revolutionary regime to stop its efforts around the world to put Israel at risk, to put the American people at risk and to deliver national security for the American people."
Iran Begins Operation Of Advanced Centrifuges In Latest Breach Of Nuclear Accord. The Washington Post (9/7, Cunningham, 14.2M) reports a spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization on Saturday announced the country "has activated a chain of advanced centrifuges to speed up uranium enrichment in defiance of a 2015 nuclear accord," which "rais[es] the stakes for European powers struggling to prevent the deal's collapse." The Post says the announcement comes after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "said this week that Iran would set aside the accord's restrictions on nuclear-related research and development and would expand its use of advanced centrifuges." To the New York Times (9/7, Sanger, 18.61 M),
Iran is "deliberately violating another set of limits on its nuclear research and production that were Imposed under the 2015 agreement renounced by President Trump last year."
However, the Times adds the details of the announcement 6
"suggested that Iran was more interested in increasing pressure on European nations to find a way around American-imposed sanctions than in carrying out a full-scale effort to restore the capabilities it gave up when it struck the deal with the West."
The Wall Street Journal (9/7, Eqbali, Coles, Norman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Defense Secretary Esper said, "It's no surprise that the Iranians are going to pursue what the Iranians have always been pursuing."
The CBS Weekend News (9/7, story 3, 0:32, Ninan, 2.18M) and NBC Nightly News (9/7, story 7, 0:26, Diaz-Balart, 3.27M) provided similar coverage in brief broadcasts.
IAEA Head To Meet With Top Iranian Officials In Tehran On Sunday. Reuters (9/6, Murphy) reports acting International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Cornel Feruta "will meet senior Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday." A spokesman for the IAEA said, 1'The visit is part of ongoing interactions between the IAEA and Iran." However, according to Reuters, "The trip comes before a quarterly meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors next week and after an IAEA report suggested Iran's cooperation with the agency was less than ideal, saying: 'Ongoing interactions between the Agency and lran... require full and timely cooperation by Ir-an. The Agency continues to pursue this objective with Iran.'"
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News NRC To Host Pilgrim Plant Decommissioning Hearing Wednesday........................................................................... 1 NRC To Discuss Vermont Yankee Decommissioning At Tuesday Meeting................................................................... 1 Monticello Plant To Test Emergency Preparedness Tuesday...... 2 Coastal Commission To Consider SONGS Demolition Application This Fall.............................................................. 2 Group Says Ohio Bucking National Trends Toward Green Energy With HB6................................................................... 2 WIPP Contractor Expected To Complete Rebuild Of Key Ventilation System By 2020.................................................. 2 Column: Chances Of Wyoming Nuclear Waste Repository Worsen After Meeting........................................................... 2 Related News Congress Continues To Push Clean Energy Legislation Despite Democrats' Campaign Promises......................................... 2 Rep. Duncan: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Is Wrong On Nuclear Energy................................................................................... 3 Washington Times Publishes Energy 2019 Op-ed Series............ 3 NRC NEWS:
NRC To Host Pilgrim Plant Decommissioning Hearing Wednesday. The Cape Cod {MA) Times (9/9, Legere, 64K) reports, "The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled a public meeting Wednesday in Plymouth to talk about how the public can be heard during the decommissioning process." But those who "attend the session, set for 6 p.m. at the Hotel 1620 Plymouth Harbor, may home in on the lack of publ!c input the NRC all?w~d before its recent approval of the license transfer for P1lgnm Nuclear Power Station. News that the NRC "approved the transfer of the plant's license from Entergy Corp. to Holtec International on Aug. 22 was greeted with outrage from Attorney General Maura Healey, the region's federal.and state legislators and local citizens groups; who all complained their concerns had been ignored. As part of the approval, "Holtec secured an exemption to use the plant's $1.1 billion International Nuclear News EDF Calls Attention To Problems With Nuclear Welds................. 6 Saudi Arabia Plans To Enrich Uranium......................................... 6 UAE's Nuclear Regulator Says Barakah Plant Operating License Remains Under Review........................................... 6 TEPCO Plans To Dump Radioactive Fukushima Water Into Padfic.................................................................................... 7 Report Says Nuclear Power Increasingly Seen As Key To Future Energy Mix................................................................. 7 Unit Two At China's Taishan Nuclear Plant Enters Into Production............................................................................. 7 IAEA Acting Chief Discusses Agency Activities, State Of Nuclear Power.................,..................................................,.. ?
WNA Signs Agreement With OECD.............................................. 7 Russia's Nuclear Agency Criticized For Pushing Nuclear Energy On African Countries............................................................. ?
Trump Again Signals He Is Open To Meeting With ~ouhani........ 7 North Korea Open To Resumption Of Denucleanzation Talks This Month............................................................................. 8 decommissioning trust fund for spent fuel management and site restoration." NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan "said the primary purpose of the session 'will be to solicit public feedback on best practices for decommissioning community advisory boards."'
NRC To Discuss Vermont Yankee Decommissioning At Tuesday Meeting. WCAX-TV Burlington, VT (9/9, Sullivan, 136K) reports, NRC members will be in "Vermont this week 1o talk about the dismantling of the former Yankee Nuclear Power plant in Vernon." Video "provided to us by Northstar Holding Company, the current owners of the closed facility, sho~s radioactive pieces of the plant being taken apart along with office buildings on site." Northstar "took over ownership of the plant at the beginning of this year and began dism~ntling. it almost immediately." NRC officials "will be meeting with members of the state's citizen advisory panel Tuesday night."
The AP (9/1 O) reports, the NRC "will be holding a public meeting in Brattleboro to discuss practices for community and
citizen advisory boards related to nuclear plant decommissioning activities." Sen. Bernie Sanders says Tuesday night's meeting is one of ten such meeting planned around the country in communities affected by nuclear decommissioning. He says communities impacted by decommissioning
'deserve a
role in shaping decommissioning plans as they bear the brunt of the safety, env1ronmental, and economic impacts of plant closure."' The NRC's public "meeting takes place at the Brattleboro Area Middle School from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m."
Monticello Plant To Test Emergency Preparedness Tuesday. The St. Cloud {MN) Times (9/9, 64K) reports that the "extra activity around the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant on Tuesday" is "only a drill."
Monticello plant will be "the slte of a simulated emergency each year to help the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and other agencies test their responses to incidents there, according to a press release Monday from the Department of Public Safety. The article adds, Sherburne and Wright counties, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and FEMA, volunteer agencies, Xcel Energy and many state agencies, including Department of Agriculture and Minnesota State Patrol, will participate in the exercise."
Coastal Commission To Consider SONGS Demolition Application This Fall. The Orange County (CA) Register (9/9, Sforza, 546K) reports that, "in October, the California Coastal Commission will consider Southern California Edison's application to remove large portions of the above-and below-grade elements of the silent twin reactors" at San Onofre, "along with associated infrastructure, and cover what's left with backfill." Demolition work above ground "is scheduled to be completed within the next decade," but SoCal Edison "wants to leave the below-ground structures in place until the waste is finally moved."
The utility says most of the below-ground structures are below sea level, so removing everything now would be risky.
Ho/tee Offers Hope For Decommissioned Nuclear Plants. Inside Sources (9/9, Muska) reports that "for the communities with decommissioned, or soon-to-be-decommissioned, nuclear plants, Holtec offers hope." Its consolidated interim storage facility will enable spent nuclear fuel "to leave town for good," regardless of whether Yucca Mountain can offer a permanent resting place for the material.
The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is one of many places looking to move on."
Group Says Ohio Bucking National Trends Toward Green Energy With HB6. WYSO-FM Yellow Springs, OH (9/9, Chow) reports that the Environmental Defense Fund says that Ohio's new policies - particularly 2
House Bill 6 - go against the national trend toward supporting green energy. Supporters of the law, meanwhile, say the green energy standards were expensive, so this will reduce electric bills and that the law will save the state's largest source of non-carbon energy, nuclear power.
WIPP Contractor Expected To Complete Rebuild Of Key Ventilation System By 2020.
Drawing coverage from the Carlsbad Current-Argus, the AP (9/2) reports that at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant a "major part of a multimillion-dollar effort to rebuild a ventilation system is ~expected to be done by next year, officials announced last week." The Energty Department "recently awarded a contract for the construction of a utility shaft essential to the project." The "shaft was designed with a 26-foot (7.9-meter) diameter, extending 2,275 feet (693 meters) underground." WIPP's rebuilt system "is intended to add air to the underground and allow the placement of mining and other waste to occur simultaneously." WIPP operator Nuclear Waste Partnership announced the "$75 million contract was awarded to Harrison Western-Shaft Sinkers."
Column: Chances Of Wyoming Nuclear Waste Repository Worsen After Meeting. In an "Energy Journal" column for the Casper (WY) Star-Tribune (9/9, Erickson, 104K) reports that "though conversations about potential risks to the environment or to human health were front and center at this week's first - and only - meeting of the Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee in Casper, the possibility that Wyoming would ever get a repository to store the nation's nuclear waste seemed a distant one at the close of business Thursday."
RELATED NEWS:
Congress Continues To Push Clean Energy Legislation Despite Democrats' Campaign Promises. The Washington Examiner (9/9, Siegel, 448K) reports that "Democrats will likely drive the congressional energy and environment agenda in Congress the rest of the year as they seek to shore up support for presidential candidates' aggressive climate change plans." Climate hawks and clean energy advocates, however, "hope the politicking won't interfere with other smaller bipartisan measures that could pass before 2020, including measures to boost carbon capture, advanced nuclear energy, and energy storage."
House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats "are planning a series of hearings intended to flesh out details for legislati'on along those lines, which will focus sector-by-sector on ways to reduce emissions beyond just electricity, including in harder-to-decarbonize sectors areas, such as heavy industry and transportation."
Rep. Duncan: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Is Wrong On Nuclear Energy. In an op-ed in the Aiken (SC)
Standard (9/9, Duncan, 40K), Rep. Jeff Duncan argues that Sen. Elizabeth Warren's "devastating proposals; like the Green New Deal which eliminates nuclear energy and nuclear waste really misses the marki' Rep. Duncan says that nuclear energy is critical to the state of South Carolina and must be part of our "all-of-the-above energy mix," To address the issue of nuclear waste, Rep. Duncan says lawmakers must support Yucca Mountain as the "safest place to store nuclear waste.
The Springfield (MA) Republican (9/9, Hook, 395K) r~ports, "Sen. Elizabeth Warren made clear in a Sept. 4 climate town hall meeting that if she is successful in taking office as president. she will not invest in nuclear energy."
Warren "pledged to not only prevent the building of new power plants, but also said she would phase out all nuclear power by 2035 and replace it with renewables." Warren was "asked what her opinion on nuclear energy replacing fossil fuels are during the Climate Town Hall. '[Nuclear energy] is not carbon based, but it has a lot of risks associated with it '
said Warren. 'Particularly the risks associated with spent fu~I rods."'
Presidential Candidates "Wrong To Omit Nuclear Power From Energy Plans. In an editorial, the New York Daily News (9/10, Board, 2.52M) writes about the CNN town hall climate change last week, where the Democratic ca~didates for president "said it over and over again: The United States must lead the world in curbing greenhouse gas emissions by weaning itself off fossil fuels that pump megatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere." While they're right that "an aggressive transition to cleaner forms of energy is imperative to protect coastal cities like New York from sea-level rise, they are very wrong to omit nuclear power, one of the most consistent and reliable forms of energy -
and an essentially zero-emissions generation method - from their transformation plans."
Goldberg: Warren, Sanders Talk Up Climate Crisis Yet Ignore Nuclear Solution. In a piece carried on the Indianapolis Star (9/8, 633K) Jonah Goldberg writes that Senator Elizabeth Warren declared Tuesday that the "Climate change is an existential crisis," as she unveiled "her plan to fight climate change in advance of CNN's interminable town hall event on the topic with 10 Democratic presidential candidates." Goldberg faults the logic of that and suggests that while climate change may impact our quality of life it is not a threat to human existence. He goes on to fault both Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders and others who "are against using nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions. He adds, "It's an odd argument. Sanders says we must 'listen to the scientists,' but there are scads of scientists who think nuclear-waste storage is eminently manageable, including the 3
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. They "report that the *consensus' is that safe geological storage is entirely feasible."
2011 Study On Nuclear Energy Cited. In an op-ed for Inside Sources (9/9), Oliver McPherson-Smith writes lawmakers are grappling with the challenge of ensuring that businesses and consumers have affordable and reliable electricity, while limiting greenhouse gas emissions that will exacerbate climate change. Despite the hysteria around nuclear power, the facts show that nuclear is one of the safest and cheapest low-emission forms of energy." He adds the "fear" of nuclear energy "is costing consumers, investors a_nd communities billions of dollars in lost opportunities," and cites a 2011 study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce which "highlighted how 'Not-In-My-Back-Yard' opposition, spurious lawsuits and onerous regulations have hindered the development of almost two dozen nuclear projects -
and countless other renewable and conventional energy developments." McPherson-Smith states: "The facts are clear: a _well-regulated, competitive nuclear power industry can provide more affordable and reliable energy."
Washington Times Publishes Energy 2019 Op-ed Series. The Washington Times (9/9, 492K) published a s~eci~I thematic supplement of op-eds entitled "Energy 2019:
B1part1san thought leadership on how to power America -
and the world, featuring a bipartisan group of Administration officials, senators, and business executives.
Perry: "New American Energy Era,, Benefits US, World.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Perry, 492K), "The people who work at DOE and our National Laboratories have helped transform today's energy landscape. And tomorrow can deliver even greater achievement." Perry argues that through innovation, the Trump Administration has been able to deploy "every one of_ou: energy sources as part of a balanced energy strategy, bnngmg us to the dawn of what I call the New American Energy Era: He notes that the US "is now the world's second biggest generator of wind and solar power -
and its number one oil and natural gas producer," while US LNG goes to 36 different countries. That innovation also drives the US' ability to become a net energy exporter, which he argues is good for the US economy but also global energy security by providing more energy importers with more options for sourcing that energy.
Bernhardt: Critical Mineral Independence, Like Energy Independence, Vital To National Security.
US l~terior Secretary David Bernhardt wrttes for the Washington Times (9/9,. Bernhardt, 492K) that independence from reliance on imports in both energy and critical minerals is critical to US national security. Trump Administration policies have corrected earlier policies which marginalized "the
energy, manufacturing and mining industries and, as a result, ultimately diminishing our country's security," Bernhardt argues. Concentrating on critical minerals, Bernhardt notes that Executive Order 13817 has empowered BLM and BOEM to explore ways to limit US exposure to critical mineral imports and mine more of these domestically.
Wheeler: US Energy More Affordable, Reliable, Clean Than Alternatives -
So Produce More.
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Wheeler, 492K) that the United States is uniquely situated to meet growing global energy demand "in an affordable, reliable and cleaner fashion." Citing the strength of US technology and environmental laws as the reason, Wheeler notes that the US has decreased CO2 emissions and methane emissions while increasing production of oil and natural gas. These advantages mean the US should pursue ever-greater production as it would mean "cleaner, more reliable American coal, oil and natural gas to power more homes and businesses throughout the world."
Murkowski: US Energy Dominance No Reason To "Rest On Our Laurels." Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Murkowski, 492K) that America's now-unquestionable energy dominance "is good for jobs, trade, growth and our broader economy... but we cannot rest on our laurels. Noting that other nations will continue looking to compete, Murkowski argues that the US must turn to the developing world as a place to develop new markets for American energy exports and that as such, "our energy future is global." However, "the federal government has been too slow to adjust to this new world" by failing to support the nuclear energy industry which is poised to rapidly decline over the next decade" despite being "regarded as key to addressing climate change."
Manchin: CCUS Critical To Combating Climate Change, US Should Lead. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Manchin, 492K) that energy experts agree fossil fuels will "be part of the global generation mix at least through 2040, and the United States needs to lead in technological innovations designed to reduce carbon emissions." IEA Director Dr. Fatih Biro! earlier this year told the US Senate that carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) therefore could be the most important technology in addressing the climate crisis. Manchin touts the Enhancing Fossil Fuel Energy Carbon Technology (EFFECT)
Act as a way - with bipartisan support - to empower greater CCUSR&D.
Alexander: US Needs A Clean Energy Manhattan Project, Featuring Nuclear Energy. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, 492K) that the US "should launch a New Manhattan Project for Clean Energy... that will use American research and technology to put our country and the world firmly on a path toward cleaner, cheaper energy. He proposes a five-year project featuring 4
"Ten Grand Challenges," with advanced nuclear reactors topping the plans priorities. Citing the US' "extraordinary capacity for science and energy research, especially at our 17 national laboratories," Alexander argues that the US can lead in nuclear energy technological development as well as "natural gas, carbon capture, better batteries, greener buildings, electric vehicles, cheaper solar, fusion and advanced computing."
Smith: US Should Take Cue From States And Lead Clean Energy Innovation. Sen. Tina Smith (MN-D) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Smith, 492K) that without
aggressive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions" the impacts of climate change - already being felt by Minnesota farmers - will get worse. Smith argues that the technologies needed to reach net-zero GHG in the second half of the century are emerging rapidly, and "countries that choose to lead this clean revolution will gain at the expense of those who lag behind. For the US to lead, she argues,
'Washington should learn from what states are doing... The states making the most rapid progress are relying on 'pulls,'
not just 'pushes.'"
lnhofe: Liberal Opposition To New Pipelines Could Undermine US Energy Future. Sen. James lnhofe (R-OK) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, lnhofe, 492K), "After years and years of fighting the liberal war on fossil fuels, we can say that, with President Donald Trump, it is a new day in America and the future is bright." US production output is breaking "records and leading to unprecedented economic growth and low energy costs," but the resurgence "might not be sustainable because of our nation's aging pipeline infrastructure." While "hundreds of billions of private sector dollars are ready and willing to... be invested in building new energy infrastructure,
however, liberal environmental activists are fighting to keep new infrastructure "from getting built and have engaged in vandalism and sabotage of existing pipelines -
putting lives at risk and emboldened from a lack of consequences."
Portman: Energy Efficiency A Bipartisan Path To Reducing GHG Emissions, Creating Savings. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Portman, 492K) that energy efficiency is one area where even in highly partisan times, bipartisan progress can be made to reduce GHG emissions while growing the economy and reducing taxpayer burden. Portman emphasizes the importance of energy efficiency in buildings, noting that they account "for 40 percent of our nation's energy use, while the federal government is "the single largest consumer of energy in the country." Portman touts the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, of which he claims '1ust one provislon... will reduce energy consumption in federal government buildings by 2.5 percent per year" while improving building codes would save consumers around $13 billion annually.
Carbajal: Offshore Wind An Important Part Of Future Clean Energy Mix. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Carbajal, 492K) that "without bold action on energy, our future is uncertain" as climate change advances, and offshore wind is an important way to move forward. Carbajal cites a report by the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) which found that "offshore wind alone can generate over 2,000 gigawatts of energy in state and federal waters along the coasts and Great Lakes." He also argues that wind energy "creates jobs and stimulates our economy, adding nearly $20 billion to our economy annually," and that it has become more viable as battery storage technology improves.
Graves:
Green New Deal Distracts From Constructive Work On Clean Energy, Environment. Rep.
Sam Graves (R-MO) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Graves, 492K), that the Green New Deal is unrealistic, "would cost the average American household $600,000," and could
hijack and politicfze any constructive conversations" around infrastructure and clean energy. He argues that "we already see the private sector responding to consumer-driven market demands for cleaner energy and cleaner technology," and that "an approach that recognizes reality can actually work."
Graves touts "bipartisan infrastructure legislation that addresses environmental issues" in recent years, under Republican-majority congresses.
Upton: No Choice But To Foster Bipartisan Support For Pipeline Safety. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Upton, 492K) that pipeline safety is a bipartisan issue which since the Kalamazoo River pipeline spill in 2010 helped ensure "our energy is transported safely and our environment is kept protected." Upton touts 2012 and 2016 bipartisan bills which were passed, but emphasizes the 2016 bill is set to expire at the end of September. Upton writes, "It's critically important we once again come together to pass a bipartisan bill that will pass both the House and Senate and that President Trump will sign. We have no other choice -
we have a responsibility to ensure our nation's energy is transported safely."
Gosar: Embrase All-Of-The-Above Energy Strategy, Not Burdensome Mandates.
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Gosar, 492K) that House Democrat bills and ideas on energy are bad for the economy and unnecessary to protect the environment. Gosar argues that America shouldn't pick winners and losers in the energy mix, instead embracing "a true all-of-the-above energy strategy that embraces wind, solar, nuclear, hydropower, coal, oil and natural gas," He touts the work done by the Congressional Western Caucus in encouraging "innovalion and less burdensome mandates with the knowledge that "responsible energy production and protecting our environment are not mutually exclusive goals."
5 Armstrong: ND Energy Security Has Global Repercussions. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) writes for the Washington Times (9/9, 492K) that development in North Dakota's Bakken oil field creates "energy independence" that "is a geopolitical advantage" and "is reaping benefits for our country and the entire world." Recent conflict with Iran in the Strait of Hormuz in the past "would have roiled global oil markets and caused significant price increases," but 'thanks in large part to North Dakota's shale oil revolution, made possible by astounding advances in technology -
most notably, hydraulic fracturing - world oil prices have remained remarkably stable." Armstrong lists Iran's "diminished political advantage," the global "benefits of a stable oil market," and created jobs as benefits of the state's energy investments.
Scalise, Duncan, & Mullin: House Democrats Seek Destructive Energy Changes. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, Rep. Jeff Duncan (LA-R), and Rep. Marl<wayne Mullin (SC-R) write for the Washington Times (9/9, Scalise, Duncan, Mullin, 492K) that the Trump administration has "reversed much of the economic damage done by the Obama administration and unleashed the incredible potential of American energy resources. Despite this tremendous progress... we can't afford to turn back now," they argue, pointing to 'the destructive changes Democrats would have us make under their radical energy proposals that call for a complete socialist remake of the country's economy."
Jung: Ethanol Lacks Economic, Environmental Justification.
Michigan League of Conservation Voters Board Member Jerry Jung writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Jung, 492K), that while the politics of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) are rational, 'the outcome from both an economic and environmental perspective is utterly idiotic."
Jung argues that "fossil fuel energy is consumed in the production of corn and soy biofuels than is produced," with ethanol plants spending 28 percent of their energy output and still more energy being "consumed in the process of growing corn and soybeans to be made into fuel." IEA statistics show that "production of fertilizer and other agricultural chemicals consume... the energy equivalent of over 1 billion barrels of oil each year," internationally. As biofuels essentially waste energy, Jung argues, "there is no substance to arguments that biofuels provide energy security. Nor can a logical argument be made that they are any more renewable than the fossil fuels required for their production."
Charters & Smith: Offshore Wind Blossoming Under Trump. NOIA VP Tim Charters and Offshore Marine Service Association CEO Aaron Smith write for the Washington Times (9/9, Charters, Smith, 492K), that offshore wind energy has been an important part of growing US energy production under the Trump administration. In the past two and-a-half years, "Offshore wind has become a significant priority with a longer list of offshore projects from this administration than one might expect." In addition to
providing a lot of energy, these offshore wind projects create jobs across the country.
Rahn: Climate Crisis Overblown, As Is America's Share In Emissions. Institute for Global Economic Growth Chairman Richard Rahn writes for the Washington Times (9/9, Rahn, 492K), To the extent that mankind has an influence on climate change, the United States is a minor player." Even If the US were at zero emissions in 2020, Rahn argues, "it would have no measurable effect on global temperatures or sea level rise. He also notes that climate activists "have been telling us we have only a limited number of years" to fight climate change before it's too late, but that those deadlines have come and passed several times. As such, he argues that the urgency displayed by Democratic presidential candidates to move toward zero net emissions Is misplaced, and that any such move "could be done in a non-economically destructive way."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
EDF Calls Attention To Problems With Nuclear Welds. Reuters (9/10, Mallet) reports that EDF SA was informed of "anomalies in welds on some steam generators and components used in nuclear reactors," the company said Tuesday, "sending shares in the French power provider sharply lower." France has the "world's second largest fleet of nuclear reactors behind the United States and has exported its technology to China, Finland, South Africa and South Korea with Britain also set to use it." In a statement, EDF said, "Framatome has informed EDF of a deviation from technical standards governing the manufacture of nuclear-reactor components."
Saudi Arabia Plans To Enrich Uranium. Reuters (9/9, El Gamal, Cornwell) reports that "Saudi Arabia wants to enrich uranium for its nuclear power program, its energy minister said on Monday, potentially complicating talks with Washington on an atomic pact and the role of U.S.
companies." Uranium enrichment "has been a sticking point with the United States, especially after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in 2018 that the Sunni Muslim kingdom would develop nuclear arms if regional rival Shi'ite Muslim Iran did." Saudi Arabua "says it wants to use nuclear power to diversify its energy mix, but enrichment also opens up the possibility of military uses of uranium." Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said, "We are proceeding with it cautiously... we are experimenting with two nuclear reactors."
Bin Salman was "referring to a plan to issue a tender for the Gulf Arab state's first two nuclear power reactors."
Forbes (9/9, Togoh, 9.71 M) reports that the move to enrich uranium "could mark the start of a race for nuclear weapons in the Gulf as attempts by the United States and 6
European Union to strike a new deal with Iran on its nuclear plan falter." Saudi's "former energy minister said in April that Riyadh's use of the reactors would be peaceful and in compliance with 'international framework governing... nuclear energy and its peaceful use."' However, the kingdom has "previously said it would not sign any deal that would restrict its nuclear program."
Al Arablya (9/9, 22K) reports that in "January 2019, the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) in Saudi Arabia had received offers from five countries to build the first two nuclear plants on the Gulf coast." The "countries include the United States, Russia, France, South Korea, and China: In 2015, Saudi Arabia "signed an intergovernmental agreement with Russia on cooperation in peaceful nuclear technology, followed by the Cooperation on Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy Program in October 2017."
Oil Price (9/9, Paraskova, 22K) reports, that in recent years, "Saudi Arabia has been planning to begin building a nuclear power plant with the help of U.S. technology." But last year, "now former energy minister al-Falih said that the U.S.
was not the only option for the Kingdom when it comes to developing nuclear energy projects.
Al-Araby AI-Jadeed (UK) (9/9) reported that Saudi Arabia "says it is pursuing nuclear power as a means of weaning its country off reliance on fossil fuels, however the pursuit of nuclear weapons has not been ruled out."
Saudi Arabia Too Unpredictable To Enrich Uranium.
In a piece for Forbes (9/9, 9.71M) Ellen R. Wald, writes that Saudi Arabia's new ambition to enrich uranium should make US policymakers beware. because while the kingdom has "long hinted that it sought to mine its own uranium and enrich it domestically, but no one from the government had ever admitted this so bluntly as Prince Abdulaziz did [yesterday]
morning." While Saudi Arabia may legitimately need nuclear power, "should Saudi Arabia really be enriching uranium?
Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. Who will run Saudi Arabia in five, 10 or 50 years? We don't know, and we don't know what this man's priorities will be. Saudi Arabia is undergoing rapid economic change, and this can lead to unpredictability."
UAE's Nuclear Regulator Says Barakah Plant Operating License Remains Under Review.
Reuters (9/9, Carvalho) reports that the "operating license for the United Arab Emirates' Barakah nuclear power plant is still under review, a senior official at the industry regulator said on Monday." Reuters adds, Chrisler Viktorsson, director-general of UAE's Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR).
said he coulcl not give an exact date for the approval of the license, speaking at a panel discussion in Abu Dhabi. Korea Electric Power Corporation is constructing the Barakah plant,
"but problems with training enough local staff have delayed the startup of its first reactor several times."
TEPCO Plans To Dump Radioactive Fukushima Water Into Pacific. Reuters (9/10) reports that Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) says it will run out space to store the radioactive water from its destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant by 2022, so it plans to "drain it into the sea and dilute it." If the Japanese governments approves the plan to dispose of the tainted water it could "anger neighbors such as South Korea, which summoned a senior Japanese embassy official last month to explain how the country would deal with the Fukushima water."
Report Says Nuclear Power Increasingly Seen As Key To Future Energy Mix. World Nuclear News (9/9) reports that there is an increasingly widespread "recognition that nuclear energy will feature in the future global energy mix and make tts contribution to sustainable development, the World Energy Council (WEC) says in a report published today. Suhail Al Mazroui, minister of energy and industry, UAE." In the report, 'The Future of Nuclear:
Diverse Harmonies in the Energy Transition, WEC says the growth of nuclear power and its role in the global energy transition will be influenced by a number of factors."
Unit Two At China's Taishan Nuclear Plant Enters Into Production. Electric Energy Online (9/9) reports that the second reactor at China's Taishan nuclear power plant entered into production on September 7
'following a statutory functional test of continuous operation at full power for 168 hours0.00194 days <br />0.0467 hours <br />2.777778e-4 weeks <br />6.3924e-5 months <br />." The plant is the "biggest cooperation project to have taken place between China and France in the energy sector."
World Nuclear News (9/9) reports, "There are three additional EPR reactors under construction worldwide, including Flamanville 3 in France, Olkiluoto 3 in Finland and Hinkley Point C in the UK." EDF and CGN "are also partners in the Sizewell C EPR project, as well as in the Bradwell B project which is to be based on Hualong technology."
IAEA Acting Chief Discusses Agency Activities, State Of Nuclear Power. PM News (NGA) (9/9) reports that International Atomic Energy Agency "acting director general Corne! Feruta has given an account of the activities of the agency to the Board of Governors at a meeting in Vienna, Austria on Monday." Feruta reported on Sunday's visit to Iran and "disclosed that 52 nuclear reactors are under construction worldwide, to swell the 450 reactors in place. He said, "Our organisation has been tested in the last few months. I believe we demonstrated strength and resilience in continuing to fulfill our responsibilities, despite 7
the many challenges we face." The IAEA's "latest annual projections show that, despite the declining trend for installed capacity up to 2050, nuclear power will continue to play a key role in the world's low-carbon energy mix."
WNA Signs Agreement With OECD.
Electrlc Energy Online (9/9) reports, World Nuclear Association 9/6 "signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the OECD Nuclear Agency during the World Nuclear Association Symposium in London." Under the MoU, "both organisations have agreed to share best practices and co-operate in supporting the wider understanding of nuclear energy and its development, to enable more effective and efficient nuclear
- safety, to exchange on improved approaches to decommissioning deactivated facilities, to enhance the legal frameworks associated with various international nuclear activities such as transport, and to support the economic and efficient use of nuclear energy."
Russia's Nuclear Agency Criticized For Pushing Nuclear Energy On African Countries.
The Guardian (UK) (8/28, Burke, 4.19M) reports that representatives of Russia's nuclear agency, Rosatom, have "approached the leaders of dozens of African countries In the past two years" looking to gain influence and earn billions of dollars by selling developing nations nuclear technology. For example, a typical package Rosatom offers to a nation interested in nuclear power "includes generous loans and long-term supply contracts." In addition, Rosatom "trains local specialists in nuclear physics and energy in several African nations, and runs a scholarship programme in Kenya." Critics, however, take issue with the arrangement, saying nuclear power is "unsuitable and unlikely to benefit the continent's poorest people.
Trump Again Signals He Is Open To Meeting With Rouhani. Reuters (9/9, Holland) reports President Trump said Monday that he "could" meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "and that he had no problem with such an encounter.n Trump is quoted as saying, "It could happen. It could happen. No problem with me." Reuters reports that last week, Trump "said a meeting with Rouhani was possible at the UN General Assembly in New York later in September."
IAEA: Iran Is Preparing Advanced Centrifuges. The AP (9/9, Rising) reports the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday "confirmed... that Iran is preparing to use more advanced centrifuges, another breach of limits set in the country's slowly unraveling nuclear deal with major powers."
The AP says Iran "had already announced the step," and the IAEA "reported its inspectors verified the installation of new centrifuges. However, they "said all had been 'prepared for testing' but none yet tested at the time of the Sept. 7-8
inspection." The New York Post (9/9, Moore, 4.57M) reports the IAEA "said its inspectors saw 30 advanced IR-6 models, as well as a number of IR-4 and IR-5 models."
Iran Accuses US Of Violating Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty With Nuclear Modernization. The AP (9/9) reports that Iran's UN ambassador 0is accusing the United States of violating the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty by modernizing its nuclear weapons Instead of moving toward disarmament." China, meanwhile, has accused the United States of stirring tensions over Iran's nuclear program and "called on world powers to stick to their 2015 deal with Tehran."
North Korea Open To Resumption Of Denuclearization Talks This Month. Reuters (9/9, Shin) reports Vice North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said Monday that leader Kim Jong-un is "willing to restart nuclear talks with the United States in late September, but warned that chances of a deal could end unless Washington takes a fresh approach." Reuters reports that on Sunday, Secretary of State Pompeo "said he hoped to return to denuc!earization talks... in the coming days or weeks."
According to Reuters, Choe "stressed that Washington needed to present a new approach or the talks could fall apart again." Choe is quoted as saying, I want to believe that the US side would come out with an alternative based on a calculation method that serves both sides' interests and is acceptable to us.
The AP (9/9, Kim) says Choe's statement was "apparently aimed at pressuring the United States to make concessions when the North Korea-US talks restart." The Washington Post (9/9, Denyer, 14.2M) reports that Pompeo "insists Kim has promised to denuclearize and said Sunday that the administration was 'hopeful that in the coming days or perhaps weeks we'll be back at the negotiating table with them."'
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[External_Sender] NRC News Summary for Wednesday, September 11, 2019 NRCSummary190911.doc, NRCSummary190911.pdf This morning's Nuclear Regulatory Commission News Summary and Clips are attached.
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 7:00AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM 1 --------------:1=-o-o-Av----=--'s-----=E=--o,--=r1-=-:0N--:------------,
NRC News NRC To Discuss Pilgrim Plant Decommissioning At Public Meeting.................................................................................. 1 Group Hires Ground Team To Thwart Anti-HS 6 Signature Collection Effort..................................................................... 1 Surry Station Quarterly Siren System Test Set For Wednesday..2 NRC Grant To Help Augusta Tech Continue Nuclear Scholars Program................................................................................. 2 Commentary: Progressives Should Embrace Nuclear Power....... 2 Judge Rejects Request For Stop-work Order At SONGS............. 2 Closing Existing Nuclear Plants Not Likely To Help Reach Carbon Emissions Goals...................................................... 2 Santee Cooper Board Drops Cost-Sharing Agreement With Southern Company,.............................................................. 3 Former NRC Chairman Jaczko To Discuss His Book................... 3 Related News Montana Considering Quadrupling Amount Of Radioactive Waste It Accepts Under TENORM....................................... 3 NRC NEWS:
NRC To Discuss Pilgrim Plant Decommissioning At Public Meeting. WCVB-TV Boston (9/11, 88K) broadcast that the public will get to "weigh in on the decommissioning of the shuttered Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is hosting a meeting tonight" and some are "upset over the lack of public input before the facility transferred it~ li~e~se }o Holtec International which will handle the decomm1ss1ornng.
Dislocated Pilgrim Plant Workers Eligible For Federal Grant Assistance. The Quincy (MA) Patriot Ledger (9/9, 86K) reported that the Massachusetts office of labor and workforce development will "receive more than $500,000 from the federal government to help find jobs for those laid off when the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station closed this May."
The US "Department of Labor will provide a $503,079 National Dislocated Worker Grant to the state." The money will "help provide services like career planning, resume writing and job placement to the laid-off workers, the department International Nuclear News EDF Calls Regulators' Attention To Potential Problems With Nuclear Welds....................................................................... 3 ASN To Place EDF's Flamanville Plant Under Heightened Scrutiny,................................................................................4 TEPCO May Have To Dump Radioactive Water From Fukushima Into Pacific..........................................................4 Japan Nuclear Regulators To Re-Investigate Fukushima Nuclear Disaster....................................................................4 News Of Potential Use Of Faulty Parts In French Nuclear Plants Discussed..............................................................................4 Russia's Floating Nuclear Plant Reaches Arctic Destination........ 5 Pompeo: Trump Prepared To Meet Rouhani At UN "With No Preconditions."...................................................................... 5 said in a statement." All the Pilgrim plant dislocated workers "have also been certified as eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance, which allows them to seek training and support services in preparation for reemployment."
Letter Writer Lauds Healey For Seeking To Delay Pilgrim Plant License Transfer. In a letter to the editor of the Cape Cod (MA) Times (9/11, 64K), Maureen Grandmont of Hyannis writes that Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey "has our best interests in speaking up to delay the license transfer of Pilgrim's Nuclear Power Station to Holtec International." Now it is "up to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to also act on the behalf of the people of southeastern Massachusetts and respond to Healey's request."
Group Hires Ground Team To Thwart Anti-HB 6 Signature Collection Effort. Under the headline:
"Ohio Nuclear Bailout Defenders Deploy Ground Troops To Thwart Repeal Effort's Signature Collection," the Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/10, Tobias, 895K) reports that pro-House Bill 6 political group Generation Now has "hired on-the-ground workers to try to prevent voters from sign1ng petitions from a
different group seeking to place an HB6 repeal on the November 2020 ballot." Such campaign workers are often referred to as "blockers," and they are 'tasked with interfering with the signature collection process." But "Generation Now spokesman Curt Steiner called them 'educators."' Steiner said, "They're going to be going to places where there's a likelihood that there will be activity to gather signatures."
Steiner added, "They've also been asked, where they see people, to be polite, give them information and don't interfere with anyone trying to sign a petition."
Ohio's HB 6 Seen As Bucking National Trend Toward Green Energy. The Cincinnati Business Courier (9/1 O, Subscription Publication, 840K) reported that the Environmental Defense Fund consider Ohio as moving in the "opposite direction of most other states when it comes to supporting green energy. Ohio's new HB 6 law, "bails out1he state's two nuclear power plants and ensures two coal plants will continue to run through hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies." It also "rolled back renewable energy requirements for utilities and eliminated energy efficiency mandates.
Surry Station Quarterly Siren System Test Set For Wednesday. The Newport News (VA) Daily Press (9/1 O, Roberts, Subscription Publica,tio~, _176K). report_s that Dominion Energy's Surry Power Station will continue with the quarterly tests of its early warning siren system on. Sept. ) 1."
Around "11 :10 a.m., the plant will sound a three-minute siren from 71 separate towers located within a 10-mile radius of the nuclear power plant, according to James City County and Virginia Department of Emergency Management news releases." The warning sirens can be heard in "Williamsburg, James City, York, Newport News, Surry and Isle of Wight, according to the news release."
The Williamsburg Yorktown NA)
Daily (9/10, Mangalonzo) reports that the "Virginia Department of Emergency Management, in coordination with the local officials and Dominion Energy, will conduct" the "quarterly test of the Emergency Alert System and the early warning siren system." The "Emergency Alert System test is made available through participating radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, ~nd wireline video providers, and is scheduled to last approximately one minute, officials said." For the "early warning siren system, a steady three-minute tone will be sounded by 71 sirens in Williamsburg, Newport News and the counties of Surry, James City, York and Isle of Wight. The sirens are located within a 10-mile radius of the power station."
Local TV Broadcast News Coverage. WAVY-TV Norfolk, VA (9/10, 30K) also broadcast the story.
2 NRC Grant To Help Augusta Tech Continue Nuclear Scholars Program.
The Augusta {GA)
Chronicle (9/10, Papp, 167K) reports, "Augusta Technical College was named one of three recipients of a Nucle_ar Regulatory Commission Trade School and Community College Scholarship Grant Award. The school "received
$150,000 to continue its Nuclear Engineering Technology Workforce Scholars Program." The program "aims to further the accomplishments of previously funded projects, to recruit and train students to work in a nuclear environment and provide scholarships to at least 16 students." The NRC awarded "45 grants to 33 academic institutions in 19 states and Puerto Rico for a total of $15 million in the 2019 fiscal year, according to the commission."
Commentary: Progressives Should Embrace Nuclear Power. In a commentary for WBUR-FM Boston (9/10, 49K) Rich Barlow wrote that the Democratic debate this week "demonstrated that while progressives trumpet the warming Earth as an 'existential threat,' many of them cower at the all-out counter-attack such a crisis demands, too often lacking the courage of their convictions." It was "refreshi.ng to hear a few candidates dissent from what has been liberal orthodoxy by urging us to - tweaking a phrase - grow more nukes." Sen. Cory Booker and Manhattan techie Andrew Yang "earned kudos by taking the pro-nuclear bench. On this one, they are the true progressives and policy wonks - not Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, both of whom may have seen 'The China Syndrome,' a 1979 thriller, a few too many times."
Judge Rejects Request For Stop-work Order At SONGS. The San Diego Union-Tribune (9/10, McDonald, 755K} reports that "the judge hearing a civil complaint against the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and owners of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station has rejected a request for an immediate stop-work order at the plant." U.S.
District Court Judge Janis L. Sammartino instead "gave federal regulators, Southern California Edison, San Dieg~
Gas & Electric and its parent company, Sempra Energy, until Sept. 20 to file responses to the lawsuit filed by Public Watchdogs." Public Watchdogs recently *sued the NRC ~nd the utilities on Aug. 30, asking the court to halt an ongoing program of transferring millions of pounds of spent radioactive fuel from cooling ponds into what's called dry storage."
Closing Existing Nuclear Plants Not Likely To Help Reach Carbon Emissions Goals.
The Washington Post (9/10, Denning, 14.2M) reports that one issue that "causes division within the ranks of climate-change activists is nuclear power." Two "candidates, Senators Bernie
Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have different plans for nuclear that encapsulate the debate." Sanders "not only rules out building new plants, but also wants existing ones to dose." Warren "Is similarly down on new plants. But she targets '100% renewable and zero-emission energy in electricity generation' by 2035, leaving room for existing 'zero-emission' nuclear power even if, on stage, Warren talked of
'weaning' the country off it." The "existing nuclear fleet produced just over half of America's carbon-free electricity in the 12 months through June." Shutting the "bulk of that down in short order looks counter-productive on several fronts."
Santee Cooper Board Drops Cost-Sharing Agreement With Southern Company.
The Charleston (SC) Post and Courier (9/9, Brown, 290K) reports that the Santee Cooper Board of Directors on Monday "abandoned a proposed cost-saving agreement" with Southern Company after South Carolina "officials objected to the planned partnership." Santee Cooper CEO Mark Bonsall "wanted to explore ways the two power companies could save money by jointly managing their fuel supplies, purchasing, energy trading, and coal ash waste." However, "legislators, state officials, and the co-ops have argued the arrangement would have undermined the state's attempt to find potential bidders for Santee Cooper." State lawmakers will "vote early next year on whether to sell the Moncks Corner-based utility, hire another company to manage it, or keep it under state control."
Columbia (SC) State (9/9, WIiks, 390K) reports South Carolina Department of Administration Director Marcia Adams, who is tasked with running the sale exploration process, "informed Santee Cooper leaders her agency would file for a restraining order to shut down the proposed Southern deal, if necessary." Santee Cooper board chairman Dan Ray "said lhe board has no plans to bring the Southern agreement back up for a vote." He said Santee Cooper's board was sensitlve to outside concerns that the deal could affect the sale process" and "the board already was planning to drop the Southern deal before Adams threatened the restraining order to stop them."
WCBD-TV Charleston, SC (9/9, Renaud) also reports.
Former NRC Chairman Jaczko To Discuss His Book. The Newburyport (MA) Daily News (9/11, 17K) reports that former "Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko talks about his book, 'Confessions of a Rogue Nuclear Regulator,' on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. at First Parish Church of Newbury, 20 High Road."
Jaczko will sign copies "after the lecture at 7 p.m." The "event is hosted by the C-10 Research and Education Foundation."
3 RELATED NEWS:
Montana Considering Quadrupling Amount Of Radioactive Waste It Accepts Under TENORM.
The Bismarck (ND) Tribune (9/10, Sukut, 52K) reports that Montana is considering "quadrupling the amount of radioactive waste it can accept, according to a proposed rule change." The Montana Department of Environmental Quality released a new "draft for regulating the disposal of radioactive waste commonly left over from oil and gas production." The new rules would "include regulations for waste facility designs and construction, operations and monitoring, spill reporting, financial assurance, closure and post-closure care of facilities, and would be the first statewide regulation for technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material, or TENORM." The "draft for the disposal of TENORM has been in the works for two years. TENORM is not federally regulated. The new draft outlines a plan to increase the limit that a facility may receive."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
EDF Calls Regulators' Attention To Potential Problems With Nuclear Welds.
Reuters (9/10, Mallet, De Clercq) reports that France's EDF has "discovered problems with the weldings and other components in some of its nuclear reactors, it said on Tuesday, sending its shares down more than 8% as investors worried about potential closures." In a statement, EDF "said... its reactor building unit Framatome - formerly called Areva - had informed it of 'a deviation from technical standards' in manufacturing of certain components on reactors that are currently in operation, notably the weldings on some of the reactors' steam generators." An EDF spokesman said it was too early to say whether the problems could lead to reactor closures, but added several EDF reactors were affected by welding anomalies and the firm would provide more detail on individual reactors in the coming days."
Financial Post (CAN) (9/10, 16K) reports that EDF said it informed French nuclear regulatory authorities of its initial investigation, and will provide "additional information as
[characterization] work progresses."
CNBC (9/10, Reid, 3.62M) reported EDF "said Framatome had warned of 'a deviation from technical standards governing the manufacture of nuclear-reactor components."' EDF "added that 'steam generator welds' on existing in-service components, as well as new as-yet uninstalled parts had potentially not met the standards required by the nuclear industry." The Times (UK) (9/11, Sage, Subscription Publication, 50K) also provided coverage.
EDF Substandard Reactor Parts Issues Seen As Raising Concerns About Nuclear Power's Viability. BNN Bloomberg (CAN) (9/to, De Beaupuy) reports that EDF's "repeated problems with the quality of reactor components, which include faulty welds in its flagship Flamanville project and anomalies in manufacturing records at the Creusot forge, add to growing concerns about the suitability of nuclear energy as an alternative to polluting fossil-fuel plants."
Beyond the "longstanding concerns about reactor safety after serious incidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima, there are doubts about its economic viability as the cost of renewable energy plunges." According to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Elchin Mammadov, the news "doesn't help EDF's image as it seeks to build nuclear plants abroad."
EDF Announcement Underscores France's Dependence On Atomic Power. Bloomberg (9/10, 4.73M) reports that EDF SA's "announcement that some of its nuclear reactors at home may contain substandard components is the latest setback in the country's 40-year love affair with atomic energy," EDF commissioned "58 reactors between 1978 and 2002, which has seen the country get more of its power from nuclear than any other nation." It also means France has "an aging energy infrastructure, with its oldest plants embarking on large modernization programs to extend their lifecycle."
ASN To Place EDF's Flamanville Plant Under Heightened Scrutiny.
Reuters (9/11) reports that French nuclear regulator ASN said on Wednesday that ii had put state-controlled utility EDF's Flamanville 1 and 2 reactors under increased surveillance following a series of shortcomings in maintenance and contractor oversight." In a "strongly worded statement the ASN said that it had summoned the plant's director and ordered him to submit an action plan to improve plant operation." The ASN "said there had been a high number of significant shortcomings in plant maintenance and in the oversight of contractors in the plant, as well insufficient quality of documentation."
TEPCO May Have To Dump Radioactive Water From Fukushima Into Pacific. U.S. News & World Report (9/10, Neuhauser, 2.4M) reports that TEPCO has indicated that it will "run out of room to store contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in as soon as three years." The contaminated radioactive water "may have to be dumped into the ocean, the country's energy minister reportedly said Tuesday, igniting concern and anger from nuclear safety experts and Japan's neighbors in the region."
TEPCO "is running out of room to store the contaminated water, the minister, Yoshiaki Harada, said at a news conference." The "water has built to a stockpile. of more than 4
1 million metric tons, taken from cooling pipes being used to keep the plant's fuel cores from melting."
The Hill (9/10, Rodrigo, 2.98M) reports that TEPCO "amassed more than a million tons of contaminated water from the cooling pipes used to keep fuel cores from melting since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami totaled the plant."
Yoshiaki Harada, said, The only option will be to drain it into the sea and dilute it." Harada added, "The whole of the government will discuss this, but I would like to offer my simple opinion." Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary "Yoshihide Suga described Harada's comments as 'his personal opinion' during a separate press conference."
The Telegraph (UK) (9/10, Ryall, 956K) reports that government estimates **suggest that the site will reach capacity for tanks in the summer of 2022 and that there are a number of options." As well as "simply releasing water that has been treated to reduce radiation levels into the sea, the government is considering burying it in concrete pits well below the surface or injecting it into deep geological strata."
Business Insider (9/11, Perper, 3.67M) reports that Japan's "environment minister Yoshiaki Harada said Tuesday local time" that the move to dump the wastewater into the ocean "was the 'only option"' for TEPCO, "which has been storing more than 1 million tons of radioactive water since the Daiichi nuclear reactor was damaged during an earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011." The water was "used lo cool nuclear cores in the plant to prevent them from melting."
According to "Reuters, the government is waiting on a report from nuclear experts before it decides what to do about its growing collection of nuclear waste."
Japan Nuclear Regulators To Re-Investigate Fukushima Nuclear Disaster. Reuters (9/11, Fujita, Sheldrick) reports that Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority plans to reinvestigate the Fukushima disaster, in which three reactors at an atomic power plant run by Tokyo Electric Power melted down after an earthquake and tsunami eight years ago, it said on Wednesday." In its investigation, the NRA "will seek to establish where radiation is leaking from damaged reactor containment vessels, a paper it released showed." The NRA will also examine "cooling systems set up to keep the melted fuel in the reactors from overheating, it said."
News Of Potential Use Of Faulty Parts In French Nuclear Plants Discussed.
Behind a paywall, Bloomberg (9/10, Paulsson, Starn, 4.73M) reports, "Just as demand for energy is ramping up ahead of the winter heating season, news that France's nuclear plants may contain substandard parts" surprised analysts Tuesday and "set off a buying spree in the region's natural gas and power markets." It is "not the first time that Europe's aging, but vital,
fleet of atomic reactors is causing panic in the markets." Last year "it was halts in Belgium that sent power soaring." And in "years previous, other problems with French reactors kept many out of service for months on end." The "electricity from the 58 reactors are central to the region's supply and exported to major markets from Germany to Britain."
Russia's Floating Nuclear Plant Reaches Arctic Destination. Maritime Executive (9/10, Digges) reports that Russia's Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant has "arrived at its remote Arctic destination after sailing 4,700 kilometers from Murmansk, markJng a major milestone for Moscow's experiment in portable nuclear reactors." The vessel will "now plug in at the port of Pevek, in Chukotka across the Bering Strait from Alaska, where its electricity will replace what's provided by the Bilibino nuclear power plant, the world's only commercial reactors operating in a permafrost environment." The 140-meter floating Akademlk Lomonosov plant "is equipped with two KL T-40 reactors that provide a combined 70 megawatts of power." The Daily Star (UK) (9/11, Green, 149K) also provided coverage Pompeo: Trump Prepared To Meet Rouhani At UN "With No Preconditions."
Reuters (9/10, Holland) reports Secretary of State Pompeo said Tuesday that President Trump "could meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the upcoming United Nations meeting, with 'no preconditions.'" Pompeo is quoted as saying, He is prepared to meet with no preconditions."
However, the AP (9/10, Lee) reports that the Administration is currently stepping up its campaign to get other nations to boost pressure on Iran as world leaders prepare to meet at the United Nations this month." According to the AP, the Administration "says the world should take actton on Iran's non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal amid new questions about Iranian activities raised by" the International Atomic Energy Agency. Earlier yesterday, Pompeo "said... lran is trying to deceive the world by refusing to fully cooperate with" the IAEA. Pompeo tweeted, "The Iranian regime's lack of full cooperation with (the IAEA) raises questions about possible undeclared nuclear material or activities.... We will deny the regime all paths to a nuclear weapon."
Reuters (9/10, Murphy) reports the US "said it was
'totally unacceptable' for Iran to drag its feet in cooperating with the UN nuclear watchdog, which is seeking answers to issues that diplomats s-ay include the discovery of uranium traces at an undeclared site." While the watchdog has declined to comment on what prompted the warning, "diplomats told Reuters inspectors had found traces of uranium" at a site in Iran which Israel has described as a "secret atomic warehouse."
5 Copyright 2019 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission prohibited. Content is drawn from thousands of newspapers, national magazines, national and local television programs, radio broadcasts, social-media platforms and additional forms of open-source data.
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News AnU-Nuclear Petitioner Calls Police Over "Petition Blocker" Confrontation In Ohio............................................................ 1 In 9/11 Speech, Trump Promises Retaliation Beyond Nuclear Power If US Attacked Again................................................. 1 NRG: No Major Environmental Impact On Idaho From Three Mile Island Nuclear Waste....................................................2 NRG Spends Minimal Funds On Nuclear Waste Storage............. 2 NRG Gathering Decommissioning Feedback From Plymouth Community............................................................................ 2 Status Of Three Mile Island Community Advisory Board Still Unknown............................................................................... 2 NRG Awards UTPB $200K For Nuclear Engineering Program..... 2 NRG Awards $450KTo University Of Michigan For Nuclear Engineering Research.......................................................... 2 MOX Contractor Says "Faulty Gloveboxes" Slowed Savannah River Site Project.................................................................. 3 Related News Exelon's Byron Receives First Commercial Silicide Fuel.............. 3 Energy Department To Work With Utilities On Hydrogen Production............................................................................. 3 Small Modular Reactors Called Solution To Some Nuclear Industry Ills........................,..................,...,.,.,...,.................... 3 NRC NEWS:
Anti-Nuclear Petitioner Calls Police Over "Petition Blocker" Confrontation In Ohio. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/11, Tobias, 895K) reports Harold Chung, "a petitioner working for a campaign to repeal" Ohio's "recently passed nuclear bailout law, called local police" in Dublin, Ohio on Tuesday "after he said someone working for the pro-HB6 side shoved him and knocked his cell phone out of his hands." The Plain Dealer says "the confrontation occurred shortly after Generation Now, a pro-HB6 political group, hired and deployed what are known as 'petition blockers,"' and the woman in question "wore a lanyard identifying her as a blocker for a company hired by Generation Now." Local officials said the matter is under US Nuclear Waste Repository Undergoes Improvements............ 3 DOE Completes Removal Of Nuclear Waste From Hanford Nuclear Reservation In WA.................................................. 3 Perry Praises Effort To Move Radioactive Material Away From Columbia River......................................................................4 USA Today: Sanders, Warren Wrong To Rule Out Nuclear Power....................................................................................4 International Nuclear News Popular Shinjiro Koizumi Named New Japanese Environment Minister..................................................................................4 Japanese Fishery Cooperative Calls On Former Minister To Retract Wastewater Remarks...............................................4 Japan's Nuclear Authority Launching New Fukushima Investigation..........................................................................4 South Korea, Japan Continue Diplomatic, Trade Conflict With Olympic Flag Request........................................................... 5 WTO Favors Japan In Trade Dispute............................................ 5 French Regulator Increases Monitoring Of EDF Reactors............ 5 IAEA Releases 2050 Estimates Report......................................... 5 Speculation About Trump-Rouhani Meeting Grows In Wake Of Bolton's Ouster...................................................................... 5 police investigation and no arrests have been made. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/11, 895K) also mentions the complaint in its "Rotunda Rumblings" news roundup.
The Columbus (OH) Dispatch (9/11, Ludlow, 367K) reports Chung "described himself as Asian" In a campaign where "petition opponents have widely disseminated TV ads and mailings warning (without factual basis) of Chinese government involvement in the referendum effort." The Cincinnati Enquirer (9/11, Balmert, 223K) calls Generation Now "a dark money group linked to the nuclear plants' owner FirstEnergy Solutions. ldeastream /OH) (9/11) and the Akron (OH) Beacon Journal (9/11, Ludlow, 198K) also report.
In 9/11 Speech, Trump Promises Retaliation Beyond Nuclear Power If US Attacked Again.
The Oregonian (9/11, 1 M) reports President Donald Trump, in a Pentagon speech for the anniversary of the September 1 t,
2001 attacks, "vowed to strike back with more than nuclear power if the US is attacked again. President Trump stated, "If for any reason they come back to our country, we will go wherever they are and use power the likes of which the United States has never used before - and I'm not even talking about nuclear power. According to the Oregonian, "It was not immediately clear what type of attack could be more destructive than a nuclear bomb."
The Washington Examiner (9/11, Halaschak, 448K) also says it isn't clear what Trump meant by the comment about nuclear power, although the speech comes at a tense time between the U.S. and insurgents in Afghanistan" after the Taliban used car bombs to kill "several Afghan citizens and a U.S. service member" last week.
NRC: No Major Environmental Impact On Idaho From Three Mile Island Nuclear Waste. Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/11) reports NRC staff "determined there would be no significant environmental impact in a 20-year renewal of the Department of Energy's license for storage of radioactive waste from the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant" in Idaho.
NRC Spends Minimal Funds On Nuclear Waste Storage.
Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/11) reports the NRC "in July again spenl little of its remaining balance from the fund intended to pay for a federal nuclear waste repository," spending "Just $704 in the month for unspecified program planning and support."
NRC Gathering Decommissioning Feedback From Plymouth Community. The Cape Cod {MA)
News (9/11) reports the NRC "will host a public meeting Thursday" in Plymouth, Massachusetts "to discuss the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and to receive feedback on community advisory boards," part of "a series" nationwide. "The NRC is required to prepare a report for Congress on the best practices of community advisory boards in communities around decommissioning nuclear power plants," and part of that feedback will come from the Pilgrim Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel created after Entergy announced the shutdown of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. NRC spokesperson Neil Sheehan stated, "We'd like to hear firsthand from those people and from others around the country about what is the best way to increase community participation when it comes to the decommissioning of nuclear power plants in people's backyards."
NRC Officials Holds Public Hearing In Plymouth, MA. WCAI-FM Cape Cod, MA (9/11, Mizes-Tan, 1 K) reports members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission "visited Plymouth on Wednesday to hear feedback about creating 2
Citizens Advisory Panels around decommissioning nuclear power plants." Several meeting attendees used the chance to voice frustration and disappointment at the recent decision to allow decommissioning company Holtec to take over ownership of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station." Many '1ook the meeting as an opportunity to voice their disappointment over how Pilgrim's license transfer had been handled, and many pointed out that concerns raised by the Citizens Advisory Panel were ignored by the" NRC. NRC officials "said they would be taking comments made back to Congress."
Status Of Three Mile Island Community Advisory Board Still Unknown. The Middletown (PA) Press And Journal (9/11, Miller, 23K} reports "it remains to be seen" whether a Community Advisory Board will "be established to help ensure public input into the decommissioning of Unit 1 of Three Mile Island." The Press and Journal says the NRC's definition of a community advisory board is "an organized group of citizens interested in safe decommissioning practices and spent fuel management at a decommissioning facility, engaging community and state leaders and plant licensee staff. NRC spokesperson Neil Sheehan said that while the NRC lacks the authority to require such boards, it does "encourage" them, as they "can serve as valuable conduits for information on activities at a decommissioning nuclear power plant."
NRC Awards UTPB $200K For Nuclear Engineering Program. The Odessa (TX) American (9/11, 47K) reports the University of Texas Permian Basin received a $200,000 NRC grant "to promote careers and research in nuclear-related fields" by enhancing "recruitment and retention of mechanical engineering-nuclear track students to help meet expected future workforce needs."
According to the American, "The NRC website states UTPB plans to use the grant to provide support to economically disadvantaged students through scholarships, faculty and peer mentoring and socialization activities," with the ability to support 40 students.
NRC Awards $450K To University Of Michigan For Nuclear Engineering Research. MLive (Ml)
(9/11, Murdock, 925K) reports the NRC awarded a $450,000 grant to the University of Michigan "for developing faculty in its nuclear engineering department that "will help fund research in the College of Engineering's Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences department." Department chair Todd Allen said the funds will be used to launch research programs of two faculty members, according to Mlive:
"Associate Professor Kevin Field, who studies how materials function in a nuclear environment, and Assistant Professor
Brendan Kochunas, who studies reactor design using high-performance computers."
MOX Contractor Says "Faulty Gloveboxes" Slowed Savannah River Site Project. The Aiken (SC) Standard (9/11, Demarest, 40K) reports "court documents first filed early last year" show "progress on the canceled Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site was impeded by faulty gloveboxes."
Lead contractor MOX Services "in January 2018 sued Flanders Corporation for doing allegedly shoddy work,"
including "complaints about "deficient" gloveboxes and welds. The facility, "officially terminated Oct. 10, 2018, by the National Nuclear Security Administration" was "to turn 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for commercial nuclear reactors," but the incomplete project "was axed after more than a decade of work and after billions of dollars had already been spent," coming "under fire from both the Barack Obama and Donald Trump administrations."
RELATED NEWS:
Exelon's Byron Receives First Commercial Silicide Fuel.
World Nuclear News (9/11) reports Exelon's Byron unit 2 received "lead test assemblies of Westinghouse EnCore fuel rods containing uranium silicide fuel pellets," making it the first commercial nuclear power plant for to make use of the fuels "developed through the US Department of Energy's (DOE) accident tolerant fuels programme." The program that originated the fuel seeks "to develop new cladding and fuel materials that can better tolerate the loss of active cooling in the core, while maintaining or improving fuel performance and economics during normal operations," and prioritizes minimization of hydrogen generation. DailyEnergylnsider (9/11, Galford) reports "some of the fuels will eventually be used in transient tests to determine safe operating limits, after which the data collected will be used to license the fuels with the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission."
Energy Department To Work With Utilities On Hydrogen Production. The AP (9/11) reports that the U.S. Department of Energy said Wednesday that the Idaho National Laboratory will work with FirstEnergy Solutions, Minnesota-based Xcel Energy and Arizona Public Service to find an efficient way to use nuclear energy to produce hydrogen. Officials with the Energy Department "say the three first-of-a-kind projects are intended to improve the long-term competitiveness of the nuclear power Industry by giving it another product to sell."
Davis-Besse Nuclear Plant In Ohio Receives $9 Million Federal Grant To Produce Hydrogen.
The 3
Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/11, Eaion, 895K) reports that several weeks after the Ohio state government "arranged for ratepayers to fund a $150 million per year bailout of FirstEnergy Solutions' Perry and Davis-Besse nuclear power plants," the federal government "announced it's giving a $9 million federal research grant to create a pilot program that will allow the Davis-Besse plant to produce hydrogen." On Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur announced the grant and "said hydrogen production could present a new energy alternative that would keep America's aging nuclear power plants competitive for years." Meanwhile, Ohio lawmakers "gave final approval to legislation to subsidize nuclear and coal power plants and effectively gut the state's green-energy mandates for utilities.1' Small Modular Reactors Called Solution To Some Nuclear Industry Ills. S&P Global Platts (9/11, Freebairn, 1K) reports that "small modular reactors will be joining the grid as soon as this year and represent a way for the nuclear industry to address problems of cost and schedule that have affected large units, participants in the World Nuclear Association's annual conference said last week." However, some warned that "such reactor designs must overcome obstacles if they are to be adopted widely."
Experts noted that they must compensate for the economies of scale that benefit larger units and resolve regulatory challenges to be licensed more easily."
US Nuclear Waste Repository Undergoes Improvements. The AP (9/11) reports that "officials say several infrastructure projects are being launched at the federal government's underground nuclear waste repository in southeastern New Mexico." The work being done to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant "includes repairing a hoist used to remove salt mined from the underground facility. The work also "involves additions to a new fire protection system, replacement of underground electrical substations and upgrades to a central monitoring room that tracks all of the repository's key systems."
DOE Completes Removal Of Nuclear Waste From Hanford Nuclear Reservation In WA. The Idaho Statesman (9/11, Cary, 200K) reports Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Wednesday that workers at the Hanford nuclear reservation have completed the removal of nuclear sludge stored in underwater containers on the reservation near the Columbia River in Washington state.
Perry said the project came in under budget and ahead of schedule. Perry said, "Those are two phrases you don't hear very often in this world of environmental cleanup." The sludge "is now stored in below-ground cells at T Plant in central Hanford."
Perry Praises Effort To Move Radioactive Material Away From Columbia River. The Tri-City Herald (WA) (9/11, Cary, 154K) reports that "the Columbia River Is safer this week after Hanford nuclear reservation workers removed the last of the highly radioactive sludge stored in underwater containers near it:" U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry praised the effort in a call to the Tri-City Herald. The project's successful completion "shows Northwest residents and the tribes with treaty rights on the 580-square-mile nuclear reservation, that they can trust DOE to complete critical environmental cleanup work on time, he said."
USA Today: Sanders, Warren Wrong To Rule Out Nuclear Power. USA Today (9/11, Board, 10.31M) argues in an editorial that politicians like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) who want to reduce carbon emissions and get "the nation's power grid off fossil fuels" are wrong to rule out nuclear power entirely. USA Today writes, "Nuclear is America's third largest electricity source, behind natural gas and coal.... If it were eliminated, wind and solar would have to be more than doubled just to make up for its loss - while making no progress in cutting carbon emissions." While nuclear power "does have the vice of the radioactive waste it produces and the potential for catastrophic meltdowns," it does not emit carbon and can produce around the clock.
Todd Larsen of Green America responds in a USA Today (9/11, Larsen, 10.31 M) op-ed that nuclear power "raises all the dangers inherent in working with radioactive materials," and there is "always the risk of a catastrophic accident or terrorist attack that can ref ease enormous amounts of radiation."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
Popular Shinjiro Koizumi Named New Japanese Environment Minister. Reuters (9!11.
Sieg) reports "Japan's new Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of charismatic former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, is regularly rated by voters as the lawmaker they'd like most to see" as prime minister when Shinz6 Abe steps down. Koizumi "became the third youngest lawmaker to join a post-World War Two Japanese cabinet" amid a cabinet reshuffle, but "could be in an awkward spot given Abe's commitment to nuclear power." Reuters says Koizumi's now-retired father "became a harsh critic of atomic energy after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis."
Japan's New Environmental Minister Wants To Shut Down Reactors. Reuters (9/12) reports Koizumi "wants the country to close down nuclear reactors to avoid a repeat of the Fukushima catastrophe in 2011," according to statements 4
made at Koizumi's first press conference in the new position.
Koizumi's comments "are likely to prove controversial in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which supports a return to nuclear power under new safety rules imposed after Fukushima."
The Guardian {UK) (9/12, Mccurry, 4.19M) similarly reports Koizumi's comments "could set him on a collision course with Japan's pro-nuclear prime minister, Shinzo Abe."
Koizumi stated, "I would like to study how we will scrap them, not how to retain them," adding, "We will be doomed if we allow another nuclear accident to occur." Japanese nuclear critics "say nuclear plants will always pose a danger given the country's vulnerability to large earthquakes and tsunamis,"
but Abe has called for reactors to be restarted, arguing that nuclear energy will help Japan achieve its carbon dioxide emissions targets and reduce its dependence on imported gas and oil."
Japan's Industry Minister Says Zero-Nukes" Policy Is "Unrealistic." Reuters (9/12) reports new industry and trade minister lsshu Sugawara, appointed in the same "cabinet reshuffle," challenged "the government's line but
[contradicted] comments made a day earlier by the new environment minister." Former anti-nuclear advocate Sugawara said that despite the "risks and fears about nuclear power," a "'zero-nukes' [policy] is, at the moment and in the future, not realistic.
Japanese Fishery Cooperative Calls On Former Minister To Retract Wastewater Remarks. NHK (JPN) (9/11, 11 K) reports Japan's "national federation of fisheries cooperatives, known as JF Zengyoren, held a news conference on Wednesday" in which it called on former environment mfnister Yoshiaki Harada to "withdraw his remarks on releasing wastewater kept at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean. On Tuesday, Harada "said he thinks the only way to stop the buildup of wastewater at the plant is to release it into the sea." Federation Chairman Hiroshi Kishi "said the remarks would increase the anxiety of fishermen still waiting to resume full-fledged operations" and "cause more damage to the industry.tt Water & Wastes Digest (9/11) similarly reports Harada received criticism from the public and other governmental leaders after recommending 1 million tons of wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant be discharged into the Pacific Ocean.
Japan's Nuclear Authority Launching New Fukushima Investigation.
Reuters (9/11) reports Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on Wednesday "said... it would launch a new investigation into the Fukushima disaster" and released "a paper showing it would look into the leaks in the reactor vessels and at cooling systems set up to keep the melted fuel in the reactors from overheating." A
spokesperson for Tokyo Electric Power commented on the investigation, saying, "If requested in the future, we would like to proactively cooperate in the investigation, such as providing necessary data."
South Korea, Japan Continue Diplomatic, Trade Conflict With Olympic Flag Request.
Reuters (9/11, Shin) reports South Korea asked the International Olympic Committee to bar Japan from using the
'Risihg Sun' flag at next year's Games," claiming "the flag defies the peaceful spirit of the Olympics as... a symbol of Japan's imperialist past" in a manner similar "to the swastika used in Nazi Germany." According to Reuters, "The spat was the latest in" the countries' "ongoing diplomatic and trade rows," which included Seoul summoning "a senior Japanese embassy official to demand explanations on Tokyo's plans for handling radioactive water from tts destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant" last month.
WTO Favors Japan In Trade Dispute. Nikkei Asian Review (JPN) (9/11, Hosokawa) reports the World Trade Organization's appellate body ruled Tuesday in favor of Japan in a dispute over South Korean tariffs on industrial parts," further straining the countries' relationship. In April, the same body "essentially allowed South Korea to maintain a ban on imports of agricultural products from eight Japanese prefectures imposed after the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster."
French Regulator Increases Monitoring Of EDF Reactors.
Reuters (9/11, De Clercq) reports French nuclear regulator ASN "put EDF's Flamanville 1 and 2 reactors under increased surveillance following a series of shortcomings in maintenance and contractor oversight," part of "a long series of technical and operational issues" and "concerns about the state-controlled utility's safety culture."
An EDF spokesperson responded, "We accept the ASN's diagnosis and we accept its decision. That is why we submitted an action plan in August to resolve the problems."
Reuters (AF) (9/12, SK) reports France's ASN head "told French daily Le Figaro that at least five EDF nuclear reactors might be affected by welding anomalies being investigated and that ASN will rule on the next steps within a month." According to Reuters, "ASN said on Tuesday it had found problems with weldings on the steam generators of some existing reactors."
IAEA Releases 2050 Estimates Report.
World Nuclear News (9/11) reports securing "sufficient energy to achieve sustainable development and to mitigate climate change" will require "a significant increase" in nuclear power deployment, "Mikhail Chudakov, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today" 5
while announcing the agency's 2050 energy predictions. The annual Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2050" report "offers a mixed estimate of nuclear power's future contribution to global electricity generation, depending in part on whether significant new capacity can be added to offset potential reactor retirements,"
World Nuclear News says. The report's "projections... see generating capacity declining by some 8% in the low case and increasing by 25% in the high estimate," according to World Nuclear News, and "are down by 33 GWe in the high case and up by 15 GWe in the low case" compared to last year.
Speculation About Trump-Rouhani Meeting Grows In Wake Of Bolton's Ouster. Reuters (9/11) reports President Trump on Wednesday left open... the possibility that the United States could ease sanctions on Iran, adding he believes Iran wants to strike a deal with Washington on its nuclear program." Reuters reports that when asked about the possibility the Administration would ease its "maximum pressure" campaign, Trump said, We'll see what happens." According to Reuters, the "firing" of National Security Adviser Bolton on Tuesday "prompted speculation that Washington's policy toward adversaries such as Iran could ease."
The New York Times (9/11, Jakes, 18.61M) likewise says "Trump left open the possibility on Wednesday of relaxing economic sanctions against Iran before starting new nuclear negotiations, seeming to undercut his administration's
'maximum pressure' campaign against Tehran in favor of striking a diplomatic deal." Trump is quoted as saying, "I do believe they'd like to make a deal. If they do, that's great; and if they don't. that's great too. But they have tremendous financial difficulty, and the sanctions are getting tougher and tougher."
Bloomberg (9/11, Jacobs, Mohsin, Leonard, Wainer, 4.73M) reports that in an Oval Office meeting on Monday, Trump "discussed easing sanctions on Iran to help secure a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani later this month, prompting... Bolton to argue forcefully against such a step." Btoomberg says Treasury Secretary Mnuchin "voiced his support for the move as a way to restart negotiations with Iran." According to Bloomberg, the White House has already "started preparations for Trump to meet with Rouhani th1s month in New York on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly the week of Sept. 23." Bloomberg says "one scenario... would be that Trump joins a meeting between Rouhani and French President Emmanuel Macron."
The Hill (9/11, Samuels, 2.98M) reports '~he White House declined to comment on the record about the
[Bloomberg] report," but NBC Nightly News (9/11, story 3, 1 :55, Welker, 5.83M), however, reported the President is
"saying he's not looking at anything when asked if he's planning to meet later this month with Iran's President."
In what the Washington Post (9/11, Cunningham, 14.2M) calls "an apparent reference to Bolton," Rouhani urged the US to "abandon war mongers and warmongering policies," and Reuters (9/11, Hafezi) likewise says Rouhani seemingly referred to Bolton as a "warmonger" on Twitter without mentioning him by name, and insisted that "Iran's policy of resistance will not change as long as our enemy (the United States) continues to put pressure on Iran." The AP (9/11, Karimi) says Rouhani "signaled approval of... Trump's abrupt dismissal" of Bolton, "a man routinely pilloried by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as part of a
'B Team' that targeted Iran." According to the AP, Bolton "had for years been critical of Tehran and once promised before an Iranian exile group that they'd be celebrating the overthrow of Iran's government this year."
Reuters (9/11) reports that in a television interview, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "played down the impact of...Bolton's exit." and predict[ed]... that Washington would hold to a tough line on Iran." Reuters says Netanyahu "sounded unfazed by Bolton's departure and possible Trump-Rouhani talks." Netanyahu is quoted as saying, "I am convinced, I have no doubts at all, that in any situation - with talks, without talks - President Trump and his administration will be very, very tough with Iran."
Copyright 2019 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission prohibited. Content is drawn from thousands of newspapers, national magazines, national and local television programs, radio broadcasts, social-media platforms and additional forms of open-source data.
Sources for Bulletin Intelligence audience-size estimates include Scarborough, GfK MRI, comScore, Nielsen, and the Audit Bureau of Circulation. Data from and access to third party social media platforms, including bul not limited to Facebook, Twitter, lnstagram and others, is subject to the respective platform's terms of use. Services that include Factiva content are governed by Factiva's terms of use. Services including embedded Tweets are also subject to Twitter for Website's information and privacy policies. The NRC News Summary is published five days a week by Bulletin Intelligence, which creates custom briefings for government and corporate leaders. We can be found on the Web at Bulletin Intelligence.com, or called at (703) 483-6100.
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[External_Sender] NRC News Summary for Friday, September 13, 2019 NRCSummary190913.doc, NRCSummary190913.pdf This morning's Nuclear Regulatory Commission News Summary and Clips are attached.
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
FRlDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News Local Residents See Irony In NRC Meeting On Pilgrim Plant Public Input............................................................................ 1 NRC Discusses Oyster Creek P,lant Decommissioning................ 2 NRC Grants To UTPB Will Boost Recruitment, Training Of Nuclear Engineering Students.............................................. 2 New Encore Accident-Tolerant Fuel Loaded Into Byron Station's Unit 2 Reactor........................................................ 2 Fight Over Ohio's HB6 Heats Up To "Unprecedented Levels.. "..... 2 Judge Rejects SONGS Stop Work Order...................................... 3 DOE Funds Three Nuclear Innovation Projects............................ 3 Henry: Cunningham Nuclear Legislation Is Demonstration Of "Courage.".............................................................................4 Point Beach Plant To Perform Annual Maintenance On Emergency Warning Sirens Next Week............................... 4 Knapp Faults Santee Cooper's "Bad Management.".....................4 Senate Panel Approves Spending Measure Without Yucca Mountain Funding.................................................................4 NRC NEWS:
Local Residents See Irony In NRC Meeting On Pilgrim Plant Public Input.
The Cape Cod {MA)
Times (9/12, Legere, 64K) reports that the "Nuclear Regulatory Commission came to Plymouth Wednesday looking for suggestions from the public on the formation of citizens advisory boards to provide input into the decommissioning of nuclear plants in their regions. Several of the 150 or so people who turned out considered the timing of the NRC's meeting "ironic," given that on August 22, the NRC approved the transfer of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station's license from Entergy Corp. to Holtec International.
That move was "made with no input from the public, attendees said." Former state Sen. Dan Wolf, who serves on the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel for Pilgrim, said, "You're here tonight saying you want to. hear from the public," and he added, "They've been knocking at your door, and they've been disregarded and disrespected."
WBUR-FM Boston (9/12, Gellerman, 49K) reported that Massachusetts officials and residents "are discontent with the DOE Exec Says Congress Must Act On Nuclear Waste Disposal.................................................................................4 Editorial: Democrats "Wrong To Omit Nuclear Power.".................4 Related News Infrastructure Improvement Projects To Get Underway At WIPP. 5 DOE To Discuss Hanford Waste Deadlines If Washington State Halts New Lawsuits............................................................... 5 Perry Says Hanford Waste Cleanup From Columbia River Containers Completed.......................................................... 5 International Nuclear News Japanese Cabinet Official Says Nuclear Power Exit Not Realistic................................................................................. 5 World's Largest Crane Set To Makes Series Lifts At Hinkley Point Site............................................................................... 5 Israel Says It Has Found Secret Iranian Nuclear Weapons Site... 5 Mnuchln: No Meeting Planned Between Trump And Rouhani...... 5 way a special panel handled the license transfer of the recently closed Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to its buyer.
Some called for a congressional investigation of the panel and its abolition over a lack of public involvement." Pilgrim Watch director Mary Lampert "called the lack of public participation 'a joke; we know it is a captured agency."' She
- says her organization will challenge the license transfer in federal court."
MA AG Asks NRC For Deadline Extension To Stay Pilgrim Plant License Transfer. The Cape Cod (MA) Times (9/12, Legere, 64K) reports that Massach~setts Att?rney General Maura Healey "missed the deadline for filing a request" to the Nuclear Regulatory Commiss1on "for a temporary hold on Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station's approved license transfer." The AG's "office had until midnight Sept. 3 to submit the request, 10 days after staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved Pilgrim's license transfer from Entergy Corp. to Holtec International." The AG "missed the deadline by 22 minutes because of the size of the submission, the request and 1,800 pages of accompanying data." According to "excerpts from the filing provided by the attorney general's office, the application was filed late due to
a problem with the commission's e-filing system." In a "separate filing, the AG's office said staff with the commission's electronic submissions help desk have since confirmed that issues with the e-filing system prevented the stay application and appendix from being submitted on time."
NRC Discusses Oyster Creek Plant Decommissioning. Jersey Shore Online (NJ) (9/12, Vosseller) reports that the "decommissioning of the Oyster Creek Generating Station dominated the last of three town hall meetings that Congressman Andy Kim (D-3rd) held this summer." Rep. Kim's last meeting was held at the Lacey Middle School with around 150 people "to hear details of the nuclear power plant's decommissioning status." Participants "expressed concerns about the plant's decommissioning process noting safety, cost, and public involvement." Holtec will "decommission the so~year-old facility" usin_g "the reactor's nearly $1 billion decommissioning trust fund, which is money set aside for dismantling the reactor." Nuclear Regulatory Commission representatives
,;were also in attendance at the meeting to answer questions and address points from a letter that Kim sent to NRC Chairwoman Kristine L. Svinicki on July 11." That letter "included eight questions focusing on concerns by residents who felt the NRC had not responded to their questions about decommissioning the plant."
NRC Grants To UTPB Will Boost Recruitment, Training Of Nuclear Engineering Students.
KWES-TV Odessa, TX (9/13, Geddes, 11 K) reported online that the University of Texas of the Permian Basin received a
$200,000 grant September 12 aimed at the "recruitment and research for students in nuclear engineering." According to UTPB's College of Engineering, the NRC grant "will help the mission to double the number of nuclear engineering students. It will also help increase graduation rates by at least 25%." Dr. Essam Ibrahim, a mechanical engineer professor, said, "One reason the NRC is supporting us is that they believe we have a high quality program and we've been very successful with graduating students." KWES-TV (9/13, 219K) also broadcast the story.
New Encore Accident-Tolerant Fuel Loaded Into Byron Station's Unit 2
Reactor.
Engineering360 (9/12, Wagman, 9K) reports, "Westinghouse Electric Co. and Exelon Generation said they successfully completed a first-of-a-kind installation of Encore Fuel at Exelon's Byron Unit 2 nuclear power plant in Illinois. The new Westinghouse accident-tolerant nuclear fuel was "installed during a scheduled refueling outage." The EnCore
'1uel rod assemblies contain chromium-coated zirconium cladding for enhanced oxidation and corrosion resistance and 2
uranium silicide pellets." Westinghouse "developed EnCore Fuel as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Accident Tolerant Fuel Program."
POWER (9/12, Patel) reports, "The Byron 2 installation involved insertion of two lead test assemblies that contain chromium-coated zirconium cladding for enhanced oxidation and corrosion resistance, higher density ADOPT pellets -
which is a chromla (Cr2O3) and alumina (Ai2O3) doped UO2 pellet - for improved fuel economics, and uranium silicide pellets, Westinghouse said on Sept. 5.n According to Westinghouse, "Encore Fuel has the 'game-changing' potential to significantly increase public safety through revolutionary new materials, while at the same time improving the economics of plant operation through longer fuel cycles and enhanced flexible power operation capability."
Fight Over Ohio's HB6 Heats Up To "Unprecedented Levels." The Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/12, Tobias, 895K) reports on the fervor with which interest groups are pushing for a certain outcome on Ohio's House Bill 6 before the issue has even made it to the ballot. Carlo LoParo, a Republican consultant working on the pro-HB6 campaign, "said... the intensive pre-emptive campaigning this time around reflects the high stakes of the situation, noting that if the referendum is certified, extra funding HB6 gives nuclear power plants would be cut off until the law could take effect after the November 2020 election. LoParo said this delay "may" result in the plants' closure. Meanwhile, the American Petroleum Institute, which is affiliated with the repeal effort, released a poll in June they said showed 70 percent of Ohioans opposed HB6.
Signature Collector For HB 6 Referendum Petition Says He Was Assaulted By Opponent. The Columbus
{OH) Dispatch (9/11, Ludlow, 367K) reported that a signature collector for a petition concerning the repeal referendum of House Bill 6 says he was assaulted Tuesday in Dublin by a woman who slapped his cellphone from his hand as he took her picture." Harold Chung "called police just before 1 p.m.
Tuesday to report he was attacked outside the Dublin branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library... as he gathered si_gnatures to oppose the law that will financially bail out Ohio's two nuclear power plants through fees on electricity bills." Chung, 46, told officers the woman who knocked his phone out of his hand and leaned into him with her shoulder had been following other petition gatherers from his unidentified company prior to the incident." Chung said, "It looks like she is a hired blocker to keep me from gathering si_gnatures.ff WKSU-FM Kent, OH (9/12, Chow, 5K) reported online that the "well-funded group fighting to keep the nuclear power plant bailout in place is paying people to follow the opposition. One of "these 'monitors' has even been accused
of assaulting a petitioner. The group says their goal is to -
politely - educate the voters." Generation Now has "been playing pro-nuclear bailout ads for most of this year, pushing for an agenda that closely aligns with FirstEnergy Solutions, which owns the two nuclear power plants." Now the "group's Curt Steiner says they're shifting their focus to fighting a potential referendum by monitoring petitioners, who he says are putting out bad information."
Editorial Argues Public Should Reject Referendum Effort.
The Toledo (OH) Blade (9/13, 88K) editorializes, "Ohioans should resist the temptation to buy into the anti-House Bill 6 ballot initiative that is backed by parties with a private financial interest." The Blade says HB 6 "makes the best of a bad situation." Davis-Besse plant in Ottawa County and Perry plant in Lake County "generate 15 percent of what Ohio uses in electricity." The plants "employ 1,400 skilled electricians and others, and they provide tax revenue to the counties and school districts in which they operate." The
question of temporarily subsidizing nuclear energy generation in Ohio should be addressed by state lawmakers, not by referendums put up by people with a pecuniary interest."
More Commentary. The Columbus (OH) Dispatch (9/13, 367K} argues the opposite that any "Ohioan with a television or a mailbox already knows the depths to which political campaign ads will sink with scares, smears and outright lies. Still, the nasty-yet-preposterous campaign against overturning a billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout takes the cake." The "commercials and flyers claim that signing a petition to put a referendum on the Ohio ballot to overturn House Bill 6 is basically the same as tweeting your Social Security number, Netflix password and underwear size to the Chinese government. It's a "creepy hardball tactic that indicates just how much money is at stake." The editorial adds, "We hope Ohioans disappoint them."
Judge Rejects SONGS Stop Work Order. KUSI-TV (9/11, 20K) reported that a judge "rejected a request for an immediate stop work order af the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Public Watchdogs is suing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and asked the court to stop the transfer of radioactive fuel to storage, Activist Lutz Looks To Run For 53rd Congressional District Seat. The San Diego Union-Tribune (9/12, Clark, 755K) reports that East County activist Ray Lutz may enter the race to fill Democratic Rep. Susan Davis' seat in Congress. The coordinator of Citizens Oversight "rose to prominence in San Diego because of his work advocating for election reforms and the removal of nuclear waste at San Onofre.
East County (CA) Magazine (9/12) says Lutz "led a successful legal battle that won $775 million dollars for ratepayers following closure of the San Onofre nuclear power 3
plant, after back room dealings between former Calif. Public Utilities Chair Michael Peeve and Southern Calif. Edison was revealed."
The Times of San Diego (9/12) also reports.
DOE Funds Three Nuclear Innovation Projects.
DailyEnergylnsider (9/12, Clark) reports that the Energy Department's Office of Office of Nuclear Energy has granted
$15 million to fund selectees for multiple domestic advanced nuclear technology projects. Three projects in '1hree states will receive varying amounts for their efforts." The three
'1unding pathways involve First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) Nuclear Demonstration Readiness Projects, Advanced Reactor Development Projects, and Regulatory Assistance Grants.
Two projects "selected under the Advanced Reactor Development Projects program include the LWR Integrated Energy Systems Interface Technology Development &
Demonstration and the Application of Machine Learning for Enhanced Diagnostic and Prognostic Capabilities of Nuclear Power Plant Assets. The Advanced Fuel Qualification Methodology Report for T erraPower Traveling Wave Reactor was selected under the Regulatory Assistance Grant pathway."
Davis-Besse Plant Gets DOE Funding For Technology Project. The Fremont (OH) News-Messenger (9/12, 1 OK) reports that the Energy Department will "invest more than $9 million in a new nuclear technology project at Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) "announced the news Wednesday in a statement."
Kaptur "said DOE will make a $9,184,229 investment toward an advanced nuclear technology project at Davis-Besse under the Advanced Reactor Development Pathway Program." According to Kaptur, the "proposed project will install an electrolysis unit at Davis-Besse to demonstrate an innovative hybrid energy system." Jamie Beier Grant, executive director of the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation, "said she thought Kaptur's remarks about the new funding award, which supports advancement of new technologies in hydrogen production, were very insightful.
Beier Grant said, 'The future economic development opportunities are exciting for our community and I look forward to continuing our partnership with Davis-Besse to support these endeavors."
DOE Says /NL To Work With FirstEnergy Solutions, Xcel Energy And Arizona Public Service On Projects. In an abbreviated version of an article that appeared in yesterday's briefing, the AP (9/11, Ridler) reported that the Energy Department said Wednesday that Idaho National Laboratory will work with FirstEnergy Solutions, Xcel Energy, and Arizona Public Service to "find an economical way to use nuclear energy to produce hydrogen that can be stored and used to power everything from industry to personal vehicles."
DOE officials "say the three first-of-a-kind projects are
intended to improve the long-term competitiveness of the nuclear power industry by giving it another product to sell."
Henry: Cunningham Nuclear Legislation Is Demonstration Of "Courage." In a column for the San Luis Obispo (CA) New Times (9/12, Henry, 122K), Mark Henry contends that Republican Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham has shown "strength and courage" in introducing legislation to classify nuclear power as "renewable." Henry says "it is rare and impressive to see a local politician with the strength and courage to swim against the relentless, California anti-nuclear riptide." He commends Cunningham for showing "some regard for the benefits that Diablo Canyon Power Plant and nuclear power have bestowed upon our community and our fair state over decades."
Point Beach Plant To Perform Annual Maintenance On Emergency Warning Sirens Next Week. The Kewaunee (WI) Comet (9/12, Bluhm) reports that beginning next week "Point Beach Nuclear Plant plans to perform annual maintenance on a number of sirens within the 10 miles of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant and others that are in Manitowoc and Kewaunee counties." The
~Kewaunee County Emergency Management Office says that during siren maintenance, scheduled for Sep!. 16 through Sept. 27, residents may hear actual siren activations for approximately one to three minutes, and notice activity going on and around the siren sites." The office indicated that such routine maintenance ensures that the sirens in the county operate properly, should they be needed in an emergency.
Knapp Faults Santee Cooper's "Bad Management." In a piece for the Florence (SC) Morning News (9/12, 97K), columnist Frank Knapp Jr., wrote about Santee Cooper's "recent fighr with legislative leaders and the "S.C. Department of Administration regarding the public utility's 'secret negotiations' with two private utilities. Under the '1hreat of a restraining order from the state for violating the legislature's process for determining its future, the public utility canceled its planned deal." Knapp adds, Unfortunately, we shouldn't be surprised by this most recent management debacle by Santee Cooper, which S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has called a 'rogue agency."' Knapp cites Santee Cooper's "decision to partner with SCE&G to build two nuclear plants in Fairfield County" as another example of poor management, especially "after Santee Cooper had spent $4 billion in construction costs that must now be paid. Unlike "Duke Energy and Dominion [Energy] Carolina (formerly SCE&G) that are regulated by the SC Public Service Commission (PSC), Santee Cooper is technically a state agency and thus is not regulated."
4 Senate Panel Approves Spending Measure Without Yucca Mountain Funding. The Las Vegas Review-Journal (9/12, Johnson, 345K) reports that "$49 billion spending bill for the Department of Energy was unanimously approved by a Senate committee on Thursday without money to revive the licensing process for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository." The Senate 'followed the House in dismissing the Trump administration's request for
$130 million to restart licensing on the nuclear repository - a decision by lawmakers that likely dooms any chances the project can be revived in fiscal year 2020, which begins Oct.
1." The measure would fund the a "pilot program for consolidated nuclear waste storage, and some funding to allow the Energy Department to store nuclear waste at private facilities licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission."
Marchant Promotes Alternative Use Yucca Mountain Plan.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal (9/12, Joecks, 345K) reports that according to Jim Marchant, a former Assemblyman running for the Republican nominatton in Congressional District 41 Yucca Mountain "could one day produce a dividend for Nevadans." Congress "shouldn't pass any new gun control legislation." Marchant is "interested in an alternative use. He said, "Why don't we ask for a recycling center where we take that valuable material and bring it here, recycle it and then sell it?" He added, "So, it doesn 1t stay here permanently. And we solve the problem of us as taxpayers paying a $2.2 million a day fine... because that material 1s not stored here."
DOE Exec Says Congress Must Act On Nuclear Waste Disposal. Behind a paywall, fa.changeMonitor (9/12) reports that a top Energy Department official
'Wednesday placed the onus squarely on Congress to provide the means for permanent disposal of the nation's nuclear waste. For now, that "means the long-planned Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada," as directed by law.
Editorial: Democrats "Wrong To Omit Nuclear Power." A New York Daily News editorial carried by Arkansas Democrat Gazette (9/13, 307K) argues 1that while the Democratic candidates for president are "very right that an aggressive transition to cleaner forms of energy is imperative to protect coastal cities like New York from sea-level rise," they "very wrong to omit nuclear power, one of the most consistent and reliable forms of energy - and an essentially zero-emissions generation method - from their transformation plans."
More Commentary. In a commentary for the Wall Street Journal (9/12, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), Robert Hargraves, co-founder of nuclear engineering firm, ThorCon International, writes that to Ignore nuclear is to be un-serious about fighting climate change.
RELATED NEWS:
Infrastructure Improvement Projects To Get Underway At WIPP. The AP (9/12) reports that Waste Isolation Pilot Plant officials say several infrastructure projects are being launched at the federal government's underground nuclear waste repository in southeastern New Mexico. The WIPP is licensed to accept "Cold War-era" which is then "entombed in disposal rooms carved out of an ancient salt formation about half a mile (0.8 kilometers) down." The work "being done includes repairing a hoist used to remove salt mined from the underground facility." It also includes work on a new "fire protection system, replacement of underground electrical substations and upgrades to a central monitoring room that tracks all of the repository's key systems."
DOE To Discuss Hanford Waste Deadlines If Washington State Halts New Lawsuits. The Tri-City Herald (WA) (9/12, Cary, 154K) reports that the Energy Department agreed to "negotiate with the state of Washington over deadlines for Hanford environmental cleanup that the state fears are at risk of being missed. The DOE agreed to a negotiations framework Wednesday, "including a series of steps that came out of August discussions with the Washington state Department of Ecology. But DOE "wants Ecology to agree not to file new lawsuits or take enforcement action related to at-risk deadllnes during the negotiations.
Perry Says Hanford Waste Cleanup From Columbia River Containers Completed. The AP (9/12) reports that Hanford Nuclear Reservation workers have completed the removal of the "last of the highly radioactive sludge stored in underwater containers near The Columbia River." According to Energy Secretary Rick Perry, the project "came in ahead of schedule and under budget after 10 years of work." Perry "says those aren't words usually associated with nuclear waste cleanup." Perry, who will visit the Hanford project October 1. "says completion of the project shows Northwest residents they can trust the Energy Department to perform critical work on time." Hanford tanks "hold 60 percent of the nation's most dangerous radioactive waste" and cleanup efforts "have been underway since the late 1980s and cost more than $2 billion a year." Perry said, "I hope we are going to cleanup that part of the world and get it back to as pristine a condition as we can."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
Japanese Cabinet Official Says Nuclear Power Exit Not Realistic. Reuters (9/12, Shimizu, Sieg) reports 5
that Japan's new industry minister said Thursday that exiting nuclear power is unrealistic. In "comments that reiterated the government's line but are at odds with those made a day earlier by another newly installed cabinet member," Industry Minister, lsshu Sugawara, said, "There are risks and fears about nuclear power," but, he added, '"zero-nukes' is, at the moment and in the future, not realistic,"
World's Largest Crane Set To Makes Series Lifts At Hinkley Point Site.
Behind a paywall, Bloomberg (9/1 2, Hodges, 4.73M) reports that the "world's largest crane is getting ready to hoist more than 700 of the heaviest pieces of the first new nuclear plant being built in Britain in decades." The machine, "affectionately known as
'Big Carl' after an executive at Dutch owner Sarens NV, is in place" at EDF SA's "19.6 billion-pound ($24.1 billion) Hinkley Point C project in southwest England." The crane "can carry as much as 5,000 tons, or the same weight as 1,600 cars, in a single lift and arrived on 280 truck loads from Belgium."
BBC News Online (UK) (9/12, 1.02M) reports that the "massive crane is known as Big Carl, after Carl Sarens the father of the Belgian family business which made it." Big Carl is able to "carry 5,000 tonnes in a single lift," and it "is expected to be at Hinkley, in Somerset, for the next four years."
Israel Says It Has Found Secret Iranian Nuclear Weapons Site. American Military News (9/12, Perisi, 72K) reports that Monday Israeli leaders claimed that "Iran has secretly built a nuclear weapons site, sparking further concerns about the Islamic nation's nuclear capabilities." The article adds, Elad Strohmayer, an "Israeli embassy spokesman, wrote in a series of tweets coupled with aerial photos of what he claims are nuclear facilities." Strohmayer wrote on Twitter, Israel has exposed another Iranian violation of their international commitments: the Abadeh Nuclear Weapons Development Site." Strohmayer added, "We have proof that conducted experiments to develop nuclear weapons there, and that they destroyed the site when they realized we discovered it."
Mnuchin: No Meeting Planned Between Trump And Rouhani. The AP (9/12) reports Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said Thursday that President Trump has no plans to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani when he's in New York for the UN General Assembly later this month.
Mnuchin said that such a meeting is "not planned at the moment, even though Trump has made clear "he would sit down with Rouhani with no condition" to discuss Iran's nuclear program. He also "insist[ed] that the recent departure of former national security adviser John Bolton will not
dramatically change the Trump administration's posture on Iran."
Reuters (9/12, Heavey, Zargham) reports Mnuchin, in an interview with CNBC (9/12, 3.62M),
said the Administration is continuing its campaign of "maximum pressure" against Iran. Said Mnuchin, "There's no question it's working," adding, "We have cut off their money, and that's the reason why, if they do come back to the negotiation table, they're coming back.... If the President can get the right deal that he's talked about, we'll negotiate with Iran. If not, we'll continue the maximum pressure campaign."
Similar coverage is provided by the Times Of Israel (9/12, 83K), CNBC (9/12, 3.62M), MSNBC (9/12, 7.86M), and the Washington (DC) Examiner (9/12, Klein, 448K).
Netanyahu: Israel Must Have Freedom To Act Against Iran. Reuters (9/12, Soldatkin) reports, "Israel must be allowed to act freely against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday" during a visit to Russia. Said Netanyahu, "Security coordination between us is always important, but it is especially important now, since in the past month there has been a serious increase in attempts by Iran to hit Israel from Syria and to place there precision missiles to use against us."
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6
of assaulting a petitioner. The group says their goal is to -
politely - educate the voters." Generation Now has "been playing pro-nuclear bailout ads for most of this year, pushing for an agenda that closely aligns with FirstEnergy Solutions, which owns the two nuclear power plants: Now the "group's Curt Steiner says they're shifting their focus to fighting a potentlal referendum by monitoring petitioners, who he says are putting out bad information."
Editorial Argues Public Should Reject Referendum Effort.
The Toledo /OH) Blade (9/13, 88K) editorializes, "Ohioans should resist the temptation to buy into the anti-House Bill 6 ballot initiative that is backed by parties with a private financial interest." The Blade says HB 6 "makes the best of a bad situation." Davis-Besse plant in Ottawa County and Perry plant in Lake County "generate 15 percent of what Ohio uses in electricity. The plants "employ 1,400 skilled electricians and others, and they provide lax revenue to the counties and school districts in which they operate." The "question of temporarily subsidizing nuclear energy generation in Ohio should be addressed by state lawmakers, not by referendums put up by people with a pecuniary interest."
More Commentary.
The Columbus (OH) Dispatch (9/13, 367K) argues the opposite that any "Ohioan with a television or a mailbox already knows the depths to which political campaign ads will sink with scares, smears and outright lies. Still, the nasty-yet-preposterous campaign against overturning a billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout takes the cake." The "commercials and flyers claim that signing a petition to put a referendum on the Ohio ballot to overturn House BIii 6 is basically the same as tweeting your Social Security number, Netflix password and underwear size to the Chinese government. It's a creepy hardball tactic that indicates just how much money is at stake." The editorial adds, "We hope Ohioans disappoint them."
Judge Rejects SONGS Stop Work Order. KUSI-TV (9/11, 20K) reported that a judge "rejected a request for an immediate stop work order af the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Public Watchdogs is suing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and asked the court to stop the transfer of radioactive fuel to storage.
Activist Lutz Looks To Run For 53rd Congressional District Seat. The San Diego Union-Tribune (9/12, Clark, 755K) reports that East County activist Ray Lutz may enter the race to fill Democratic Rep. Susan Davis' seat in Congress. The coordinator of Citizens Oversight rose to prominence in San Diego because of his work advocating for election reforms and the removal of nuclear waste at San Onofre."
East County (CA) Magazine (9/12) says Lutz led a successful legal battle that won $775 million dollars for ratepayers following closure of the San Onofre nuclear power 3
plant, after back room dealings between former Calif. Public Utilities Chair Michael Peeve and Southern Calif. Edison was revealed."
The Times of San Diego (9/12) also reports.
DOE Funds Three Nuclear Innovation Projects.
DailyEnergylnsider (9/12, Clark) reports that the Energy Department's Office of Office of Nuclear Energy has "granted
$15 million to fund selectees for multiple domestic advanced nuclear technology projects." Three projects in "three states will receive varying amounts for their efforts. The three
'1unding pathways involve First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) Nuclear Demonstration Readiness Projects, Advanced Reactor Development Projects, and Regulatory Assistance Grants."
Two projects "selected under the Advanced Reactor Development Projects program rnclude the LWR Integrated Energy Systems Interface Technology Development &
Demonstration and the Application of Machine Learning for Enhanced Diagnostic and Prognostic Capabilities of Nuclear Power Plant Assets. The Advanced Fuel Qualification Methodology Report for T erraPower Traveling Wave Reactor was selected under the Regulatory Assistance Grant pathway."
Davis-Besse Plant Gets DOE Funding For Technology Project The Fremont (OH) News-Messenger (9/12, 1 OK) reports that the Energy Department will "invest more than $9 million in a new nuclear technology project at Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station." Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) "announced the news Wednesday in a statement."
Kaptur "said DOE will make a $9,184,229 investment toward an advanced nuclear technology project at Davis-Besse under the Advanced Reactor Development Pathway Program. According to Kaptur, the "proposed project will install an electrolysis unit at Davis-Besse to demonstrate an innovative hybrid energy system." Jamie Beier Grant, executive director of the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation, "said she thought Kaptur's remarks about the new funding award, which supports advancement of new technologies in hydrogen production, were very insightful.
Beier Grant said, "The future economic development opportunities are exciting for our community and I look forward to continuing our partnership with Davis-Besse to support these endeavors."
DOE Says INL To Work With FirstEnergy Solutions, Xcel Energy And Arizona Public Service On Projects. In an abbreviated version of an article that appeared in yesterday's briefing, the AP (9/11, Ridler) reported that the Energy Department said Wednesday that Idaho National Laboratory will work with FirstEnergy Solutions, Xcel Energy, and Arizona Public Service to 'tind an economical way to use nuclear energy to produce hydrogen that can be stored and used to power everything from industry to personal vehicles."
DOE officials "say the three first-of-a-kind projects are
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[External_Sender] NRC News Summary for Monday, September 16, 2019 NRCSummary190916.doc, NRCSummary190916.pdf This morning's Nuclear Regulatory Commission News Summary and Clips are attached.
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News NRC Proposes Penalty For FPL, Former Executive Stemming From St Lucie Plant Safety Issue......................................... 1 Critics Air Angry Grievances At NRC During Pilgrim Plant Decommissioning Meeting.................................................... 1 Former NRC Chairman Jaczko Speaks About Dangers Of Nuclear Power....................................................................... 2 FirstEnergy Solutions Bailout Could Figure Into 2020 Races....... 2 Nelson: Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Is Worth Saving................. 2 State Sen. Livingston 'Very Optimistic' On Bellefonte Nuclear's Future.................................................................................... 2 Threat Of Grid Shortfall Prompts CPUC Procurement Proposal... 2 Senate Measure Excludes Funding For Yucca Mountain............. 3 Federal Government Filing Says Ending MOX Better For South Carolina................................................................................. 3 Butterfield: Uranium Industry Crucial To US National Defense..... 3 Environmentalists Need To Embrace Nuclear Energy.................. 3 VR Used To Highlight Uranium Contamination In Gallup, NM......4 Related News Poll Indicates Respondents Do Not Favor Building New Nuclear Plants....................................................................................4 Senate Bill Would Provide $403 Million To WIPP.........................4 NRC NEWS:
NRC Proposes Penalty For FPL, Former Executive Stemming From St Lucie Plant Safety Issue.
TC Palm (FU (9/13, Treadway, 247K) reported that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed fining FPL, and banning a "former FP&L executive for retaliating against a employee who raised a safety concern at the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant." The NRC would fine FPL $232,000 for "retaliating against a contract employee who raised a safety concern" at the plant. It would also bar a former FPL executive "from NRC-licensed actlvities for five years" for the incident, though the agency "did not name the former executive in a news release." The NRG "concluded FPL and its contractor, Framatome, canceled the employee's work assignment after the Individual filed a Commentary: INL Community Becomes Employees' Family........4 Solar, Wind Energy's Low Costs Have Helped Them Thrive........4 In the Biogs Anti-Nuclear-Contamination Pill Could Help Protect MRI Patients From Toxicity Linked To Gadolinium Retention..... 5 lnternationaJ Nuclear News Opinion: Green Activists Need To Give Nuclear Power A Chance.................................................................................. 5 Uranium Sector Continues To Lag................................................. 5 Companies Sign Up To Partnership To Develop Nuclear Programs............................................................................... 5 Commentary: Taiwan Has Other Choices Besides Nuclear, Coal....................................................................................... 5 Infrastructure Fund Consortium Seeks Stake In UK's Nuclear Power Plants......................................................................... 5 Falana: Nuclear Power Vital To Nigeria's Energy Mix................... 6 Russia's First Floating Nuclear Plant Reaches New Base In Chukotka Region................................................................... 6 Critics Concerned Administration Will Allow Saudis To Develop Nuclear Weapons................................................................. 6 concern in St. Lucie's corrective action program during a refueling outage in 2017."
Critics Air Angry Grievances At NRC During Pilgrim Plant Decommissioning Meeting. The Kingston (MA) Reporter (9/13, Kindy, 7K) reported on the criticism and "heated words spoken by angry residents, officials and activists at a public hearing Wednesday evening held by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Plymouth."
People lined up to "speak their minds about the recent license transfer of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to Holtec International despite several motions for delay until the public could provide input." An "obviously reluctant NRC staff was on hand to listen to residents and others as part of a series of meetings required by Congress through the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act to hear comments on establishing local community advisory boards for decommissioning nuclear power reactors."
Sens Welcome Federal Funding.Aimed At Helping Pilgrim Plant Workers.
An AP (9/14) news roundup reported Massachusetts has "received more than half a million dollars in federal grant money to help workers at the now-shuttered Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth find new jobs." Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey and Rep. William Keating "said the grant will help the state provide services like career planning, comprehensive assessments, resume writing, and job placement to workers who were laid off earlier this year." Pilgrim plant "employed about 580 people in May. That number is expected to be about 270 by March, 2020, according to plant operators."
Former NRC Chairman Jaczko Speaks About Dangers Of Nuclear Power. The North Andover (MA)
Eagle Tribune (9/14, Shea, 78K) reported that Gregory Jaczko, a former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, "discussed his controversial time on the commission and alternatives for nuclear power during a lecture at First Parish Church this week." Jaczko spoke about his new book, "Confessions of a Rogue Nuclear Regulator
during his talk, "which drew about 30 residents. The book contains detailed insights into the NRC's response to the Fukushima accident, which Jaczko said *really forever changed my thoughts about nuclear power, what this technology meant and what it can do."'
Anti-Nuclear Groups Continues Opposition To Seabrook Station, Nuclear Power. Foster's Daily Democrat (NH) (9/14, Dandurant, 17K) reports that the environmental group Seacoast Anti-Pollution League, or SAPL, that formed in 1969 to "try to halt construction of the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant will celebrate its 50th anniversary Friday night at the Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center." SAPL members "still believe nuclear power is inherently unsafe, pointing to disasters like Fukushima, Three Mile Island and Chernobyl to make their point." While "accidents at nuclear power plants are infrequent, they argue, they do happen and when they do the results can be disastrous." Keynote speaker for the "event was Dr. Gregory Jaczko, a former chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and author of
'Confessions of a Rogue Nuclear Reactor' a memoir of his time with the NRC,"
FirstEnergy Solutions Bailout Could Figure Into 2020 Races. In a piece for the Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/14, 895K), editorial writer Thomas Suddes wrote about how gun control and the "bail out of FirstEnergy Solutions could figure in 2020 Ohio House races." Next November, "Ohioans may get the chance to kill House Bill 6, which requires electricity customers to subsidize FirstEnergy Solutions' Perry (Lake County) and Davis-Besse (Ottawa County) nuclear power plants." But, according to the 'iederal 2
Energy Information Administration, 'Unlike fossil fuel-fired power plants, nuclear reactors do not produce air pollution or carbon dioxide while operating."' Among "Senate districts up next year will be the 16th, in suburban Columbus, represented by Sen. Stephanie Kunze, a Hilliard Republican.
Kunze voted 'no' on HB 6."
DOE To Fund Research Project At Davis-Besse Plant. The Cleveland (OK) American (9/13, Arnold) reports, "The Department of Energy has announced an investment of just under $9.2 million into Ohio's Davis-Besse power plant, which was prevented from going into bankruptcy thanks to a state government bailout." The investment will "fund a nuclear technology project that will install an electrolysis unit at the plant to create a hybrid energy system, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio."
Nelson: Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Is Worth Saving. In an op*ed for the San Luis Obispo (CA) Tribune (9/15, Nelson, 139K), Californians for Green Nuclear Power legal assistant Gene Nelson counters the Tribune Editorial Board's recent contention that the Diablo Canyon nuclear plan is not worth saving. Nelson, a science and engineering professor, writes that "Diablo Canyon operates independently of PG&E's aging natural gas infrastructure that failed lethally in San Bruno." He argues that PG&E has some of the highest electricity rates in the nation," and "Diablo Canyon reduces overall electricity costs."
State Sen. Livingston 'Very Optimistic' On Bellefonte Nuclear's Future. Yellowhammer News (9/14, Poor, 1 K) reported, "For decades, the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant has sat dormant on the shores of the Tennessee River near Hollywood in the very northeastern corner of Alabama. Jackson County residents see the plant as a possible "economic winner for the area." But, they have had "their hopes dashed, be it by the Tennessee Valley Authority or other actors." But during an interview Thursday, state Sen. Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro) "said there was reason to be more optimistic than not with the current efforts of Nuclear Development LLC, the prospective buyer of the facility." He said, "This project is basically built.... If we're fortunate to get both reactors going, we're looking at the possibility of having some 7,000 construction jobs out there for maybe as long as 10 years. It would be cyclical as maybe one reactor would come on, then they would bring the construction to other one up to speed slowly, but surely -
then operating 1,200-1,500 operators for both reactors. Well-paying jobs. It's all about economic development here."
Threat Of Grid Shortfall Prompts CPUC Procurement Proposal. Greentech Media (9/13, St.
John, Subscription Publication) reported that "state regulators
have proposed a major set of responses to what could be a looming grid reliability shortfall in Southern California, including a 2.5-gigawatt reliability resources procurement between 2021 and 2023." The plan is focused specifically on Southern California, "where a combination of nuclear power plant closures, natural gas system constraints, the coming closure of OTC plants along the coast, and projections of tightening conditions for capacity available for import from other states, has led state grid operator CAISO and utility Southern California Edison to project gigawatts of reliability shortfalls by 2021." SoCal Edison "will be responsible for the lion's share of the procurement, or 1.75 gigawatts by 2023." It "started with the forced closure of the San Onofre nuclear power plant in 2013, which led the CPUC to order Southern California Edison and neighboring utility San Diego Gas &
Electric to conduct a first-ever procurement of d1stributed energy resources such as solar, batteries, demand response and energy efficiency to help meet the resulting capacity and reliability shortfalls by decade's end - although the CPUC also allowed both companies to build new natural gas plants as well."
Senate Measure Excludes Funding For Yucca Mountain.
The Nevada Independent (9/14, Sanchez) reported that Nevada congressional delegation members "celebrated Senate Appropriations Committee approval last week of legislation funding the Department of Energy's annual budget, which included no funds to build a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain." Nevada Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen "have been on guard in case an amendment was filed to have the bill provide funding, similar to what was offered in the House and narrowly defeated earlier this year." The bill also "includes language that would allow for the DOE to create a pilot program for temporary storage of nuclear waste."
KSNV-TV Las Vegas (9/14, Gillan, 62K) reported online that the "Senate Appropriations Committee vote follows votes in the Democratically-controlled US House earlier this year that also denied Yucca Mountain more money." Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada) said, "Well, I'm really pleased that there's no funding for this unrealistic, unpopular, and what I believe just, is not the right place for us to store nuclear waste." Even so, the "Appropriations Bill still needs to be voted on by the full Senate."
KVVU-TV Las Vegas (9/13, Benavidez, 124K) reported on its website that "Mary Beth Sewald, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said Yucca Mountain was one of their priorities while city leaders visit Washington, D.C." She "mentioned there was no funding for Yucca Mountain in the Senate Appropriation Bill." Nevada Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto "have called on Congress to block the Yucca Mountain project during the 2019 Nevada 3
Legislative Session.
Several Democratic presidential candidates voiced their support of the legislation in May."
Behind a paywall ExchangeMonitor (9/13) also provided coverage.
Federal Government Filing Says Ending MOX Better For South Carolina. The Aiken (SC) Standard (9/13, Demarest, 40K) reported that the cancellation of the over-budget and past-due Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility was "more a blessing than a curse, the federal government argued in a recent Sl.lpreme Court brief, at the same time urging the high court to dismiss South Carolina's petition for legal review." According to the federal government's September 11 court filing, terminating the MOX project after more than a decade of work at the cost of "billions of dollars - actually lessens nuclear repercussions in the Palmetto State." The filing reads, "Indeed, the decision to halt construction of the MOX facility reduces the likelihood of injury by allowing the department to focus its resources on other disposal methods that can begin more quickly and with greater certainty."
Butterfield: Uranium Industry Crucial To US National Defense. In a commentary for Omaha (NE)
World-Herald (9/12, Butterfield, 641 K), Barry Butterfield of Omaha, a retired engineer and member emeritus of the American Nuclear Society, wrote that time is "running out on our nation's uranium industry, which is crucial to national defense and energy security." Unknown to "many Americans, this industry -
which once supplied most of the fuel for nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers -
is collapsing under the weight of cutthroat competition from Russia and China," countries which are "using state-subsidized exports of nuclear fuel to drive free-market companies in the U.S., Australia and Canada out of business." The US imports about 93% of Its uranium, mostly from "Russia and countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, and our dependence is likely to reach 99% by the end of 1his year." Butterfield adds that clearly, "this is a national security problem," and the "Trump administration and Congress must restore credibility to our policy on nuclear fuels."
Environmentalists Need To Embrace Nuclear Energy. In a piece for Forbes (9/13, Silverstein, 9. 71 M) contributor Ken Silverstein writes that emerging economies, such as China and India, are investing heavily into nuclear energy. Fourth generation nuclear plants, which are currently in development by GE and other companies, will have built-in safety features.
Nuclear Power Must Be Included In Climate Change Plans. The Indiana (PA) Gazette (9/14, News, 39K) carried a
New York Daily News opinion piece about the CNN town hall debate on climate change and how the Democratic candidates are Kvery right that an aggressive transition to cleaner forms of energy is imperative to protect coastal cities like New York from sea-level rise," but they are "very wrong to omit nuclear power, one of the most consistent and reliable forms of energy -
and an essentially zero-emissions generation method -from their transformation plans."
More Commentary. In an opinion piece for Green Valley (AZ) News (9/15, Taylor, 25K) Paul Taylor, wrote that in the Town Hall, several of the "candidates noted that nuclear energy cannot be considered a viable choice until we solve the nuclear waste problem. This problem was solved decades ago. Embarrassing!" Candidates *seemed to be uninformed about the limitations of solar and wind energy applications: Very low efficiency, requiring unacceptable fossil fuel backup; uses rare earth metals; large footprint unsuitable for urban areas; relatively short life span with early replacement costs; high subsidies add to base costs; vulnerable to storm damage; difficult, costly recycling; high maintenance costs; difficult grid connections; and cannot match the efficiency, safety, application choices and enormous energy output of modern nuclear power."
VR Used To Hjghlight Uranium Contamination In Gallup, NM. The AP (9/14) reports, "Activists are using virtual reality technology to focus on areas of the Navajo Nation affected by uranium contamination." The "arts collective Bombshelltoe has collected 360-degree footage of Churchrock, New Mexico, to show how people and the land have changed since a 1979 uranium mill spill, Gallup Independent reports." The project started "four years ago after Washington, D.C.-based nuclear policy program manager Lovely Umayam met Navajo activist Sunny Dooley at an event in Santa Fe."
RELATED NEWS:
Poll Indicates Respondents Do Not Favor Building New Nuclear Plants. TIME (9/13, 18.47M) reported that according to a new Associated Press-NORG Center for Public Affairs Research poll, President Donald Trump gets bad "marks from the American people when it comes to his handling of climate change, and majorities believe the planet is warming and support government actions that he has sometimes scoffed at." About "two out of three Americans say corporations have a responsibility to combat climate change, and a similar share also say it's the job of the U.S. government. Time adds that People say they are more likely to oppose than favor expanding offshore drilling (39% vs. 32%), allowing more use of hydraulic 4
tracking to extract oil and natural gas (45% vs. 22%) and building new nuclear power plants (43% vs. 26%)."
Senate Bill Would Provide $403 Million To WIPP. The Carlsbad (NM) Current-Argus {9/14, Hedden, 17K) reported that federal legislation moving toward the-floor of the US Senate for a full vote would add "$403 million for recovery operations and ongoing work" at New Mexico's Waste Isolation Pilot, in an effort "led by U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) and intended to fund operations at U.S. Department of Energy sites and projects across the country." The
'"funding will help bolster New Mexico's thriving science and technology economy - while providing the resources needed to ensure environmental clean-up and public safety,' Udall said." The senator added, "This bill invests in New Mexico's state of the art national labs and the men and women doing cutting-edge work at them, and it supports the tech transfer initiatives that energize and diversify our economy."
Senate Bill Would Provide Funding For DOE's Environmental Management.
Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/13) reported that the "Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved legislation that would provide $7.45 billion in fiscal 2020 for the Energy Department's Office of Environmental Management."
Commentary:
INL Community Becomes Employees' Family. In a piece for the Idaho Falls (ID)
Magazine (9/13 ), Shelly Norman, INL Public Affairs, wrote that "Linda Montgomery has served as INL General Counsel and is now the director of Knowledge Management.n She has a "cumulative 17 years at INUINEL." Three years ago, "she was recognized as one of the Top 50 Environmental Law Trailblazers for helping to craft Rocky Flats cleanup and saving the country billions of dollars. Norman adds, "Linda's sister, Nancy Makey, worked 33 years at the lab in a variety of pursuits from mechanical engineering to human factors, and ultimately became the lab's first female fire marshal."
Norman continued, "Clearly, working at INL has been a family affair" for some but the reach extends beyond blood or marriage. 'When you work at INL, the community becomes your family,' says Linda."
Solar, Wind Energy's Low Costs Have Helped Them Thrive.
Bloomberg Business (9/15, Doan, Eckhouse, Cannon, Recht, 4.73M) reported Peabody Energy CEO Gregory Boyce said In 2010 that it was "unrealistic to suggest that renewables could replace conventional baseload fuels." But nearly a decade later, "for the first time ever, renewable energy supplied more power to America's grid than coal - the clearest sign yet that solar and wind can now go head-to-head with fossil fuels." Low costs have "sparked a clean-power frenzy that has quadrupled global renewable
energy capacity to 1,650 gigawatts within the past nine years
- more than every power plant in the U.S. combined." Indeed, solar and wind are succeeding "not because of moral do-gooders but because they're now the most profitable part of the power business in most of the world." BloombergNEF forecasts solar and wind will power half the planet by 2050, while coal and nuclear will have all but disappeared in the U.S., forced out by cheaper renewables and natural gas:*
IN THE BLOGS:
Anti-Nuclear-Contamination Pill Could Help Protect MRI Patients From Toxicity Linked To Gadolinium Retention. Medical Xpress (9/13, Duque, 11K) reported that in 2014, researchers at the U.S.
Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory "developed ah anti-radiation-poisoning pill." The pill's "'active pharmaceutical ingredient....what scientists call a
'chelator' - is designed to remove radioactive contaminants from the body in the event of... a nuclear reactor meltdown, or... surviving a nuclear attack." Researchers are now "studying how that very same pill could help to protect people from the potential toxicity of something else - the long-term retention of gadolinium. a critical ingredient in widely used contrast dyes for MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans."
Chemist Rebecca Abergel said, "Our current work could help thousands of patients who rely on MRls to have a better understanding of where a tumor might be located and whether ifs cancerous and has spread to other organs but are concerned about the potential side effects caused by the retention of gadolinium inside the body."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
Opinion: Green Activists Need To Give Nuclear Power A Chance. In a piece for the Independent (UK)
(9/15, 1.36M), Pieter Cleppe, writes that Germany's Green party released a report last month concluding that 18 "nuclear power plants in the European Union are operating without having been subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment." While the conclusions were meant to suggest that the EU's NPPs are unsafe.II in fact, according to the International Energy Agency, "nuclear energy is the second-largest low-carbon power source in the world today, accounting for 1 O per cent of global electricity generation. If "you're worried about CO2 levels, that's bad news. Without nuclear power, emissions from electricity generation would have been almost 20 per cent higher between 1971 and 2018, according to the IEA."
5 Uranium Sector Continues To Lag.
The Prospector (CAN) (9/13, Mills) reported that a week ago "Cameco announced it will maintain low output levels until uranium prices recover." The "Canadian uranium miner also said it might cut production further, having already closed four mines in Canada and laid off 2,000 of its workers in the uranium mining hub of Saskatchewan." Such news as this has "stalked the uranium market for years, and while 2018 was a great year for the nuclear fuel, hope for a price pick-up is dim; once an important commodity at resource investing shows, uranium is now mostly ignored." Uranium bulls "are as rare as white unicorns, having switched allegiance to metals that support Ahead of the Herd's electrification of the transportation system thesis, like lithium, ni.ckel and cobalt."
Companies Sign Up To Partnership To Develop Nuclear Programs.
Insider Media (9/13, Farrell) reported, "Nuclear engineering specialist Assystem and lender Provident Financial have signed up to the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme," which "aims to promote the strategic and economic value of the North with continued investment in the region and a particular focus on education and skills development, enterprise and innovation. The company is "involved in the development of nuclear programmes abroad as well as in the UK at Hinkley Point C.
A team of scientists based in Sunderland are currently supporting the creation of the world's largest fusion prototype, ITER, in France as well as UK experiments run by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) in Oxfordshire."
Commentary: Taiwan Has Other Choices Besides Nuclear, Coal. In a commentary, the Taipei
{TWN) Times (9/14, Jian, 832K) writes that when Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, the Chinese Nationalist Party's presidential candidate, "put forward his vision for an energy pollcy on Aug. 21, he proposed that work on 1the mothballed Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City's Gongliao District...could be restarted under certain conditions." This proposal has "sparked a new war of words between the pan-blue and pan-green political camps." To "defeat their opponents, some Taiwanese politicians put the debate about energy resources in terms that suggest that if we do not have nuclear power, we will have to burn coal, and if we do not burn coal, we will have to have nuclear power." They are "not shy of belittling or even completely negating the value of renewable energy sources and improved energy efficiency, which are much less controversial and have considerable potential."
Infrastructure Fund Consortium Seeks Stake In UK's Nuclear Power Plants.
Reuters (9/14, Ponnezhath) reported, A consortium of infrastructure funds
led by Dalmore is in advanced talks to buy a stake in Britain's nuclear power stations from EDF Energy and Centrica Pie for about 1.2 billion pounds ($1.50 billion), Sky News reported on Saturday." EDF Energy and Centrica would "sell. 10% of the EDF Generation business, Sky reported, adding that JP Morgan has been tasked with finding investors to acquire more shares of the French state-owned utility and Centrica 1s remaining stake."
Falana: Nuclear Power Vital To Nigeria's Energy Mix. Nigeria's Leadership Newspaper (9/15, lzuora) carries an interview with TREDIC StarCore Business Representative Abayomi Olushola Falana, who says Nigeria's policy on nuclear power initiative will help resolve the country's energy crisis." According to Falana, the "unbundling of Nigeria's power sector with the privatisation in November 2013 of the 10 National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) known as GenCos and the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies known as DisCos, has not fetched us the desired huge success story largely because electricity supply to consumers has been characterised as by high degree of unreliability, low voltage and high outages." Falana added, "Nigeria needs a more diverse and balanced energy mix" and "Nuclear is a vital part of our energy mix, providing low carbon power now and into the future." As "we are all aware, the world is moving towards low carbon energy which justifies the increasing need to eonsider the nuclear power plants as suitable sustainable energy mix.
Russia's First Floating Nuclear Plant Reaches New Base In Chukotka Region. Reuters (9/14, Sotdatkin) reported, "Russia's first-floating nuclear power plant has arrived to its permanent base near an isolated Russian town across the Bering Strait from Alaska, Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom said on Saturday."
Rosatom's "Akademik Lomonosov", Which began Its 3,100 mile journey August 23 "through Arctic waters to reach the Chukotka region," will replace "a coal-fired power plant and an aging nuclear power plant supplying, more than 50,000 people with electricity in Chukotka." Rosatom "said it aims to make the floating station operational by the year-end. It would become the world's northernmost nuclear power station.
Critics Concerned Administration Will Allow Saudis To Develop Nuclear Weapons. Bloomberg (9/13, 4.73M) reports that Energy Secretary Perry "plans to meet with Saudi Arabia's new energy minister" at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on Monday "as the U.S. remains in talks with the kingdom for a deal to construct nuclear reactors there that could help the flagging U.S. domestic nuclear industry." According to Bloomberg, the Trump Administration "has been in talks with 6
Saudi Arabia to forge a nuclear sharing agreement since 2017, but it has been met with increasing alarm from Congress and others concerned they could forge a deal that doesn't prohibit the kingdom from enriching uranium."
Bloomberg says proponents of such a deal "have faced bipartisan criticism from congressional critics after reports the Trump administration wouldn't seek the 'Gold Standard' under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act to prohibit the Saudis from enriching nuclear fuel into weapons-grade material - activities linked to the proliferation of nuclear weapons."
Reuters (9/13, Gardner) reports that the kingdom "has so far resisted agreeing to standards that would block its ability to enrich uranium and reprocessing of plutonium, possible pathways to making an atomic weapon." On Monday, "Prince Abdulaz1z said the kingdom wanted to enrich uranium for its nuclear power program, potentially complicating talks with the Trump administration on the atomic pact and the role of U.S. companies." Perry "told reporters at department headquarters on Friday the kingdom must ag~ee to so-called 123 nonproliferation standards before coming to any agreement."
S&P Global Platts (9/13, Scheid, 1 K) reports that Abdulaziz, the "hatt-brother of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was named energy minister last week, replacing Khalid al-Falih. Perry said he had met previously with Abdulaziz, who served as deputy to longtime Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi." Perry "did not comment further on the meeting, but the two are likely to discuss US sanctions on Iran." Saudi Arabia has "pushed for a hardline from the US on Iran and opposed sanctions waivers the US had initially granted to some of Iran's biggest oil customers, including China."
Drone Attacks Set Off Explosions, Fires At Saudi Oil Facilities. The Washington Post (9/14, A 1, Fahim, 14.2M) reports two drone attacks on state-owned Aramco oil facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia "set off explosions and massive fires early Saturday, according lo videos posted online and the Saudi interior ministry." The "attacks occurred about 4 a.m. in the provinces of Khurais, the site of a large oil field, and Abqaiq, where Aramco maintains its largest oil-processing facility." Though there was no claim of responsibtlity following the attack, rebel Houthis in Yemen have "previously carried out drone attacks inside Saudi territory, the Post says.
The Wall Street Journal (9/14, Malsin, Said, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) provides similar coverage.
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News Local Vermont Officials Tell NRC That Nuclear Decommissioning Panels Need Funding............................. 1 Senate Energy Bill Would Trim NRC FY20 Budget Plan By
$66.5 Million.......................................................................... 1 NRC Extends Comment Period For Update To Greater-Than-Class C Waste Disposal Rule............................................... 1 NRC Finds That Storing TMI Partially Melted Core At Idaho Site Not A Threat.......................................................................... 2 Exelon To Host Dresden Generating Station Open House Tuesday................................................................................. 2 Orsted Planning To Build Wind Facility At Oyster Creek Plant Site........................................................................................ 2 DOE Taps Davis-Besse Plant For Hydrogen Research Project... 2 Texas Gov Abbott Names NRC Liaison Janecka To TCEQ......... 2 Cook Plant Officials To Conduct Warning Siren Tests Next Three Weeks......................................................................... 3 NRC To Update Regulatory Guide For License Renewal A I' pp IcatIons........................................................................... 3 Orange County Lawmakers To Consider Project To Help Replace Power From Indian Point Plant............................... 3 NRC NEWS:
Local Vermont Officials Tell NRC That Nuclear Decommissioning Panels Need Funding. The Brattleboro (VT) Reformer (9/16, Smallheer, 21 K) reports that Vermont state and local officials last week told staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that "citizen panels working on nuclear decommissioning issues need more resources."
The Reformer adds, "June Tierney, the commissioner of the Department of Public Service, and Christopher Campany, executive director of the Windham Regional Commission, said the citizen panels need financial help -
and they suggested it should come from the owners of the nuclear plants undergoing demolition and cleanup." Campany and Tierney, who have both served on the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel, "said resources would help the overall goal of educating the public and addressing the public's concerns about decommissioning."
Related News Senate Measure Would Fund WIPP With $403 Million................. 3 In the Biogs NRDC Blog Faults NRC For Vote To Reconsider Seismic Flooding Hazard Risks.............................................. '............ 3 American Society of Nuclear Cardiology With Eight Other Societies Publish Consensus Document On Cardiac Amyloidosis Best Practices................................................... 3 International Nuclear News Tubb: World Needs Clean Nuclear Power.....................................4 French Nuclear Fears Stoke Power Price Volatility.......................4 Russian Nuclear Power Plant Ship Reaches Arctic Port Of Pevek....................................................................................4 Alleged Spy Had Access To "High-Level Intelligence" From Canada's Allies.....................................................................4 Trump Says Iran Probably Behind Strike On Saudi Refinery, But That He Does Not "Want War..............................................4 Tierney "said it is clear to her that 'resources were not adequate,' but she said she didn't think the cost of the panels should fall on 'ratepayers or taxpayers of Vermont."'
Senate Energy Bill Would Trim NRC FY20 Budget Plan By $66.5 Million. Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/16) reports that the US "Senate Appropriations Committee is recommending an $841.2 million budget for most operations at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the upcoming 2020 federal budget year. That would be just over $66.5 million less than the federal regulator requested."
NRC Extends Comment Period For Update To Greater-Than-Class C Waste Disposal Rule.
Behind a paywaH, ExchangeMonitor (9/16) reports that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is "giving stakeholders an additional 60 days to comment on a draft regulatory basis that could lay the groundwork for an update t9 regulations on
disposal of Greater-Than-Class C low-level radioactive waste."
NRC Finds That Storing TMI Partially Melted Core At Idaho Site Not A Threat. The AP (9/16, Ridler) reported that Energy Department officials said Monday that the Three Mile Island nuclear plant's partially melted reactor core could remain in Idaho at a site near the Idaho National Laboratory for another 20 years if NRC regulators finalize a license extension. The NRC has "determined there would be no significant impact from extending the license to store the core at the 890-square-mile (2,305-square-kilometer) site." The NRC would "also have to complete a safety evaluation report before renewing the license." NRC "spokesman David McIntyre said that will likely happen in the next several days. The DOE "site sits atop the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, a Lake Erie-size underground body of water that supplies cities and farms in the region with water." The AP (9/16) also moved an abbreviated version of the story.
WHP-TV (9/17, 5K) also broadcast the story.
Exelon To Host Dresden Generating Station Open House Tuesday. The Braidwood (IL) Journal (9/16, 3K) reported that Exelon Generation will host a Community Information Night for the Dresden Generating Station September 17, from 4 to 6:30 pm. Visitors will see firsthand how the plant produces enough carbon-free energy to power nearly 1.5 million area homes and businesses."
Station employees "will be on hand to explain nuclear plant operations, maintenance and engineering practices, environmental stewardship, radiological safety, emergency preparedness and much more." Additionally, visitors are "invited to tour the station's control room simulator, which is used to train reactor operators. The event will be "held rain or shine In the Dresden Training Building, and complimentary sweet treats will be provided,"
Orsted Planning To Build Wind Facility At Oyster Creek Plant Site. 12-TV (9/17, 17K) broadcast that the company bringing "offshore wind energy to New Jersey has chosen" Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant site as the "space for its land based operations." Ocean wind LLC -
"which owns Danish power company Orsted - will open a facility at the recently c1osed... nuclear plant in Forked River, Lacey township." Orsted plans to build an 1,100-megawatt offshore wind facility close to 15 miles away from the coast of Atlantic City.
The Press of Atlantic City (NJ) (9/16, Jackson, 177K) reports Ocean Wind LLC, "which owns Orsted, the Danish power company, has decided to bring offshore wind power to the shut down Oyster Creek nuclear plant." The wind farm 2
"has both an offshore and an onshore component." Orsted was "choosing among Atlantic City, Ocean City and Ocean County as the location for the substation on land." Lauren Burm, head of Public Affairs and Communications for Orsted, said, "Last week we experienced a project milestone when the BPU approved our request to purchase capacity interconnection rights, known as CIRs, for our Ocean Wind project." Burm added, "This action provides the project with additional certainty in the interconnection process and advances our efforts to potentially connect the wind farm to the existing electrical grid infrastructure at the retired Oyster Creek nuclear facility."
DOE Taps Davis-Besse Plant For Hydrogen Research Project. The Press (OH) (9/16) reported on the Energy Department's $9.2 million research project at Davis-Besse plant to install an electrolysis unit" after the DOE selected FirstEnergy Solutions "to develop a light-water hybrid energy system. The project will address interfaces required for hybrid operations, including controls to apportion power output between the electrical grid and an electrolysis unit. FES said that it "welcomes the opportunity to partner with" the DOE and the Idaho National Labs on "the demonstration project at Davis-Besse" that "will utilize the clean, carbon-free electricity from the nuclear plant to produce hydrogen for the beneficial use by industrial and commercial customers within and around the State of Ohio.
Letter Writer Blasts "Overreaching" HB 6 Nuclear Bailout Bill. In a letter to the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/16, 895K), Art Brooks, of Cleveland Heights wrote that the "spectacle of House Bill 6 in which an overreaching
'public' utility persuades a docile legislature to relieve it of the effects of its mismanagement by enacting a blatant 'public' subsidy and then resorting to deceitful and belligerent, even goonlike, intimidation to keep citizens from using its referendum authority to repeal the legislation" is bad enough.
But perhaps the "worst aspect of all this is how this advertising demeans the intelligence of the Ohio electorate, all to avoid the disciplines of that public utility's own market failure."
Texas Gov Abbott Names NRC Liaison Janecka To TCEQ.
The Houston Chronicle (9/16, Douglas, 730K) reports, "Bobby Janecka, a policy aide to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and representative on the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was appointed by the governor to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Monday." Janecka assumes a seat '1hat had been vacant since last September when former TCEQ Chair Bryan Shaw suddenly stepped down and was replaced as chair by commissioner Jon Niermann." The Chronicle adds that "Janecka, 35, has served on the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, a federal agency tasked with regulating nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, since be[ng appointed to the position by the governor in May." According to a Abbott announcement, Janecka "is the State Liaison Officer to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission."
Cook Plant Officials To Conduct Warning Siren Tests Next Three Weeks. WSBT-TV South Bend, IN (9/16, 134K) reported that beginning Monday, people living within 10 miles of the Cook Nuclear Plant will start hearing the warning sirens. Cook plant officials will test "all 70 of the early warning sirens for the next three weeks." Each siren "will be tested individually, about three to four times for 30 seconds each." Testing will be conducted between 8 a.m.
and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday for the next three weeks.
NRC To Update Regulatory Guide For License Renewal Applications. JD Supra (9/16, Lewis, 3K) reports, "NRC Staff has made publicly available copies of Draft Regulatory Gulde 1341, Standard Format and Content for Applications to Renew Nuclear Power Plant Operating Licenses, and a supporting Regulatory Analysis." Draft Regulatory Guide 1341 is intended to revise Regulatory Guide 1.188 (as Revision 2 thereto) to update references to other NRC license renewal guidance documents, and to expressly extend the guidance to applications for subsequent license renewal (SLR), i.e., the renewal of a reactor operating license for a second 20-year period, from 60 years to 80 years."
Orange County Lawmakers To Consider Project To Help Replace Power From Indian Point Plant. The Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record (9/16, McKenna, 147K) reports that Orange County lawmakers will soon debate over a "proposed replacement for the Danskammer power plant in the Town of Newburgh by taking up a resolution that would declare their support for the
$400 million project." The statement "set to be introduced on Wednesday argues the new natural gas-fired plant would be beneficial because it would produce cleaner emissions than the existing plant and help fill a void that will be left when the lndlan Point nuclear plant closes, among other reasons." If "approved by the Rules, Enactments and lntergovernment Relations Committee, the resolution would go to the full, 21-member Legislature for a vote on Oct. 3."
RELATED NEWS:
Senate Measure Would Fund WIPP With $403 Million. The Albuquerque (NM) Journal (9/17, Hedden, 196K) reports, "Almost half a billion dollars could be coming to the Waste Isolation Pilot as federal legislation advanced to 3
the floor of the U.S. Senate, led by U.S. Sen. Tom Udal, D-NM, and intended to fund operations at U.S. Department of Energy sites and projects across the country." Sen. Udall's Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously supported the bill, sending it to the Senate floor for a full vote. "The legislation provided federal funds for New Mexico's national labs, environmental clean-up projects and tribal energy programs throughout the U.S., along with about $403 million for recovery operations and ongoing work at WIPP - an underground repository for transuranic waste near Carlsbad.
IN THE BLOGS:
NRDC Blog Faults NRC For Vote To Reconsider Seismic, Flooding Hazard Risks. In an NRDC (9/16, 27K) blog, Christina Chen writes that since climate action "isn't simply about reducing emissions - it's also about addressing local environmental concerns and minimizing risks to human health and safety," in order for nuclear power to "have a role in addressing climate change, stronger safety and environmental regulations will be needed." Chen adds, "Unfortunately, this approach is missing from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which in January voted in a 3-to-2 decision to water down recommendations from its own staff to reevaluate seismic and flooding hazards at nuclear sites." The January "ruling came almost eight years after staff scientists released a list of recommendations in direct response to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown." With the "approval (and pending approvals) this year to rollback multiple safety regulations, the U.S. nuclear fleet, the oldest in the world, cannot afford to wait another decade to strengthen safety and environmental regulations in preparation of climate change - in this case, rising sea levels."
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology With Eight Other Societies Publish Consensus Document On Cardiac Amyloidosis Best Practices.
Cardiovascular Business (9/16) reports the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ANSC) and eight other nuclear medlcine and cardiology societies have published a consensus document outlining the best practices for imaging and diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis." The statement was "a joint effort from the ASNC, American Heart Association (AHA), American College of Cardiology (ACC),
American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), International Society of Amyloidosis (ISA), Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) and Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). The statement came from a need to update diagnostic criteria for cardiac amyloidosis,
according to a release" as "newer imaging methods have facilitated earlier diagnosis of the disease and improved treatments."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
Tubb: World Needs Clean Nuclear Power. In a "Business Perspectives" on CNN International (9/16) Katie Tubb of the Heritage Foundation's Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, writes that the "challenge to meet the world's energy needs is massive and growing but there "is a clean option that could meet this challenge:
Nuclear energy." While nuclear power has "battled persistent PR problems in the past, things seem to be changing - and rightly so." Last year, the "Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), an annual gathering of energy ministers from 26 countries and the European Commission, included nuclear energy as a clean energy source for the first time and launched an initiative to encourage others energy organizations to do the same." Tubb adds, nuclear power is "clean in the sense that it produces a lot of energy for its small physical footprint." And while wind and solar energy "enjoy a much better reputation" than nuclear, they both require favorable weather conditions and backup power to be online in case weather doesn't cooperate. Nuclear reactors are online and generating power 93% of the time, compared with wind (37%) and solar (26%),"
French Nuclear Fears Stoke Power Price Volatility. Platts (9/16) reports that power prices in France for 04 2019 "rose 24% last week after nuclear generator EDF announced it was examining sub-standard components in steam generators. Subsequent information "confirmed 20 generators were affected across at least five reactors, implying around 5 GW of nuclear capacity could be facing extended outages this winter as the problems are fixed." EDF will "propose its own solutions in the next few days, but forward supply uncertainty will continue until French nuclear regulator ASN has itself ruled on what needs to happen in one month's time."
Russian Nuclear Power Plant Ship Reaches Arctic Port Of Pevek. Power Engineering (9/16) reports that the Russian floating nuclear power plant, Akademik Lomonosov, arrived at its Arctic port of Pevek in the nation's far east." The Rosatom nuclear agency reported that the ship-borne reactor plant is at the port and "nearly ready for commercial operation." Power Engineering reported in April that the Lomonsov passed a series of tests on its twin KL T-40 reactor system." The Russian utllity "Rosenergoatom announced that reactors No. 1 and 2 were brought up to 100 percent capacity in testing late March." The ~onshore and hydraulic structures for the floating nuclear power plant are 4
set to be completed soon." The "Lomonosov is expected to deliver power into the Russian electric grid by December.
Alleged Spy Had Access To High-Level Intelligence" From Canada's Allies.
The Washington Post {9/16, Coletta, 14.2M) reports that Cameron Ortis, "a top Canadian intelligence official charged with violating the nation's rarely used secrets law, had access to high-level intelligence from Canada's international allies."
Ortis, who is director general of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's National Intelligence Coordination Center, "a unit that deals with national security risks ranging from financing terrorism to nuclear threats... was arrested and charged last week with obtaining Information to give to a foreign entity or terrorist
- group, communicating
'special operational information,' and breach of trust." According to the Post, "It is not clear what information Ortis is accused of trying to leak, whom the recipients might have been or Whether he was successful."
Reuters (9/16, Ljunggren) reports that the Ortis was "looking into allegations that Russian tax fraudsters had laundered millions of dollars through Canada." However, the RCMP "did not say to whom the information was leaked."
Trump Says Iran Probably Behind Strike On Saudi Refinery, But That He Does Not '
1Want War." All three broadcast networks opened their Monday evening newscasts with coverage of the US reaction to the weekend strike on what Jonathan Karl on ABC World News Tonight (9/16, lead story, 3:02, Muir, 7.06M) called "the world's largest oil refinery in Saudi Arabia." Karl said President Trump had "a restrained response Monday.
Trump: "I don't want war with anybody. I'm somebody that would like not to have war." Karl: "The attack produced an inferno so large, the smoke was visible from outer space. A senior administration official tells ABC News the attack involved nearly a dozen cruise missiles and at least 20 armed drones launched from Iranian soil."
Norah O'Donnell said on the CBS Evening News (9/16, lead story, 2:46, 4.27M), "It is decision time for President Trump, who tonight is weighing how to respond to an unprecedented attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. His first move: sending his Secretary of State to Saudi Arabia." CBS' Weijia Jiang: "President Trump stopped short of blaming Iran for the attacks on two Saudi oil plants, but indicated it was likely Iran, and a US intelligence official tells CBS News that Tehran did indeed launch the attack." Trump: "Well, it's looking that way. We'll have some pretty good - we're having some very strong studies done, but it's certainly looking that way at this moment."
Lester Holt said on NBC Nightly News (9/ 16, lead story, 2:10, 5.91M), "The weekend attack on Saudi oil fields is
becoming less of a 'whodunnit' tonight, and for the United States, more of a 'what to do about it.' Evidence analyzed by US intelligence is believed to point toward Iran as the culprit, but the case isn't closed, and with so much of the world's oil supply hanging in the balance, White House options to retaliate may be limited."
The AP (9/16, Gambrell, Batrawy, Burns) reports that the Trump Administration tried Monday "to build its case... that Iran was behind" the attack, which "raised new war worries and sent energy prices soaring." The AP says US officials "released satellite images of the damage," and "alleged the pattern of destruction suggested Saturday's attack did not come from neighboring Yemen, as claimed by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels there. Reuters (9/16, El Gamal, El Yaakoubi) reports Iran "has rejected U.S. charges it was behind the strikes," but the Wall Street Journal (9/16, Nissenbaum, Said, Malsin, Tunisia, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports US intelligence indicates Iran was the staging ground for the attack. The Washington Times (9/16, Howell, 492K) reports "the Saudis said Iranian weapons were used in the attacks."
USA Today (9/16, Jackson, 10.31 M) reports, "A day after threatening an armed response over an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities," Trump said that it "looks as rf Iran was responsible - but he doesn't want war.... Trump said his administration is consulting with Saudi Arabia, but the Saudis would not direct U.S. actions." The New York Times (9/16, Perez-Pena, Kirkpatrick, Crowley, 18.61 M) reports that Trump nevertheless said Monday that he believes Iranian officials "want to make a deal to end US sanctions tied to its nuclear program, and asserted that "at some point it will work out." Trump also told reporters that he has not 'promised' to protect the Saudis."
The Washington Post (9/16, Cunningham, Gearan, Mufson, Fahim, 14.2M) reports Trump on Monday stopped short of directly blaming Iran for a major attack on Saudi Arabian oil installations, allaying, at least for the moment, fears of a military conflict" between the US and Iran. Asked what "message he wanted to send to Iran, the president replied, 'I think I'll have a stronger message, or maybe no message at all, when we get the final results of what we're looking at."' Trump added, "There's no rush.
Politico (9/16, Oprysko, 4.29M) says Trump repeatedly insisted that he was not looking to go to war with Iran, though he did tell reporters that 'sometimes you have to' engage in military conflict. Politico reports that Trump "swatted away a reporter's query about whether diplomacy with Iran had been exhausted, declaring that is 'never' the case." Susan Page of USA Today said on Fox News Special Report (9/16, 1.53M),
I did think we saw a change in view on the President's part over this time. I think initially his tweets and comments were pretty aggressive. 'Locked and loaded' is a pretty aggressive term. This afternoon, he seemed to be taking maybe one step back, saying diplomacy hadn't been exhausted."
5 The Washington Post (9/16, Ryan, Lamothe, 14.2M) reports Pentagon officials "recommended a restrained response" Monday, "arguing against a potentially costly conflict with Iran." Defense Secretary Esper said the "military and other government agencies were 'working with our partners to address this unprecedented attack and defend the international rules-based order that is being undermined by Iran."' The Washington Examiner (9/16, Read, 448K) reports Esper "said that he spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Iraqi Defense Minister Najah al-Shammari about the attacks over the weekend and briefed Trump on Monday."
Energy Secretary Perry said on CNBC's Squawk On The Street (9/16, 262K), You've got a country in the Middle East that's causing great havoc, and the message is clear and I hope every country in the world joins us in saying we are not going to accept their malign activities.... I think the message is clear not just to Iran, but the message is clear to the global community here, that this is not activity that's acceptable. I think there will be a coalition effort both our friends in the Middle East that understand having a crazy neighbor is a real problem."
The New York Times (9/16, Baker, Sanger, 18.61 M) examines Trump's Twitter statement this weekend in which "he promised to wait for Saudi Arabia to tell him 'under what terms we would proceed.'... Whether, and how, to commit forces is one of the most critical decisions any American president can make, but Mr. Trump's comment gave the impression that he was outsourcing the decision." The fact that it was Saudi Arabia - a difficult ally that came under intense criticism for the killing and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, the dissident and Washington Post columnist -
reinforced the longstanding criticism that the energy-rich kingdom buys American support."
The New York Times (9/16, Specia, 18.61M) reports that Iranian Foreign Ministry "dismissed the possibillty of a meeting between" Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week." Gerald Seib wrttes in his Wall Street Journal (9/16, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) column that there are forces that would prefer military conflict to diplomacy, and that Iran's hardliners may have launched the attack to stall any chance of talks.
The Washington Post (9/16, Cunningham, Noack, 14.2M) reports the attack "has highlighted what analysts say is a rapidly evolving threat from Iranian-made weapons in the region, marking a potentially alarming shift toward precision strikes on critical infrastructure." The New York Post (9/16, Fredericks, 4.57M), the Washington Times (9/16, Howell, Meier, 492K), and The Hill (9/16, Chalfant, 2.98M) also have reports.
US Lawmakers Condemn Attack, But Split On Course Of Action.
Reuters (9/16, Zengerle) reports
members of Congress of both parties "blasted Iran after the attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, but expressed wariness about U.S. military action, especially before they have a clearer picture of who was behind lt." Senate Majority Leader McConnell "called it 'a brazen attack' with significant implications for the global energy market and said he welcomed Trump's preparation to potentially release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to stabilize markets If necessary." Bloomberg (9/16, Wingrove, Flatley, 4.73M) reports Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Monday "that Trump should consider attacking Iranian oil refineries," but Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said direct U.S. intervention would be *a grave mistake."'
Copyright 2019 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission prohibited. Content is drawn from thousands of newspapers, national magazines, national and local television programs, radio broadcasts, social-media platforms and additional forms of open-source data. Sources for Bulletin Intelligence audience-size estimates include Scarborough, GfK MRI, comScore, Nielsen, and the Audtt Bureau of Circulation. Data from and access to third party social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, lnstagram and others, is subject to the respective platform's terms of use. Services that include Factiva content are governed by Factiva's terms of use. Services including embedded Tweets are also subject to Twitter for Website's information and privacy policies. The NRC News Summary is published five days a week by Bulletin Intelligence, which creates custom briefings for government and corporate leaders. We can be found on the Web at Bulletinlntelligence.com, or called at (703) 483-6100.
6
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 7:00AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News Orsted Plans To Connect Offshore Wind Farm To Oyster Creek Plant's Transmission Infrastructure...................................... 1 NRC Visit To Plymouth Stirs Ui:.i Anger About Pilgrim Plant Decommissioning Plans........................................................ 2 NRC Confirms That Recent VLLW Disposal Directives Do Not Apply To Waste Control Specialists Site.............................. 2 Entergy Announces Leadership Personnel Changes At Waterford 3 And Arkansas Nuclear One.............................. 2 Duke Energy Pledges To Release No Carbon Emissions By 2050...................................................................................... 2 Letter Writer Discusses Visit To Brunswick Plant.......................... 2 UCS Exec Says Nuclear Power Needed To Decarbonize Energy Sector....................................................................... 2 NEI Lauds DOE Plan To Use Three Nuclear Plants For Hydrogen Production Demonstration Projects..................... 3 Sen. Booker Says Nuclear Waste Storage Needs Local Partnership............................................................................ 3 Plant Hatch To Test Sirens Tuesday Evening............................... 3 Letter Writer Says HB6 Debate Has Not Addressed Huge Amount Of Nuclear Waste.................................................... 3 Romanian Power Producer Shuts Down Cernavoda Unit 1 Reactor.................................................................................. 3 Related News Two Dutch Tourists Guilty Of Trespassing At Nevada National Security Site.......................................................................... 3 NASA Developing Nuclear-Powered Drone For Visit To Saturn Moon..................................................................................... 3 NRC NEWS:
Orsted Plans To Connect Offshore Wind Farm To Oyster Creek Plant's Transmission Infrastructure. The AP (9/17) reports that the Danish wind energy pioneer Orsted, is planning a wind energy farm near Atlantic City that "could bring its power ashore at the site of a former nuclear power plant." Orsted "says it would run a cable from the Atlantic City offshore site to the former Oyster Creek nuclear plant in Lacey Township." There is already Disarmament Advocate Blasts Plan For Plutonium Pit Production At LANL..............................................................4 In the Biogs Bacon: Northam's Clean Energy Plan Makes No Mention Of Nuclear Power.......................................................................4 International Nuclear News Brexit Uncertainty May Imperil Rolls-Royce's Small Modular Reactor Project..................................................................... 4 EDF, Westinghouse To Discuss Developing Small Modular Reactor.................................................................................. 4 EDF Says Welding Problems Do Not Require Reactors To Close..................................................................................... 4 France To Distribute Iodine To Residents Living Close To Nuclear Plants.......................................................................4 Japan, South Korea Clash At IAEA Over Fukushima-Tainted Water..................................................................................... 5 Trump Administration Urges Saudi Arabia To Allow IAEA Inspections............................................................................ 5 TEPCO Executives On Trial Over Fukushima Disaster................ 5 Bulgarian Nuclear Regulator To Extend Kozloduy's Unit 6 License.................................................................................. 5 Perry Says Argentina's IAEA Contender "Sounds Like A Perfect Candidate."............................................................................ 5 Media Analyses: Trump Has Few Options For Punishing Iran Short Of All-Out War............................................................. 6 South Korea Officials Fear Iran Clash Could Derail Progress On North Korea Nuke Deal......................................................... 6 "extensive electrical transmission infrastructure at the site.
Orsted ~says it bought so-called 'capacity interconnection rights' at the Oyster Creek site."
Sierra Club Approves Of Orsted Plan. WHYY-TV Philadelphia (9/17, 24K) reported online that New Jersey Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel "lauded the approval." Tittel said, "Oyster Creek is a very good location for Orsted to build an offshore wind farm. There are sub stations and power lines already in place to connect to. This is important to get the power on land without building any more power lines."
KYW-TV (9/17, 8.27M) broadcast the story.
NRC Visit To Plymouth Stirs Up Anger About Pilgrim Plant Decommissioning Plans.
The Duxbury (MA) Clipper (9/18, Nadler) reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission "came to Plymouth last Wednesday to learn [about] volunteer oversight groups, like the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel," which has reviewed the decommissioning plan for the Pilgrim nuclear power plant.
NRC Confirms That Recent VLLW Disposal Directives Do Not Apply To Waste Control Specialists Site. Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/17). reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday affirmed that directives in recent years regarding disposal of very low-level radioactive waste (VLL W) do not apply to a facility operated by Waste Control Specialists
(:NCS) on its West Texas property."
Entergy Announces Leadership Personnel Changes At Waterford 3 And Arkansas Nuclear One. STL News (MO) (9/17) reports that Entergy Nuclear Chief Operating Officer Chris Bakken "announced senior leadership changes at two of Entergy's nuclear stations, Arkansas Nuclear One and Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station, effective Sept. 30." These personnel moves "are in alignment with the company's succession plans and focus on developing and growing leaders from within the organization."
ANO Site Vice President Rich Anderson "will be retiring after more than 40 years ln the nuclear industry." Waterford 3 Site Vice President John Dinelli is "assuming the site vice president role at ANO, reporting to Entergy Nuclear COO-North Larry Coyle." Current Waterford 3 General Manager Sergio Vazquez, "has been promoted to site vice president at the plant, reporting to Entergy Nuclear COO-South John Ventosa."
Duke Energy Pledges To Release No Carbon Emissions By 2050.
The Charlotte (NC) Observer (9/17, Henderson, 470K) reports that Duke Energy of Charlotte, NC also pledged Tuesday to "release no net carbon emissions by 2050, becoming what the company says is the largest U.S. power generator to make that commitment." The "non-binding goal was spurred largely by Duke's increasing reliance on natural gas, which is cheaper and releases fewer planet-warming emissions than the coal that has fallen out of favor in recent years." Duke's commitment "also depends on continued use of nuclear power plants, expansion of solar and wind energy and development of new technologies, such as large-scale energy storage and the capture and storage of carbon emissions." Duke "calls continued reliance on nuclear energy, one of its bedrock: sources of energy, 'central to our ability to 2
meet these (carbon) goals."' Duke Energy's "six nuclear plants in the Carolinas are aging, with their federal licenses expiring between 2030 and 2046. But Duke hopes for new technologies such as small, modular plants to emerge."
Letter Writer Discusses Visit To Brunswick Plant. In a letter to the editor of the New Kent Charles City NA) Chronicle (9/17), Wanda Roberts of Charles City, wrote:
"I was one of nine Charles City residents that attended the tour of the Dominion Energy plants in Brunswick." Roberts added that upon arriving, "what I saw was an overwhelming, enormous, and overpowering [set oij structures." The Dominion Energy "presenter, while the staff was courteous, said that there were no jobs filled by Greensville and Brunswick County residents." Roberts compares Brunswick plant to the proposed Chickahominy Gas Power Plant, adding that "Dominion Energy provided Greensville County with nearly three miles of upgraded. roads to support heavy material deliveries and craft support population. They also developed a relationship with Southside Virginia College to develop and implement a welding training program." Roberts does not expect the same from Chickahominy Power LLC, and the Economic Development Authority.
UCS Exec Says Nuclear Power Needed To Decarbonize Energy Sector. In part one of "a series on the future of nuclear power," WBUR-FM Boston (9/17, Gellerman, 49K) reports on last year's closure of the Pll'grim Nuclear Power Station, Massachusetts' last nuclear power plant. According to Union of Concerned Scientists President Ken Kimmell, the closure is part of a national trend. A 2018 Union of Concerned Scientists study "found a third of the nation's remaining 97 nuclear plants are in financial distress or scheduled to close prematurely. Kimmell said allowing nuclear plants to shut down for economic reasons would make "decarbonizing our electric sector much, much, much harder." WBUR says that "just one new nuclear power plant has been licensed in the US over the last quarter-century because "technology is too controversial" and "the construction too expensive." WBUR adds, "The cost of building two new reactors in Georgia has skyrocketed from
$14 billion to $28 billion, and they're years behind schedule."
Opinion Writer Lauds Andrew Yang's Climate Plan For Its Embrace Of Nuclear Power. In an opinion piece appearing in the Detroit Free Press (9/17, 1.52M), University of Tennessee law professor, Glenn Harlan Reynolds, wrote that while climate change is a major talking point in the Democratic presidential primaries," any serious effort would "include a massive commitment to the construction of new nuclear power plants worldwide, as well as making sure that existing nuclear power plants don't go offline until they can be replaced by new ones." Nuclear power is the "only major,
established, proven source of power that has zero carbon emissions. Of the carbon-free alternatives, only hydroelectric has a long track record as a major power source, and you can only dam so many rivers; solar and wind are still in the teething stages and are unlikely to carry the load any time soon." Reynolds lauds Andrew Yang's climate change plan in which, Nuclear power is a crucial component in the move toward creating sustainable, carbon-free energy for the United States."
NEI Lauds DOE Plan To Use Three Nuclear Plants For Hydrogen Production Demonstration Projects. Nuclear Energy Institute (9/1) reports on its website that the Energy Department recently announced funding to "support proposed demonstration projects for hydrogen production at three" commercial nuclear power plants "operated by Arizona Public Service, First Energy Solutions and Xcel Energy." In response to the DOE's announcement, John Kotek, vice president of policy development and public affairs at NEI said:
"We applaud and thank the Energy Department for supporting these projects to demonstrate how nuclear power can efficiently produce hydrogen without carbon emissions."
Using carbon-free nuclear energy to produce hydrogen will help decarbonize industrial products that currently rely on fossil fuels and will enable us to attack climate change on new fronts.
Sen. Booker Says Nuclear Waste Storage Needs Local Partnership. The North Augusta (SC)
Star (9/17, Demarest) reports, "The future of nuclear waste storage demands an in-concert effort between the federal government and the communities where the waste might end up, according to presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, who spoke briefly Friday with the Aiken Standard."
Sen. Booker, "who supports advancing nuclear power but opposes the Yucca Mountain venture in Nevada, said local perspective is vital, adding that environmental justice and cleanup, more broadly, deserves greater attention." The New Jersey Democrat in "April co-sponsored the Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act, which requires the U.S. Department of Energy to secure approval from a state's governor, local-level governments and nearby tribes before a nuclear waste repository could be constructed."
Plant Hatch To Test Sirens Tuesday Evening.
WTGS-TV Savannah, GA (9/17, Brock) reports online that the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Power Plant was scheduled to conduct an annual siren test at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Georgia Power, a partial owner of the plant, partnered with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and local emergency management agencies to conduct the test. The 3
aim of the test was to "ensure that residents around the plant are aware of what the siren sounds like and knows what to do in case of an emergency at the plant." The test included "activating outdoor sirens in the 10-mile radius around the plant" and "a Code Red message sent to residents" before and after the sirens.
Letter Writer Says HB6 Debate Has Not Addressed Huge Amount Of Nuclear Waste. In a letter to the editor of the Cleveland Plafn Dealer (9/17, 895K), Richard Johnson, of North Ridgeville, wrote that both sides of the Ohio House Bill 6 contentious issue have been dissected and debated." The "positive aspects of rescuing Davis-Besse and the Perry nuclear power plants from themselves have been preservation of thousands of jobs, maintenance of a major source of carbon~free electricity and greater energy diversity.fl What "hasn't been discussed is truly the elephant in the room: What about the vast amounts of radioactive waste that is produced?"
Romanian Power Producer Shuts Down Cernavoda Unit 1 Reactor. Reuters (AF} (9/18, SK) reports, Romanian state-owned nuclear power producer Nuclearelectrica said on Wednesday it has shut down its first reactor for works at some process parametres." The company said the shutdown was scheduled. It has "two 706 megawatt reactors at Cemavoda on the river Danube, accounting for roughly a fifth of the country's power production."
RELATED NEWS:
Two Dutch Tourists Guilty Of Trespassing At Nevada National Security Site.
The AP (9/17) reports that two Dutch tourists who "wanted to take video of Area 51 have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor trespass and illegal parking following their arrests" at the Nevada National Security Site near Mercury, September 10. Monday, a judge sentenced Govert Sweep and Ties Granzier to "three days in the Nye County jail and fined them $2,280 apiece. They "also surrendered computer and camera equipment and an aerial drone." Sweep and Granzier "say they'll return to the Netherlands after their ex,pected release Thursday."
NASA Developing Nuclear-Powered Drone For Visit To Saturn Moon. NPR (9/17, Brumfiel, 3.12M) reported on its website that "On the face of it, NASA's newest probe sounds incredible. Known as Dragonfly, it is a dual-rotor quadcopter (technically an octocopter, even more technically an X8 octocopter); it's roughly the size of a compact car; it's completely autonomous; it's nuclear powered; and it will hover above the surface of Saturn's moon
Titan. But Elizabeth Turtle, the mission's principle investigator at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, insists that this is actually a pretty tame space probe, as these things go."
Disannament Advocate Blasts Plan For Plutonium Pit Production At LANL. The Santa Fe New Mexican (9/17, Terrell, 69K) reports that Greg Mello, the leader of the Los Alamos Study Group, which "advocates for nuclear disarmament on Tuesday "attacked a multi-billion dollar construction proposal for Los Alamos National Laboratory related to the lab's new mission to ramp up production of plutonium 'pits,' the grapefruit-size triggers for nuclear warheads." Mello complained that the project "would benefit few people in New Mexico, lead to more plutonium being transported on state highways and could help turn New Mexico into a 'plutonium colony."' Mello said, "Los Alamos National Laboratory is an engine of inequality for New Mexico." He added, "It's an opportunity for the few, not a place of opportunity if you don't have the right credentials.
This is not how you lift New Mexico.... People have this colonial mindset. This would be only for the benefit of LANL, the Pentagon and the Trump administration."
IN THE BLOGS:
Bacon: Northam's Clean Energy Plan Makes No Mention Of Nuclear Power.
In a Bacon's Rebellion (VA) (9/17) blog, James A. Bacon writes that Virginia currently "has a statewide goal of achieving 5,500 megawatts of wind and solar energy by 2028, at least 3,000 megawatts of which should be under development by 2022.
In "furtherance of this goal...Dominion [Energy] has committed to build up to 500 megawatts annually of utility-scale solar and onshore wind through a competitive procurement process, and to implement a process for procuring smaller-scale energy, including rooftop solar."
Northam's order "makes no mention of nuclear power" though all four of Dominion Energy's "nuclear units are up for license renewal within the time-frame covered by the plan." Dominion Energy ijwants to keep the aging plants in place to provide a zero-carbon base-load capacity."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
Brexit Uncertainty May Imperil Rolls-Royce's Small Modular Reactor Project. Greentech Media (9/16, Deign, Subscription Publication) reports that British engineering giant Rolls-Royce is "hoping Brexit will not derail plans for an £18 million ($22.4 million) cash injection toward its small modular reactor (SMR) technology." The UK 4
government pledged money is "due in the middle of October, shortly before the revised deadline for the country's yet-to-be-agreed exit from the European Union. The government cash would be "matched by a consortium led by Rolls-Royce that also includes construction and engineering firms including Assystem, SNC-Lavalin/Atkins, Wood, Arup, Laing O'Rourke, BAM Nuttall and Siemens." Full development of the "SMR design, which will use pressurized water reactor technology to deliver almost 1.3 gigawatts of thermal energy and 440 megawatts of electricity per unit, is expected to cost around
£1.5 billion," said David Orr, senior vice president of nuclear at Rolls-Royce.
EDF, Westinghouse To Discuss Developing Small Modular Reactor. Reuters (9/17, De Clercq) reports that France's "state-controlled utility EDF and French nuclear state agency CEA are in talks with U.S. nuclear reactor builder Westinghouse to develop a Small Modular Reactor," according to a group of French companies involved in the project. In a '1oint statement by CEA, EDF, [defense]
firm Naval Group and nuclear propulsion specialist TechnicAtome, they said their jointly developed 'Nuward' SMR project aims to build a 300-400 megawatt (MW) pressurised water reactor by the late 2020s and that it is open to international cooperation." The group said, "In that spirit, CEA and EDF have initiated discussions Wlth Westinghouse Electric Company to explore potential cooperation on small modular reactor development." EDF and Westinghouse are "looking at SMRs as a way of standardising reactor construction after struggling with years of delay and billions of dollars of cost overruns on their big nuclear reactors, which have capacities upwards of 1,000 MW.
EDF Says Welding Problems Do Not Require Reactors To Close. Reuters (9/18, De Clercq) reports, EDF said Wednesday "there was no need to close any of its nuclear reactors for now following the discovery of problems with weldings." In a statement, EDF said, "At this stage of the technical investigations being carried out on these components, EDF believes that the observed deviations do not adversely affect the components' fitness for service and do not require immediate action." EDF "said it had identified problems with 16 steam generators installed on six operating reactor units: reactors no. 3 and 4 at Blayais, reactor no, 3 at Bugey, reactor no. 2 at Fessenheim, reactor no. 4 at Dampierre-en-Burly and reactor no. 2 at Paluel."
Bloomberg (9/18, De Beaupuy, 4.73M) and Financial Times (9/181 Keohane, Subscription Publication, 1.34M) also cover the story.
France To Distribute Iodine To Residents Living Close To Nuclear Plants. Reuters (9/17, De
Clercq) reports that "France will offer free iodine tablets to around 2.2 million people living close to nuclear plants to help protect them from radiation in case of an accident." Nuclear regulator ASN "said on Tuesday people living within 10-20 km of one of utility EDF's 19 nuclear plants, as well as some 200,000 institutions such as schools, will receive a letter in coming days informing them that they can pick up free iodine tablets from pharmacies." French daily Les Echos "quoted a nuclear inform*ation official as saying that in 2016 only about half of the people targeted bothered to pick up their iodine,"
Japan, South Korea Clash At IAEA Over Fukushima-Tainted Water.
Japan News (9/17) reported that a "bitter war of words erupted between Japan and South Korea at an International Atomic Energy Agency meeting Monday over the issue of ever-increasing treated water containing radioactive tritium at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant."
Trump Administration Urges Saudi Arabia To Allow IAEA Inspections. The Hill (9/17, Coleman, 2.98M) reports that the Trump administration "urged Saudi Arabia" in a letter "to allow nuclear inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency." The letter "laid out rules that Saudi Arabia needs to abide by to [receive] U.S. nuclear technology, Bloomberg reported. Saudi Arabia has to "accept the IAEA's Additional Protocol, which grants inspectors access to areas of atomic activity and is abided by in more than 100 countries." Bloomberg reported Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said Tuesday, "An additional protocol is what is going to be required, not only because that's what the IAEA requires but because that's what Congress requires,"
Perry added, "This isn't just the Trump administration unilaterally deciding.
Reuters (9/17, Murphy) reports that "Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said last year the kingdom would develop nuclear arms if Iran did, and its new energy minister said last week that it wanted to enrich uranium for its nuclear power [program] - which can also potentially produce fissile material for a bomb." Saudi Arabia plans to "issue a multi-billion-dollar tender in 2020 to construct its first two nuclear power reactors, with U.S., Russian, South Korean, Chinese and French firms involved in preliminary talks."
Bloomberg (9/17, Tirone, 4.73M) reports, "President Donald Trump's administration has sent a letter to Saudi Arabia that sets out requirements the kingdom needs to follow in order to get U.S. nuclear technology and know-how."
The baseline for"any agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia will be tougher inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said at briefing in Vienna on Tuesday." The kingdom must "adopt the IAEA's so-called Additional Protocol, a set of monitoring rules 5
followed by more than 100 countries that give inspectors wide leeway in accessing potential atomic sites."
TEPCO Executives On Trial Over Fukushima Disaster. Reuters (9/17, Sheldrick) reports that a Tokyo court will "hand down a verdict later this week on whether three Tokyo Electric Power executives are liable for the 2011 Fukushima disaster, the only criminal case to arise out of the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986." The trial was begun in June 2017 and was "conducted by state-appointed lawyers after prosecutors decided not to bring charges against the executives of the company known as Tepoo." During the first hearing at the Tokyo District Court, former TEPCO Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata and onetime executives Sakae Muto and lchiro Takekuro apologized "for causing trouble to the victims and society, but pleaded not guilty." Lawyers acting as "prosecutors said the three executives had access to data and studies anticipating the risk to the area from a tsunami exceeding 10 meters (33 feet) in height that could trigger power loss and cause a nuclear disaster." But the defendants' lawyers "said the estimates were not well established, and even experts had divisive views on how the Fukushima reactors would be affected by a tsunami.
Bulgarian Nuclear Regulator To Extend Kozloduy's Unit 6 License. SeeNews (9/18) reports, "Bulgaria's energy ministry said that the national nuclear regulator is expected to grant an extension of the operational licence of nuclear power plant (NPP) Kozloduy's Unit 6 within the next few weeks." That would guarantee the "effective work of both units of Bulgaria's sole nuclear power plant during the period of the licence extension, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday." Even though the "conclusions of the Nuclear Regulatory Agency indicate that there are no restrictions to the safe operation of the unit for 30 years, until 2047, the ten-year extension of the operational licence is the maximum possible under the law, the energy ministry said at the time."
Perry Says Argentina's IAEA Contender "Sounds Like A Perfect Candidate." Reuters (9/17, Murphy) reports that US Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Tuesday that Argentina's contender to become the next chief of UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency "sounds like a perfect candidate." The group's Board of Governors is looking to select a successor to former chief YukJya Amano next month. So far, "Four candidates have been nominated - Amano's former right-hand man Cornel Feruta of Romania, Argentina's ambassador to the IAEA Rafael Grossi, nuclear test-ban body chief Lassina Zerbo of Burkina Faso and Slovakia's nuclear regulatory chief Marta
Ziakova." Grossi is the only one to have campaigned publicly." Meanwhile, "Diplomats who follow the agency say he had a head-start over the others, which he has used to gain the support of Argentina's regional rival Brazil."
Media Analyses: Trump Has Few Options For Punishing Iran Short Of All-Out War.
The Washington Post (9/17, 14.2M) reports that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, today "ruled out direct negotiations with the United States, a day after President Trump stopped short of directly blaming Iran for a major attack on Saudi Arabian oil installations, allaying, at least for the moment, fears of a military conflict between the two countries." According to the Post, Khamenei, "appeared to rule out a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations next week,"
but "said that if the United States returns to the nuclear deal that Tehran struck with world powers, then it could take part in negotiations with Iran along with the agreement's other signatories." The Post goes on to report that Saudi officials have "affirmed that Iranian weapons were used in the attack but..stopped short of singling out Iran in statements that appeared to reflect fears across the Persian Gulf of a wider and more violent conflagration." Reuters (9/17, Stewart, Hafezi) reports that earlier today, President Trump "said he is not looking to meet" Rouhani at the UN.
In an analysis titled, "Hard-Liners In Iran See No Drawback To Bellicose Strategy," the New York Times (9/17, Kirkpatrick, Fassihf, 18.61 M) reports that "Iranian scholars" maintain that the Iranian government has concluded that its recent aggressions have effectively strengthened its leverage with the West and in the region." The Times adds, "And despite his occasional outburst of threats, Mr. Trump Is deeply reluctant to risk an open-ended military confrontation in the Middle East that would endanger world oil supplies in the middle of a re-election campaign. 'Iranian hard-liners consider Trump's inconsistency to be weakness,' said Ali Ansari, a professor of Iranian history at the University of St.
Andrews in Scotland. For Iranian hard-liners, he said, 'their policy of maximum resistance" is working."'
Under the headline, "Iran Shows Trump That It's Too Big to Be Crushed or Marginalized," Bloomberg (9/17, 4.73M) says "it isn't obvious how the U.S. can effectively retaliate against a country that is already under maximum economic sanctions." According to Bloomberg, Iran is "too big for the U.S. to invade even if there were appetite among U.S. voters for another Gulf war, and has demonstrated its ability to strike back hard should the U.S. decide to escalate." Bloomberg adds, "U.S. sanctions have cratered the Iranian economy. Yet administration hopes that this would lead to a popular backlash against the government in Tehran, forcing it to cave to American demands, have yet to bear fruit."
6 Nevertheless, NBC News (9/17, 6.14M) is reporting that the Administration is #weighing a range of options for a retaliatory action against Iran, including a cyberattack or physical strike on Iranian oil facilities or Revolutionary Guard assets." According to NBC News., "In a national security meeting on Monday, U.S. military leaders provided... Trump with a menu of possible actions against Iran. But the president, seeking a narrowly focused response that wouldn't draw the U.S. into broader military conflict with Iran, asked for more options," which could entail a strike by Saudi Arabia... that the U.S. would support with intelligence, targeting information and surveillance capabilities -
but without the U.S. actually firing any weapons at Iran.
US Investigators Examining Missile And Drone Parts.
The New York Trmes (9/17, Schmitt, Barnes, Kirkpatrick, 18.61 M) reports that US investigators are "examining missile circuit boards recovered after strikes against Saudi oil facilities to determine the trajectory of the attack - and whether it originated from Iran - as the Trump administration debates how, and whether, to retaliate."
According to the Times, "Analysts are poring over satellite imagery of the damage sites, and assessing radar tracks of at least some of the fow0flying cruise missiles that were used.
Communication intercepts from before and after the attacks are being reviewed to see if they implicate Iranian officials."
The Times adds, "Perhaps most important, forensic analysis is underway of missile and drone parts from the attack sites."
Reuters (9/17, Stewart, Hafezi) reports that an unnamed "US official" says the Trump Administration "believes the attacks that crippled Saudi Arabian oil facilities last weekend originated in southwestern Iran." Reuters also reports that "three officials... said the attacks involved both cruise missiles and drones, indicating that they involved a higher degrE;e of complexity and sophistication than initially thought." According to Reuters, one of the officials "expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia's collection of materials following the attacks would yield 'compelling forensic evidence... that will point to where this attack came from.'"
South Korea Officials Fear Iran Clash Could Derail Progress On North Korea Nuke Deal. The Washington Times (9/17, Taylor, 492K) reports, "South Korean officials say they fear that rising tensions in the Middle East could distract the Trump administration away from a key moment to seize on rare momentum in the pursuit of a nuclear deal with North Korea." South Korean President Moon Jae-in, "who will meet with President Trump next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, has expressed optimism about a renewal of the US-North Korea talks, which have been stalled since a second summit in February in Vietnam between President Trump and
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended abruptly without a deal." However, "government sources said Tuesday that the Moon administration is also concerned that Mr. Trump's focus in New York will be on the clash with Iran in the wake of the weekend drone attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities."
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News NRC Regulators Checking EffecUveness Of New Procedures At River Bend Plant................................................................... 1 NRC Fines FPL After Worker Was Fired For Raising Safety Concerns About St Lucie Plant............................................. 1 Barnstable County Official Questions NRC Approval Of Pilgrim Plant License Transfer.......................................................... 2 Connecticut Regulators Approve Millstone Plant's Electric Power Deal............................................................................ 2 NRC Staff Expects To Wrap Up Decommissioning Rulemaking In 2021.................................................................................. 2 Orsted's Offshore Wind Project To Use Oyster Creek Plant's Transmission Infrastructure.................................................. 2 Duke Energy Considers Nuclear Power Key To Zero Carbon Emission Pledge................................................................... 2 Group Challenging NextEra's Plan To Manage Seabrook Station's ASR Situation......................................................... 3 Jones: Students Should Be Advocating For Nuclear Power......... 3 MIT Researcher Discusses Merits Of Nuclear Power................... 3 Letter Writer Assets That Nuclear Power Helps Reduce Climate Change.................................................................................. 3 NRC NEWS:
NRC Regulators Checking Effectiveness Of New Procedures At River Bend Plant. The Baton Rouge {LA) Advocate (9/18, Ballard, 399K) reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is "double-checking the effectiveness of fixes put in place" at River Bend nuclear plant and other plants after "Entergy discovered some employees weren't following proper procedures back in 2016. It's "part of a regular inspection schedule that will check everything from radiation monitoring to fire protection, according to an order released Tuesday." The NRC "1nformed all the nuclear plants in the nation of its upcoming inspection schedule."
Entergy had "reported that some employees at its nuclear facilities, including the River Bend Nuclear Station in St.
Francisville, weren't doing the inspections they were supposed to but signed off on the documentation as if they did, said Victor Dricks, NRC spokesman... Wednesday." NRC Letter Writer Says Yucca Mountain Risks Are Too High............... 3 Related News Senate Panel Wants Probe Into Nuclear Weapons Glitches........4 Democratic Presidential Candidates Weigh In On Plans For Climate Change....................................................................4 International Nuclear News Tokyo Court Acquits Former TEPCO Execs In Fukushima Negligence Case...................................................................4 AEC Chief Says 21 Nuclear Reactors Under Planning, Construction.......................................................................... 4 EDF Workers' Strike Results In Reduced Output At Several French Nuclear, Gas Plants..................................................4 Uganda Says Russia Will Help It Develop Nuclear Power Program................................................................................. 5 Perry Says US Will Insist Saudis Forgo Enrichment..................... 5 Trump Boosts Sanctions On Iran As Pompeo Calls Saudi Bombing "An Act Of War..................................................... 5 and Entergy officials "agreed in March 2018 on a series of steps to ensure that plant employees understood the rules required the tasks be done without exception, Dricks said."
NRC Fines FPL After Worker Was Fired For Raising Safety Concerns About St Lucie Plant.
The Miami Herald (9/18, Gross, 1.09M) reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ls proposing to fine Florida Power & Light $232,000 "after a former FPL executive fired a contract worker who raised a safety concern at the company's St. Lucie Power Plant near Fort Pierce." This week, the NRC concluded that "FPL and its contractor, Framatome, wrongly terminated the employee in March 2017 and that a former vice president of the plant created a fake journal to justify the firing." The "FPL executive at fault - a company veteran named Thomas Summers - is accused of deliberately lying to NRC officials while the regulatory agency investigated the contractor's firing." Summers is also "accused of discriminating against the contract worker by
firing him after he reported a safety issue." The unidentified worker raised a "safety concern in a *condition report' that regulators didn't detail except to say it involved rules surrounding the 'requirement for Framatome personnel to wear multiple dosimeters while performing refueling work."'
The Palm Beach (FU Post (9/18, Ostrowski, 223K) reports that one infraction "involved FPL's dismissal of a part-time employee of a third-party contractor at the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant after the worker raised a safety concern in 2017." The other violation "occurred when a former vice president of FPL created a phony journal to justify the firing to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission." FPL, a "unit of NextEra Energy... said it will not contest the civil penalty." According to the NRC, in "March 2017 a contract employee of Framatome, a company that provides refueling services to FPL, raised a safety issue in a 'condition report."' NRC regulators "don't detail the worker's concern except to say it involved the plant's 'requirement for Framatome personnel to wear multiple dosimeters while performing refueling work."'
Barnstable County Official Questions NRC Approval Of Pilgrim Plant License Transfer. The Cape Cod (MA) Times (9/18, Legere, 64K) reports, "A top Barnstable County official plans to express his concern over the lack of public input allowed by federal regulators before their recent approval of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station's license transfer." The Nuclear Regulatory Commission "approved the transfer from longtime owner Entergy Corp. to New Jersey-based Holtec International on Aug. 22, despite long-pending requests for public hearings from state Attorney General Maura Healey and the Pilgrim Watch citizens group."
The Times adds, Sean O'Brien, director of the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment, "attended last week's decommissioning forum in Plymouth, where state, federal and local legislators, along with area residents, lambasted NRC officials." O'Brien said of the meeting, "What came to light pretty quickly at the meeting was the transfer of license happened in a sort of vacuum."
Connecticut Regulators Approve Millstone Plant's Electric Power Deal. The AP (9/18) reports that Connecticut regulators with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority have "approved a contract between the owner of the Millstone nuclear power plant and the state's two major electric distribution utilities. The deal approved by PURA Wednesday "has been seen as crucial to keeping the Dominion Energy facility in Waterford open for the next decade." Dominion Energy "had signaled Millstone could close in 2023 if a long-term power contract wasn't achieved."
The contract "requires Eversource and United Illuminating to purchase approximately half of Millstone's electricity output for 10 years, beginning this yeat" Dominion Energy "says the 2
deal ensures Millstone will continue powering 2.1 million homes for 'at least the next decade."'
The New London (CT) Day (9/18, Kail, 109K) reports that the 10-year contract effectively ends the "years long political, regulatory and environmental battles to keep the plant operational. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, "who stepped in earlier this year to help secure a deal between haggling Dominion Energy, Eversource and United Illuminating, applauded the finalized contract in a news release Wednesday. The contract calls on the "utilities to buy half the plant's output over the next decade. The "price per kilowatt hour in the contract has not yet been released to the public, according to Dominion (Energy] spokesman Ken Holt."
Paul Koonce, Dom1nion Energy Executive Vice President and President and Chief Executive Officer of Power Generation Group, said in a statement, 'Today's approval by PURA of the power purchase agreement between Connecticut's utilities and Millstone is great news for Connecticut, its residents, and the women and men who work at MIiistone."
NRC Staff Expects To Wrap Up Decommissioning Rulemaking In 2021.
ExchanqeMonitor (9/18) reports that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff "expects completion by 2021 of an overhaul of regulations covering nuclear power reactors making the transition from operations to decommissioning.
Orsted's Offshore Wind Project To Use Oyster Creek Plant's Transmission Infrastructure.
POWER (9/18) reports that Ocean Wind LLC received this month "support from New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to develop a wind project with both offshore and onshore components, with a connection to the grid at the site of the former Oyster Creek nuclear station." Ocean Wind, the "parent of Danish energy company 0rsted, in June won approval from the BPU to build a 1, 100-MW wind facility off the coast from Atlantic City." Ocean Wind "proposed to mitigate the costs of transmission system upgrades through the use of capacity interconnection rights, and the BPU on Sept. 11 said Ocean Wind's procurement of Oyster Creek's capacity interconnection rights is in the best interest of the state's ratepayers." Lauren Burm, head of Public Affairs and Communications for 0rsted, in said, "This action provides the project with additional certainty in the interconnection process and advances our efforts to potentially connect the wind farm to the existing electrical grid infrastructure at the retired Oyster Creek nuclear facility."
Duke Energy Considers Nuclear Power Key To Zero Carbon Emission Pledge. The Asheboro (NC)
Courier-Tribune (9/18, Henderson, 24K) reports on Duke Energy's pledge to "release no net carbon emissions by
2050, becoming what the company says is the largest U.S.
power generator to make that commitment." Duke 1'has moved away from coal for a decade, closing half its coal-fired plants in North Carolina." Fracking has "tapped new deposits of natural gas, driving its price down," and Duke is a "partner in the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline to ship gas 600 miles from West Virginia into Virginia and North Carolina, although lawsuits have halted its construction." Even so, Duke "calls continued reliance on nuclear energy, one of its bedrock sources of energy, 'central to our ability to meet these (carbon) goals.'" Duke Energy's "six nuclear plants in the Carolinas are aging, with their federal licenses expiring between 2030 and 2046. But Duke hopes for new technologies such as small, modular plants to emerge."
Group Challenging NextEra's Plan To Manage Seabrook Station's ASR Situation. In a letter to the editor of the Newburyport (MA) Daily News (9/19, 17K),
Patricia T orkildson of Newburyport, a member of the C-10 board of directors, wrote, "when I hear from a utility that I have nothing to fear from its operations, I take it with a grain of salt." NextEra Energy, "which operates the nuclear power plant in Seabrook, wants us to believe that we have nothing to fear from the degrading concrete at its plant, which has alkali-silica reaction or 'ASR."' The condition "causes concrete to crack and swell, weakening its tensile and shear strength. The condition is irreversible." The NRG accepted NextEra's plan for managing ASR earlier this year when it approved Seabrook plant's operating license extension from 2030 to 2050. "C-1 O Research and Education Foundation has challenged NextEra's plan because we believe it's inadequate."
Jones: Students Should Be Advocating For Nuclear Power. In a commentary for the Annapolis (MD)
Capital Gazette (9/18, 98K), Charles R. Jones, "an expert on naval nuclear propulsion, commercial nuclear plant safety, and government oversight of nuclear facility safety" wrote to share a "little more information" that students demonstrating "for climate change solutions... should consider." Only "nuclear energy can realistically replace the fossil fuel 'base loading' of the national electric grid and, thus, have a substantial effect on climate change. Nuclear energy, "as a source of reliable electric power, is also important for
'progressive efforts' such as increasing the use of electric vehicles. Jones adds, "Fossil fuels will still be needed for some major modes of transportation, such as in the air and at sea." Fossil fuels "will also be needed as back up energy to the national grid, both for normal operations and for emergencies. So "while I am all for student involvement...!
suggest they start by carrying signs that say 'Nuclear Energy Now!'"
3 More Commentary. WIPB-TV (9/19, 3.92M) carries a NOVA broadcast that reports on energy sources and says that nuclear energy is getting a second look.
MIT Researcher Discusses Merits Of Nuclear Power. WBUR-FM Boston (9/18, Gellerman, 49K) reported on the history of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
MIT's Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, built in the 1950s, where Jacopo Buongiomo is "co-leader of the Reactor Lab and head of MIT's Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, where what's old is new, and 'small' is the cutting edge of nuclear's future. Buongiorno investigates how advanced nuclear plant designs and construction techniques can be used to power our warming planet as fossil fuels are phased out." Buongiorno said, "For nuclear, historically we always start with, 'What about the waste? What about the safety?
What about proliferation?' And those are important issues we have to address," but, he added, "first, let's see why you'd want to mess with this technology to begin with." Because just 97 "nuclear power plants produce 20% of the nation's electricity-and more than half of our low-carbon power."
Letter Writer Assets That Nuclear Power Helps Reduce Climate Change. In a letter to the editor of the Idaho Falls (10) Post Register (9/18), Glenn Mccreery of Idaho Falls, wrote about "INL's involvement with NuScale small modular nuclear reactors to ensure the security of electrical distribution of wind energy. The "world is increasingly adopting solar and wind energy and other zero-carbon sources in the fight to mitigate human-caused climate change. Along with these transient sources of electricity, there is the need for baseload power for when the sun does not shine and wind does not blow." Mccreery added, "For all its perceived risks, nuclear remains a crucial source of low-carbon emission baseload electric power." A case study is "Germany, which is both phasing out nuclear power and has the stated goal of achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050, with an emissions reduction of 40 percent by 2020." Now Germany "admits that it will achieve almost no reduction by 2020.
Letter Writer Says Yucca Mountain Risks Are Too High. In a letter to the ed1tor of the Las Vegas Sun (9/19, 170K), Evan Gatesman of Las Vegas, writes, "Please oppose the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage project.
The risk of storing nuclear waste ih the area is far too high, and there are other adequate solutions that don't contain risks seen at Yucca Mountain." The "Walker Lane fault line runs directly through the water table sitting beneath Yucca Mountain, which makes the risks of storing radioactive waste there significantly higher."
RELATED NEWS:
Senate Panel Wants Probe Into Nuclear Weapons Glitches. CQ Roll Call (9/18, Donnelly, 154K) reports the Senate Appropriations Committee "wants to order the Energy Department to launch an 1nvestigation into technical problems that have recently plagued US nuclear weapons programs." The committee's mandate is buried "deep inside the report accompanying the $48.9 billion Energy-Water spending bill that the committee approved on September 12," The panel is concerned that "recent glitches in atomic weapons may have broader implications, and senators want to get to the bottom of the issue. Separately, a congressional aide familiar with the issue "said the problems will add hundreds of millions of dollars to the atomic weapons budget." The report says, "The Committee is concerned that a recent technical challenge demonstrates a lack of systems engineering and highlights a lack of coordination and leadership focus, which in turn jeopardizes successful program execution."
Democratic Presidential Candidates Weigh In On Plans For Climate Change. NPR (9/18, 3.12M) reports on 2020 Democratic presidential candidates' views regarding the Green New Deal, a carbon tax, nuclear energy, achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, and federal spending on combating climate change.
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
Tokyo Court Acquits Former TEPCO Execs In Fukushima Negligence Case. The Washington Post (9/19, Denyer, 14.2M) reports that a Japanese court Thursday found three former TEPCO executives "not guilty of professional negligence over the 2011 tsunami-induced reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant." After a trial at Tokyo's District Court, in which former TEPCO chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata, 79, and two other colleagues were "accused of failing to take adequate precautions to safeguard the plant against the magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami that struck the region on March 11, 2011," the court "also found the trio not guilty of caustng the deaths of 44 elderly patients who were forcibly evacuated from local hospitals.fl Greenpeace "condemned the court's decision, arguing Japan's legal system had failed to stand up for the rights of people affected by the meltdown."
The AP (9/18, Yamaguchi) reports that "the high profile case at the Tokyo District Court" aimed to determine whether the ex-TEPCO execs "could have foreseen the tsunami that struck the plant after an earthquake and effectively taken preventive measures that would have saved the Fukushima 4
Dai-ichi nuclear plant on Japan's northeastern coast."
Katsumata *iand co-defendants, Sakae Muto, 69, and lchiro Takekuro, 73, apologized over the disaster but pleaded not guilty during the trial's opening session in June 2017. They said predicting the enormous tsunami was impossible."
NPR (9/19, Neuman; 3.12M) reports that while a "2002 government report posited a tsunami similar in size to the 46-foot waves triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11, 2011, the three former executives argued that the data was not reliable and that they could not have predicted such a catastrophic natural disaster." Last year, "prosecutors called for five-year prison sentences for each of the three defendants. 'It was easy to safeguard the plant against tsunami, but they kept operating the plant heedlessly,' the prosecutors said at the time, according to The Asahi Shimbun."
UPI (9/19, Coote) reports that there have been at "least 30 lawsuits against TEPCO and the Japanese government in connection to the handling of the Fukushima disaster, resulting in judges awarding some $39 million in damages to 152 evacuees, The New York Times reported. AFP (9/19) offered a timeline of significant events concerning the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster.
AEC Chief Says 21 Nuclear Reactors Under Planning, Construction.
Asian News International (9/18) reports that India has "demonstrated its ability to design, build and reliably operate Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and light water reactors (LWRs), Atomic Energy Commission Chairman KN Vyas said on Wednesday and noted that 21 reactors were in various stages of construction and planning which would provide 15000 MWe power." In Vyas's statement at the 63rd General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, he "said that India's Kaiga Generating Station (KGS-1) has set a new world record of continuous operation for 962 days on December 31, 2018, while working at 99.3 per cent plant load factor." Vyas "said that Tarapur Atomic Power Station Units (TAPS 1 and 2), connected to the grid in April and May 1969, have completed 50 years of safe operation.t*
EDF Workers' Strike Results In Reduced Output At Several French Nuclear, Gas Plants.
Reuters (9/18) reports that a nationwide strike by workers of French utility EDF "in protest against a plan to restructure the state-controlled company reduced power generation at several nuclear and gas fired power plants on Wednesday evening, company data showed." French power declined "by around 4.5 gigawatts (GW) or over 8% of total available generation capacity by 2140 GMT, according to data from EDF and grid operator RTE." EDF workers are "protesting against plans steered by the French government to
restructure and potentially split the heavily-indebted, state-controlled group, with its nuclear power generation business set to one side."
Uganda Says Russia Will Help It Develop Nuclear Power Program. _Reuters (9/18, Biryabarema) reports that Wednesday Uganda "said... it had signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with Russia to help the East African country build capacity to exploit nuclear technology for energy, medical and other peaceful purposes." The "government of President Yoweri Museveni has previously said it is eager to use the country's uranium deposits to boost energy production capacity." Uganda signed in May of last year a "memorandum of understanding with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to help Uganda build capacity in the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes." In an "emailed statement, Uganda's energy ministry said the IGA with Russia was signed in Vienna on Tuesday between Energy Minister Irene Muloni and Nikolai Spasskiy, the deputy director general of Russian state corporation ROSA TOM."
Perry Says US Will Insist Saudis Forgo Enrichment.
BNN Bloomberg (CAN) (9/18, Natter) reports, "Saudi Arabia will be required to forgo enriching or reprocessing spent uranium if it wants to secure a nuclear-technology-sharing deal with the U.S., Energy Secretary Rick Perry said in a letter to the kingdom that addresses bi-partisan non-proliferation concerns about the proposal." The US had negotiated with the Saudis for an agreement that could benefit Westinghouse Electric Co. and other American companies that want to construct or sell nuclear reactor technology to the kingdom." But that "prospect has been met with increasing alarm by Congress and others concerned that the Saudis could enrich nuclear fuel into weapons grade material." Those concerns were "heightened after the Trump administration said it might not insist on the so-called 'Gold Standard' barring such activities."
Sens. Markey, Merkley Urge Trump Administration To Halt Nuclear Power Discussions With Saudi Arabia.
Reuters (9/18, Gardner) reports that Democratic US Senators Ed Markey and Jeff Merkley Wednesday "urged Trump administration officials to halt talks with Saudi Arabia on building nuclear reactors after weekend attacks that halved the country's oil output and increased instability in the Middle East." Tuesday Energy Secretary Rick Perry told reporters in Vienna that the US would only provide Saudi Arabia with nuclear power technology if the Kingdom signed an agreement with the UN's IAEA "allowing for intrusive snap inspections." But Saudi Arabia has "resisted agreeing to strict nonproliferation restrictions, known as the gold standard, that would block it from enriching. uranium and reprocessing spent 5
fuel, potential pathways to making a nuclear bomb." The senators wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Perry "urging the administration to discontinue recent talks with the kingdom about nuclear power development."
Trump Boosts Sanctions On Iran As Pompeo Calls Saudi Bombing "An Act Of War." President Trump tweeted Wednesday morning, "I have just instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to substantially increase Sanctions on the country of Iran!" In the lead story on the CBS Evening News (9/18, lead story, 2:49, 4.12M), Norah O'Donnell reported Secretary of State Pompeo called the attack on Saudi oil facilities "an act of war Wednesday.
O'Donnell reported US officials say "they know who approved the attack and where it was launched from. The Saudis presented evidence they say proves Iran did it. Pres.ident Trump vowed to hit Iran with even tougher economic sanctions, but stopped short of approving a military response."
On NBC Nightly News (9/18, story 2, 1 :44, 5.99M),
Lester Holt reported on "new fallout after the attack on those Saudi oil fields. (Pompeo] calling it 'an act of war' by Iran, and Saudi Arabia showcasing what it says is the evidence."
NBC's Andrea Mitchell: "Saudi Arabia [is] showing the wortd what it says is evidence Iran launched the attacks on the Saudi oil fields.... Trump's response today: More economic sanctions against Iran, but not military action: Trump: "There are options a lot less than that, and we'll see. We're in a very powerful position. Right now, we're in a very, very powerful position." Mitchell: "But sanctions alone are not tough enough for the President's top Senate ally." Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): If they don't pay a price for bombing a neighbor's oil field, then all hell is going to break out in the Mideast." The Hill (9/18, Samuels, Chalfant, 2.98M) reports Trump responded to Graham's criticism, saying, "Ask Lindsey how did going into the Middle East, how did that work out? And how did going into Iraq work out? So, we have a disagreement on that. And we have plenty of time to do some dastardly things."
On ABC World News Tonight (9/18, story 4, 2:39, Muir, 6.69M), Cecilla Vega reported, "With tensions rising after that attack on key Saudi oil facilities, today President Trump announced he was slapping stiff new sanctions on Iran, but stopped short of a military response.... Trump has wavered.
First, threatening that the United States is 'locked and loaded,' then taking a softer tone." Trump: "I don't want war with anybody. I'm somebody that would like to not have war."
Margaret Brennan said on the CBS Evening News (9/18, story 2, 1:31, O'Donnell, 4.12M), "Because the President's red line was not crossed - there were no American lives lost here -
he hasn't necessarily boxed himself in to military action. Frankly, the diplomats are still
trying to figure out what comes next, and they're just buying time. We do know the Trump Administration right now is looking at blocking some Iranian officials from visiting the UN in New York next week. They're also considering some additional sanctions here. But the major focus is on building an airtight case to make to the public that it was Iran behind this attack."
Reuters (9/18, Mason, Kalin) reports Trump said on that there are "many options short of war with Iran after U.S. ally Saudi Arabia displayed remnants of drones and missiles it said were used in a crippling attack on its oil sites that was
'unquestionably sponsored' by Tehran." The Washington Post (9/18, Wagner, 14.2M) reports, "It was not immediately clear what the increase in sanctions might entail.* Politico (9/18, Forgey, 4.29M) reports the additional sanctions are "the administration's first official, public response to the weekend drone strike...which Trump had shown reluctance to blame squarely on Tehran. CQ Roll Call (9/18, Bennett, 154K) says Trump "vaguely suggest[ed] Iran attacked the oil fadlities" without "feeling ready to say it in his characteristic blunt manner."
The Washington Post (9/18, Wagner, Fahim, Schemm, 14.2M) reports Pompeo went further in remarks en route to Saudi Arabia in which he. "decried the weekend attacks on the Saudi oil industry-as an 'act of war."' Pompeo said, "This was an Iranian attack.... It didn't come from the Houthis." After his arrival, Pompeo "met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for 40 minutes." According to the Post, Trump "demurred when asked whether he agreed with Pompeo that the attacks in Saudi Arabia constituted an act of war. 'He spoke to me a little while ago, and we'll have an announcement,' Trump said." The New York Times (9/18, Perez-Peria, Wong, 18.61M) says Pompeo's words "were the strongest so far from any American official regarding the attack on Saturday," and "raised fears that tensions between Iran and the United States over Iran's nuclear program and other issues could escalate into a new war."
Pompeo tweeted, "Met with #Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today to discuss the unprecedented attacks against Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure. The U.S.
stands with #SaudiArabia and supports its right to defend itself. The Iranian regime's threatening behavior will not be tolerated."
The AP (9/18, Gambrell, Batrawy, Abuelgasim) reports Saudi military spokesman Col. Turki al-Malki said the attack on Saturday was "launched from the north and was unquestionably sponsored by Iran." AI-MallKi said, "This attack did not originate from Yemen, despite Iran's best effort to make it appear so." However, the AP says al-Malki "stopped short of accusing Iran of actually firing the weapons itself or launching them from Iranian territory." According to Bloomberg (9/18, 4.73M), 'The Saudi defense official's comments, and moves by the U.S., suggested the two allies 6
were also working to deescalate tensions in the region." The Wall Street Journal (9/18, Jones, Arabia, Malsin, Said, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) headlines its report "Saudi Arabia Implicates Iran In Oil Attacks."
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) said on CNN's Situation Room (9/18, 769K), "There are a series of reports that suggest that Iran was involved in the attack. But I don't have any specific information, because we haven't had any briefings.... It seems to me that if the published reports are that, in fact, Iran was either at the center of the creating the attack or even may have been launched from its territory, that this is a moment to galvanize the world, to bring the information, to show the proof at the UN Security Council, to get a Security Council resolution."
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said on CNN's The l ead (9/18, 706K), "This idea that the Administration has that we have some secret defense treaty with Saudi Arabia, I think is really dangerous. Ultimately, this was not an attack on the United States. This was an attack on Saudi oil assets) and this Administration is acting as if we are the security guarantor for all of our friends and allies in the Middle East.
That is never how we have conducted our business, In part because we know that when the United States gets military involved in the Middle East, more things go wrong than go right."
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said on CNN's Situation Room (9/18, 769K), "I hope there is some kind of a response.
There's any number of proportional responses that will work.
But what's obvious here, all you have to do is look through the beginning of -
basically since 1979 to today, but especially recently - Iran is going to keep doing things like this. It's like a bully. You know, they'll flick your ear until you punch them. And that's where we're at right now."
Houthis Threaten UAE. Reuters (9/18) reports Houthi militants warned that they have "identified dozens of sites in the United Arab Emirates as possible targets, in an attempt to underscore its military clout following a weekend attack it claims to have carried out on Saudi oil facilities." Spokesman Yahya Saria said, "Today and for the first time we announce that we have dozens of targets within our range in the UAE, some are in Abu Dhabi and can be attacked at any time."
Markey, Merkley Urge Administration To Halt Nuclear Technology Talks With Saudis. Reuters (9/18, Gardner) reports Senate Foreign Relations Committee members Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Jeff Merkley (D*
OR) sent a letter to Pompeo and Energy Secretary Perry Wednesday urging a halt to "talks with Saudi Arabia on building nuclear reactors after weekend attacks that halved the country's oil output and increased instability in the Middle East." They wrote, "Sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia, especially without adequate safeguards, will give
Riyadh the tools it needs to tum the Crown Prince's nuclear weapons vision into reality."
Badran, Schanzer: US Should Recognize Lebanon As Iranian Client State. In the Wall Street Journal (9/18, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), Tony Badran and Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies say the US must stop treating Lebanon as a friend, since it is dominated by He2bollah and acts as an Iranian client state.
They urge the Trump Administration to acknowledge it as such.
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[External_Sender] NRC News Summary for Friday, September 20, 2019 NRCSummary190920.doc, NRCSummary190920.pdf This morning's Nuclear Regulatory Commission News Summary and Clips are attached.
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
FRJDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News Three Mile Island Reactor To Close Friday................................... 1 Duke Energy To Seek Relicensing For 11 Nuclear Power Units In Carolinas........................................................................... 2 Connecticut Regulator Approves Plan For Utilities To Buy Millstone Plant Power........................................................... 2 Groups Say HB6 Campaign Shows Why Ohio Needs To Close "Dark Money" Loopholes....................................................... 3 Questions Remain About How To Address SONGS Spent Fuel..4 Sen Booker Chides Fellow Democrats Opposed To Nuclear Power....................................................................................4 CA's Central Coast Embraces Community Choice Energy...........4 Letter Writer Says Nuclear Power Creates Risk To The Public.... 5 NRC To Discuss Oyster Creek Plant's Decommissioning At Public Meeting, October 3..................................................... 5 Wonders Selected To Participate In Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation................................................................ 5 NRC NEWS:
Three Mile Island Reactor To Close Friday. The Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News (9/19, Thompson, 427K) reports that Three Mile Island's "last day as a working nuclear power station will be Friday." TMI plant spokesman Dave Marcheskie "confirmed to Pennlive Thursday the last day of active, energy-production at the plant sitting about 1 O miles southeast of Harrisburg, long held out as 'on or about Sept.
30,' will go down in the books as Sept. 20. The article adds that it is not "clear how many of Three Mile Island's roughly 650 employees would be laid off immediately; plant owner Exelon Generation filed a notice with the state Department of Labor & Industry that stated 112 would be laid off effective Oct. 1." The Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News (9/20, Thompson, 427K) provided an updated version of the story.
The Philadelphia Inquirer (9/20, Maykuth, 814K) reports that Exelon Generation says it will retain about 300 of TM l's 700 employees to conduct the first phase of decommissioning. Other employees have been reassigned within Exelon or decided to leave the company." Bryan Hanson, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer, said AGF Access Group To Supply 12 Hydro Mobile Mast Climbers For Vogtle Nuclear Expansion.............................................. 5 NRC's ASLB To Receive Public Comment On Seabrook Station Concrete Degradation Issues At Monday Meeting............... 5 Related News Group Uses Virtual Reality To Highlight Navajo Nation Uranium Contamination....................................................................... 5 Senate Committee Advances Bill With Record Funding For Office Of Science.................................................................. 6 International Nuclear News Behind The Scenes Look At Hinkley Point C................................. 6 Spent Nuclear Fuel Removal Completed At UK's Wylfa Site........ 6 As Pompeo Builds Anti-Iran Coalition, Trump Set To Receive Military Options Today.......................................................... 6 in a statement, "Today we celebrate the proud legacy of TMI Unit 1 and the thousands of employees who shared our commitment to
- safety, operational excellence and environmental stewardship for nearly five decades."
The York (PA) Dispatch (9/19, VanAsdalan, 37K) reports that Lacey Dean, udirector of nuclear communications for Exelon Generation" which owns TMl's Unit 1 reactor "confirmed Thursday, Sept. 19, that Friday would be the last day of operations for the plant." At a news conference "outside the TMI training center at noon Friday, the Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania coalition will debrief the public on next steps, how surrounding communities will be affected and the legacy of the plant." WGAL-TV Lancaster, PA (9/19, 137K) also provided coverage.
The AP (9/19) reports that Three Mile Island's Unit 1 reactor "opened in 197 4 and is licensed to operate through 2034. But Exelon has complained that the plant is losing money in competitive electricity markets. The Middletown (PA) Press And Journal (9/19., Miller, 23K) reports that Exelon plant spokesman David Marcheskie "had no additional information to provide Thursday." Marcheskie said, "All other questions can be answered tomorrow," Marcheskie "had no details to provide today regarding the immediate impact of
Friday's shutdown on the employment at TMI." However, "Exelon in its decommissioning plan submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has said that employment at TMI will be reduced to 300, 'shortly after' used fuel in the Unit 1 reactor is transferred to a spent fuel pool." That "is to happen by Sept. 30."
WHTM-TV Harrisburg, PA (9/19, 35K) reported online that the "required Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Exelon said used nuclear fuel will be transitioned into a spent fuel pool then moved to dry cask storage by the end of 2022." Facility staffing will "decrease in three phases from 675 to 50 full-time employees by 2022, and dismantling of the station's cooling towers and other large components will begin in 2074, Exelon said." LNP Media (PA) (9/19, Mekeel, 81K) reports that "Exelon wants to decommission Unit 1 by using the 'SafeStor' method, with an estimated cost of $1.2 billion." This would "allow the plant's large components -
including its reactor and landmark cooling towers -
to sit idle for 55 years before they get dismantled." The "radioactivity will diminish over time."
Platts (9/19, Dolley) also provides coverage.
Local 1V Broadcast News. WBRE-TV (9/20, 9K) and WNEP-TV (9/20, 41 K) provide broadcast coverage of the story.
Duke Energy To Seek Relicensing For 11 Nuclear Power Units In Carolinas. S&P Global Platts (9/19, Freebairn, 1K) reports, "Duke Energy will seek 20-year license renewals for its entire fleet of 11 nuclear units in North and South Carolina, extending their operations into the 2050s in an effort to continue to reduce carbon emissions, the company said Thursday." In a statement, Duke Energy said, "The company has set aggressive carbon reduction goals of at least 50% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050, and keeping its nuclear fleet operating is key to achieving these goals." Duke Energy's nuclear fleet has a "combined gross capacity of 11,857 MW." The company "said the first renewal will be for the three-unit 2,802-MW Oconee station in Seneca, South Carolina, near Greenville, and will be submitted to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2021." The article adds that similarly, other operators also plan to seek license renewals, including Florida Power & Light, Exelon, and Dominion Energy which has requested renewal of the licenses of its two Surry nuclear units, with a combined capacity of 1,760-MW and located in Surry, Virginia."
Behind a paywall, Bloomberg Environment (9/19, Subscription Publication) reports that Duke "joins other nuclear plant operators including NextEra Energy Inc. and Dominion Energy Inc. that have already sought to extend their licenses." The decision "comes as nuclear power in the 2
U.S. struggles to compete with cheap natural gas, prompting reactors around the nation to close."
The Charlotte (NC) Business Journal (9/19, Downey, Subscription Publication, 883K) reports, "Duke Energy Corp.
will seek to relicense all 11 of its reactors at six nuclear plants in the Carolinas, starting with an application to extend the life of the three-unit Oconee Nuclear Station in 2021." The announcement is "important but not surprising." Duke executives have "made it clear for several years now that such a move was likely for at least some of its plants.
The Greenville (SC) News (9/19, Ellis, 188K) reports that South Carolina is "heavily invested in nuclear generation, only two states generate more nuclear electricity and the state sells its excess power." Within the state, "manufacturing consumes the most juice, about a third of the power generated, followed by transportation including gas for cars.
Residences and businesses. use the remaining 30 percent of electricity." The Charlotte (NC) Observer (9/19, Henderson, 470K) reports, "Continuing to operate aging plants is considerably easier than building massively expensive new ones." The Nuclear Regulatory Commission in "2016 granted Duke licenses to build two nuclear reactors near Gaffney, S.C., at a then-estimated cost of $11 billion, but the company has not moved forward with construction." Duke also "canceled a contract for a new nuclear plant in Florida. The Coastal Review (9/19) reports "All Duke Energy-operated nuclear units have received one renewed license for an additional 20 years." The process to "renew licenses for a second 20 years requires study to ensure the units can safely operate for the extended time."
Additional coverage was provided by the Anderson (SC) Independent-Mail (9/19, 53K) and WFAE-FM Charlotte (NC) Charlotte, NC (9/19, Boraks, 6K).
Duke Energy's press release appeared on Business Insider (9/19, 3.67M).
Connecticut Regulator Approves Plan For Utilities To Buy Millstone Plant Power. Platts (9/19, Jennetta) reports that Connecticut utilities Eversource and AvanGrid subsidiary United Illuminating "will buy half the electricity from the 2, 194-MW Millstone nuclear plant owned by Dominion Energy under a 10-year contract approved Wednesday by the state's utility regulator. Connecticut's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, or PURA, ~approved the power purchase agreement at a scheduled meeting, said Dominion [Energy) spokesman Ken Holt in an email Thursday. The "price per kilowatt-hour the two Connecticut electric distribution utilities will pay under the agreement has not been disclosed." The remaining 50% of the two-unit plant's output 'will continue to be sold as it has been historically, through hedged contracts,' Holt said."
The Hartford (CT) Business Journal (9/19, 22K) reports, "Gov. Ned Lamont and Millstone owner Dominion Energy hailed Wednesday's interim decision from PURA, which they said will ensure the plant will continue to provide enough zero-carbon energy to power more than 2 million homes while keeping the state on track with its legally enshrined carbon emissions-reduction targets and increasingly ambitious energy goals." It's "not yet clear how much the deal will cost Connecticut ratepayers. The pricing information in the interim decision was redacted, but DEEP and other officials have argued the deal is a net positive."
The Republican American (CT) (9/19, 26K) /AP reports that the PURA-approved deal Wednesday "has been seen as crucial to keeping the Dominion Energy facility in Waterford open for the next decade." Dominion Energy "had signaled Millstone could close in 2023 if a long-term power contract wasn't achieved." The AP article was also picked up by the Danbury (CT) News Times (9/18, 114K) and Meriden (CT)
Record-Journal (9/19, Co, 31 K).
Public Power Daily (9/19) reports that when the "contract was executed this spring, all six New England governors issued a joint statement committing to evaluate market-based mechanisms that value the contribution of existing nuclear units and work on a mechanism to value the important attributes of clean energy." WSHU-FM Fairfield, CT (9/19, Dunavin, 6K) also provided coverage of the story.
Long Nuclear Power Career Of George Davis Recounted. East Idaho News (9/19) reports on the life of George W. Davis, Jr., who "spent 33 years in the Navy, 25 of them associated with its nuclear power program. For "20 years afterward, he worked in the operations, maintenance, and safety reviews of commercial nuclear plants and provided oversight of nuclear activity for several nuclear industry activities." Davis qualified for the Navy's nuclear power program in 1963 in West Milton, New York" and was "one of the many men who worked in the early days of nuclear power with Adm. Hyman Rickover." Davis said, Rickover shaped my life as far as nuclear was concerned. Davis added, "He was focused on getting safe, reliable nuclear power at sea."
Davis also worked in commercial nuclear energy for a few years, at the Dominion Surry Power Station in Virginia. Most of his job involved planning for reactor outages, which he didn't enjoy as much as shipbuilding, so when Newport News Shipbuilding won a contract at NRF to work with prototype submarine reactors, he happily moved to Idaho.
Groups Say HB6 Campaign Shows Why Ohio Needs To Close "Dark Money" Loopholes. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/19, Tobias, 895K) reports that the "ongoing, mysteriously funded campaign surrounding Ohio's nuclear bailout law shows why state leaders need to toughen disclosure requirements on political spending, good-3 government advocates said Thursday." Representatives with Common Cause Ohio and the League of Women Voters singled out Ohioans for Energy Security in a Columbus news conference but also "said the anti HB6 group, Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts, that's organizing what appears to be a multi-million dollar repeal campaign also should be made to disclose its donors."
The Toledo (OH) Blade (9/19, Provance, 88K) reports, "Holes in Ohio's campaign finance law allow corporations to secretly fund campaigns battling over Ohio's new nuclear bailout, which undermines direct democracy and intimidates voters, government watchdog groups said on Thursday." Jen Miller, director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, commented on the adds, said, "It's this idea that somehow China wants our information.... They probably wouldn't make those kinds of statements if they would be held accountable by their shareholders or by the public if we knew who they were."
HB6 Supporters Launch A "Racist, Anti-Democracy" Campaign. In a column for the Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/19, 895K) columnist Jarvis DeBerry writes that the "flyer disseminated by Ohioans who want the state's nuclear plants to be bailed out claims that voters who sign a petition opposing the bail-out are surrendering their sovereignty to the Chinese." DeBerry blasts Ohioans for Energy Security for their bigoted nonsense" and its cries of "Yellow Peril" in their mailer and how it implores voters to "Keep Ohio's power grid out of the hands of the Chinese Government. The "flyer doesn't just make China our enemy."
It "makes people who are exercising their freedom to express a political opinion our enemies, too."
HB6 Supporters Running "Misleading" Ad Campaign. In an editorial, the Lima (OH) News (9/19, 87K) writes that backers of House Bill 6 are producing "slick TV commercials and mailers that wildly twist the truth in an effort to stop a referendum seeking to block the bailout." It's "even been enough to prompt a physical altercation between a woman and a man asking people to sign petitions whom she was monitoring. If HB 6 opponents "succeed in getting the 265,774 valid petition signatures they need by Oct. 21 to put the issue on the November 2020 ballot, we can expect a hard-fought campaign with a barrage of ads like those we saw while the General Assembly was debating the bill." In this case though, "those who want to see the bailout bill survive aren't even waiting for an election campaign; they're spending money to keep an election from happening. A new group called Ohioans for Energy Security is running two horribly false TV ads and sending misleading mailers urging people not to sign the referendum petition.
Editorial Blasts Anti-HB6 Ad Campaign.
In an editorial, the Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/19, 895K) argues that the ad campaign "is preposterous. In plain English, it's a lie."
The TV ads and mailers demonstrate the over-the-top
demagoguery of Ohioans for Energy Security. The dark-money group is so determined to keep Ohioans from getting a crack at HB 6 at the ballot box that it's setting a new and dangerous low for campaign tactics in Ohio." The Plain Dealer adds, "The ads have to stop" as does the "alleged physical interference - so far, a single reported instance -
with anti-HB-6 referendum petitioners." A lot of "money - for Akron-based FirstEnergy Solutions, a bankrupt offshoot of Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. - is at stake." To be "precise, an estimated $150 million a year for seven years to be paid to owners of the Perry and Davis-Besse plants by Ohio ratepayers, under terms of the nuclear portion of the HB 6 bailout.
Community Groups Call For More Transparency To Address "Dark Money" Funders Of HB6 Campaign. The Columbus (OH) Dispatch (9/19, Rouan, 367K) reports that two community groups, the League of Women Voters and Common Cause Ohio, are calling on state lawmakers to adopt new campaign finance rules in an effort to create more transparency and tamp down on "fear mongering" stemming from ads from a "dark money group fighting a potential referendum on Ohio's nuclear bailout bill." Recently distributed mailers and television ads from the group Ohioans for Energy Security has tried to "link opponents to China and called on people to report the location of those collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to repeal the law." Jen Miller, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, said, In general, we think it would be less inflammatory if we could know who these individuals (contributing to the campaign) are.
Questions Remain About How To Address SONGS Spent Fuel. The Encinitas (CA) Coast News (9/19, Puterski, 78K) reports that on Sept. 10, the Carlsbad City Council "approved a resolution calling on the state legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to address the concerns regarding the safe handling and storage of nuclear waste at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, which went offline in 2013." Decommissioning SONGS, however, remains a challenge as it requires the transfer of spent fuel into safe storage, along wrth the removal and disposal of the remaining materials." SONGS public information officer John Dobken "said the issue of spent nuclear fuel is an item city councils should take up, especially those close to a nuclear facility."
San Clemente City Staff Recommends Extension Of SONGS-related Emergency Funding. The San Clemente (CA) Times (9/19, Hachmann, 58K) reports that San Clemente's City Council on Wednesday addressed "a report from Tom Bonigut, public works director and city engineer, concerning a possible letter of support for Senate Bill 465, sponsored by Senator Pat Bates with regard to San Onofre 4
Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS)."
The staff recommended approving the letter "expressing the city's support of Senate Bill 465, which would extend the term under which San Clemente would receive funding from Southern California Edison for emergency planning and preparedness related to the decommissioned nuclear power plant."
San Clemente City Council Candidate Wants To Remove SONGS Spent Fuel. The San cremente (CA)
Times (9/19, Raymundo, 58K) reports that "getting nuclear waste out of San Onofre and resolving the city's homelessness woes are among some of the top priorities of the city council candidates running in San Clemente's upcoming special election. One candidate, self-described fiscal conservative Gene James, "said he's running on three major platforms: improving public safety, exercising budget discipline and getting spent nuclear fuel out of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS)."
Sen Booker Chides Fellow Democrats Opposed To Nuclear Power. HuffPost (9/19, 1.67M) reports that New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker "compared Democrats who oppose nuclear energy to Republican climate science deniers, highlighting a growing rift in the party over the nation's biggest source of emissions-free electricity." In a "wide-ranging Interview with HuffPost, the Democratic presidential hopeful said he once shared progressives' skepticism of nuclear power but became convinced that reaching net-zero emissions from the utility sector by 2030 was impossible without the source that generates more power than all forms of renewables combined." Sen. Booker said, As much as we say the Republicans when it comes to climate change must listen to science, our party has the same obligation to listen to scientists." Booker added, "The data speaks for itself."
Marianne Williamson Defends Opposition To Nuclear Power. Independent Journal Review (9/19, Dibble) reports that Democratic presidential candidate and author Marianne Williamson tried to justify opposition to nuclear power in the fight against climate change during MSNBC's climate forum by asking viewers '"go beyond' thinking about the facts when considering the use of nuclear energy." In a "roundabout way, Williamson was referencing the dangers of nuclear power production that many opposed to the source highlight, including the problem of nuclear waste and the risk of meltdowns." The Review argues that "while this is a serious issue, the doomsday description associated with Williamson's answer may be over the top."
CA's Central Coast Embraces Community Choice Energy. The San Luis Obispo (CA) New Times (9/19, Johnson, 122K) reports that in the span of a year, ten
"Central Coast cities and Santa Barbara County all had voted, one after the other, to join as members of Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP), a growing Community Choice Energy (CCE) utility that currently serves Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties." It started with "San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay in late 2018. But "some people who are concerned about so much shuffling around in the market."
PG&E's "bankruptcy and Diablo Canyon Power Plant's looming closure only compound those qualms."
Letter Writer Says Nuclear Power Creates Risk To The Public. In a letter to the editor of the San Luls Obispo (CA) New Times (9/19, 122K), John Winthrop of Cayucos, wrote that Mark Henry "loves linking the Democratic party to the argument against nuclear power for purely pecuniary reasons, refers to the brilliant Helen Caldicott as just another anti-nuclear hysteric, and then predictably blasts the Green New Deal as a 'delusion: a convenient untruth."'
The letter adds, "Not mentioned anywhere in this wrong-headed rant is the fact that nuclear power is no longer the darling of the utility companies for the simple reasons that the spent fuel cannot be stored or transported without considerable risk to the public, nor is it cheaper to use than solar or wind-produced energy."
NRC To Discuss Oyster Creek. Plant's Decommissioning At Public Meeting, October
- 3. The Lacey (NJ) Patch (9/19, Bakan, 1.03M) reports that during the Nuclear Regulatory Commission public meeting October 3 at the Holiday Inn Manahawkin/Long Beach Island, residents of Lacey Township will have the opportunity to speak with agency representatives concerning the decommissioning process for Oyster Creek Nuclear Generation Station. The "NRC said they seek public participation to fully engage in a discussion on regulatory issues. A questionnaire will be available at the meeting for input the NRC is required to include in a report to Congress."
Wonders Selected To Participate In Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation. Penn State News (9/19, Lakatos) reports, "Marc Wonders, a Penn State graduate student earning his doctorate in nuclear engineering, was one of 15 students from across the country who participated in the annual Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation (NESD) this summer." Wonders was usponsored by the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering." The NESD "serves as a week-'long introduction to policy for students, while also exposing legislators to nuclear-related research." This year, the "delegation met with the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, RAND Corporation, Third Way, ClearPath, the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy -
including 5
Rita Baranwal, the assistant secretary for nuclear energy -
and national laboratory scientists on assignment with the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy.
AGF Access Group To Supply 12 Hydro Mobile Mast Climbers For Vogtle Nuclear Expansion.
The KHL Group (9/20, 2K) reports Bechtel Power Corporation has awarded Montreal-based AGF Access Group (MG)... a contract for the design and supply of 12 Hydro Mobile mast climbers for the Vogtle nuclear expansion project near Waynesboro, GA" Meanwhile, "a separate contract will include all site services such as supervision, training -and technical support. First and final deliveries are scheduled for September and December 2019 respectively."
According to the Georgia Power website, the new nuclear units are the first to be built in the U.S. in the last three decades." AAG VP, Major Projects, Alex Di Domenico said, "Because of our experience in the nuclear market both here in North America and overseas, AAG has become recognized as the access expert to count on."
NRC's ASLB To Receive Public Comment On Seabrook Station Concrete Degradation Issues At Monday Meeting. The Newburyport (MA) Daily News (9/20, Shea, 17K) reports that Newburyport and area residents will have the "chance to comment on local whistleblower group C-10's challenge of the Seabrook nuclear plant's concrete testing and monitoring protocols."
The public comment session, "hosted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, will be held Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. in City Hall Auditorium." Seabrook Station was "recently granted a 20-year license extension through 2050 by the NRC. Earlier this year, the NRC approved an amendment to address concrete degradation caused by alkali-silica reaction, or ASR, a chemical process that causes small cracks in concrete." Prior to granting the extension, "C-10, a Newburyport group monitoring Seabrook Station's safety, was to have a hearing on concrete degradation at the plant with the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board."
RELATED NEWS:
Group Uses Virtual Reality To Highlight Navajo Nation Uranium Contamination. The AP (9/18) reports that activists in the arts collective Bombshelltoe "are using virtual reality technology to focus on areas of the Navajo Nation affected by uranium contamination." The group has "collected 360-degree footage of land near Church Rock, New Mexico, to show how people and the land have changed since a 1979 uranium mill spill, the Gallup Independent
reports." The "film, titled 'Ways of Knowing,' was directed by artist Kayla Briet. The project "started four years ago after Washington, D.C.-based nuclear policy program manager Lovely Umayam met Navajo activist Sunny Dooley at an event in Santa Fe. Filmmaker Adriel Luis is also a co-producer of the movie."
Senate Committee Advances Bill With Record Funding For Office Of Science. Oak Ridger {TN)
(9/19, Ridger, 7K) reports that the US Senate Appropriations approved unanimously legislation Thursday that includes "record funding" for the Office of Science. Subcommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander called the Office of Science '1he most important Department of Energy program that supports work at our 17 national laboratories, including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory -
and keeps the U.S. No. 1 in supercomputing." The bill will fund various programs, including the modernization of nuclear weapons at Y-12;
$16.9 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration; and a new pilot program "to allow consolidated nuclear waste storage." The legislation, the report says, "sends a strong signal about our support for developing new technologies that will support the next generation of nuclear power plants."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
Behind The Scenes Look At Hinkley Point C. In a video clip, BBC News Online (UK) (9/20, 1.02M) features a "behind the scenes look at the building of Hinkley Point C, the United Kingdom's new "epic" power plant.
Spent Nuclear Fuel Removal Completed At UK's Wylfa Site. World Nuclear News (9/19) reports, the "final used nuclear fuel has been shipped from the Wylfa site on Anglesey, in Wales, the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority said today." The milestone "marks the end of a programme to defuel all of the country's Magnox sites."
Magnox reactors are "graphite-moderated, gas-cooled and use all-metal, slightly enriched uranium fuel." The design "takes its name from the magnesium alloy cladding used on the uranium fuel." Wylfa is the "biggest and last Magnox site to be built in the UK. Its twin 490 MWe reactors began commercial operation in November 1971 and January 1972, respectively."
BBC News Online (UK) (9/19, 1.02M) reports that the "final flask of fuel elements from Wylfa on Anglesey arrived in Cumbria on Thursday morning." In total, "nearly 90,000 Magnox fuel rods have been removed from the two reactors at the island's plant." The completion now "means a workforce that once stood at about 600 will be reduced to just 175 by the end of November.fl 6
As Pompeo Builds Anti-Iran Coalition, Trump Set To Receive Military Options Today. The New York Times (9/19, Schmitt, Wong, 18.61 M) reports that "senior national security officials from across the government met" yesterday to "refine a list of potential targets to strike in Iran, should President Trump order a military retaliation for missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabian oil fields last weekend." According to the Times, Defense Secretary Esper and Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "are to present the updated options to Mr. Trump at a National Security Council meeting scheduled for Friday." The Times says the Pentagon is "advocating military strikes that one senior official described as at the lower end of options."
According to the Wall Street Journal (9/19, Lubold, Youssef, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), the measures reportedly under consideration by the Pentagon include deploying additional antimissile batteries, jet fighters and surveillance capabilities to the region. Officials are also considering maintaining a US aircraft carrier and other warships in the region for the foreseeable future.
USA Today (9/19, Shesgreen, Jackson, 10.31M) reports the President, meanwhile, told Fox News in an interview that aired yesterday, "A lot of things could happen.
... We'll see what happens." Trump said on Fox News' Fox &
Friends (9/19, 51.8M), We'll see what happens. You may have some very strong hit.... A lot of things could happen. If we can have a peaceful solution, that's good. It's possible that that won't happen,"
A New York Times (9/19, Kirkpatrick, Hubbard, 18.61M) analysis says that while the oil-rich monarchies of the Persian Gulf have relied for decades on the promise of protection by the United States military," that commitment is now "facing its most serious test since the first gulf war."
Reuters (9/19) reports the Pentagon said yesterday that it is "consulting with Saudi Arabia on ways to mitigate threats from the north," and the Washington Examiner (9/19, McIntyre, 448K) reports it also said the US "will allow Saudi Arabia to decide if there is enough evidence to accuse Iran of conductlhg last week's" attacks. Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters, "We'll wait until the final assessment's completed with the Saudis and that they've made the declaration. This was an attack on Saudi Arabia.
We're supporting their investigation. We have teams on the ground working with them, but we're not going to get ahead of their conclusions." The Examiner says those comments are "in stark contrast to statements Thursday from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo," who "continued to unambiguously accuse Iran of launching the attack." Pompeo told reporters traveling with him in the region, "I think it's abundantly clear and there is an enormous consensus in the region that we know precisely who conducted these attacks. It was Iran. I
didn't hear anybody in the region who doubted that for a single moment."
Reuters (9/19, Khalid, El Yaakoubi) reports Pompeo said during a visit to the UAE the Administration is "building a coalition to deter Iranian threats following a weekend attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities." However, Reuters adds that Pompeo stressed that Trump "wants a peaceful solution to the crisis," and Pompeo himself appeared to soften his tone" on Thursday "after talks with Abu Dhabi's crown prince, the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates, which is Riyadh's main Arab ally." Pompeo is quoted as saying, "We are here to build out a coalition aimed at achieving peace and a peaceful resolution. That's my mission, that's what President Trump certainly wants me to work to achieve and I hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran sees it that way."
Pompeo, the Washington Post (9/19, Schemm, Loveluck, 14.2M) reports "insisted that the United States and its allies were seeking a peaceful resolution, while increasing pressure on Iran to curtail its activities." Said Pompeo, "We have set about a course of action to deny Iran the capacity and wealth to prevent them from conducting their terror campaigns, and you can see from the events of last week there is still more work to do." The New York Times (9/19, Perez-Peria, Wong, 18.61 M) reports that "before departing Abu Dhabi, Mr. Pompeo said that as a result of his meetings in the two Gulf nations, 'I think I'll be able to give the president some important information about how it is we should think about proceeding."'
Appearing on Fox News' Fox & Friends (9/19, 831 K),
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) pointed a finger at Tehran, saying, "There is no doubt it was Iran." Rubio added, "By the way, all countries saying they have doubts about the intelligence are lying. They know for a fact it was Iran. They don't want to admit it because they have to do something about it if it was Iran. Houthis don't have the missiles. Where they landed are indicative of an attack from southwest Iran. There is more evidence about that. They don't have any missiles with that range or UAVs with that range."
Zarif Threatens "All-Out War," Continues To Deny Missile Attack Was Launched From Iran.
The CBS Evening News (9/19, story 7, 0:20, O'Donnell, 3.99M) reported briefly on what it called *a stark warning today from Iran's foreign minister," who "said any attack on Iran by the US or Saudi Arabia will spark an 'all-out war."' The Washington Post (9/19, Schemm, Loveluck, 14.2M) reports that in an interview with CNN yesterday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif "warned...that military action by the United States or Saudi Arabia would result in 'all-out war.'"
Zarif told CNN's New Day (9/19, Berman, 386K) that any attack on Iran by the US or Saudi Arabia would result in "an all-out war." Zarif added, "I'm making a very serious statement that we don't want war, we don't want to engage in a military confrontation. We believe that a military 7
confrontation based on deception is awful. We'll have a lot of casualties. But we won't blink to defend our territory." Zarif also continued to dispute Saudi Arabia's claim that the missile used in the attack over the weekend came from Iran. Zarif said, "The Yemenis have announced responsibility. They have provided information about that. They have answered all the Saudi disinformation campaign about the fact that they launched this attack against Saudi Arabia in self-defense.
Now, they want to pin the blame on Iran in order to achieve something. And that is why I'm saying this is agitation for war.
Because it's based on Iles. It's based on deception."
The AP (9/19, Gambrell) reports Pompeo "dismissed Zarifs remarks, saying: "I was here (doing) active diplomacy while the foreign minister of Iran is threatening all-out war to fight to the last American."' According to the AP, Pompeo "said he hoped Iran would choose a path toward peace, but he remained doubtful." Pompeo is quoted as saying, "There are still those today who think, 'Boy, if we just give Iran just a little bit more money they'll become a peaceful nation.' We can see that that does not work,"
Zarif Set To Travel To New York For UN Meeting.
Bloomberg (9/19, 4.73M) reports that last weekend's attack "damped speculation that...Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, could meet at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week." Reuters (9/19), however, reports the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday that Zarif will "leave for New York on Friday to attend the UN General Assembly" despite "earlier reports of a US delay in issuing a visa for the visit.~
The New York Post (9/19, Golding, 4.57M) reports that "the US has granted permission for top Iranian officials to enter the country for next week's UN General Assembly."
Rouhani and Zarif "were both issued visas, a spokesman for the Iranian mission to the United Nations" said. Rich Edson reported on Fox News Special Report (9/19, 1.53M), "A senior Administration official says... lran requested around 120 visas," but the State Department "rejected about 40,"
citing "ties to the IRGC."
NYTimes Analysis: Attacks Expose Flaws In Saudi Military. The New York Times (9/19, Cooper, 18.61 M) reports that for the past 50 years, the US "has trained and supplied the Saudi military, selling the wealthy kingdom more than $150 billion in dazzling high-technology weapons, including fighter jets and air defense systems." And yet, the Times says, it "could not protect a prized national asset - its oil installations - from a recent attack by low-flying cruise missiles and drones." Nor has the military "managed to defeat Iranian-backed Houthi insurgents in Yemen," despite a four-year bombing campaign.
NYTimes Analysis: Saudis Struggling To Keep Oil Flowing After Attacks. The New York Times (9/19, Reed, 18.61M) reports that earlier this week, "top officials of the Saudi oil industry held a news conference and delivered a
very upbeat message" - Saudi Arabia's production capacity would be fully restored by the end of September. The Times writes, "If that pace of recovery seems almost miraculous, it is. Saturday's attacks cut Saudi output by more than half.
Analysts say that while the kingdom has been able to restore some of that output, the effects of the onslaught on two key facilities are likely to linger for weeks or even months."
According to a front-page story In the Wall Street Journal
{9/19, A 1, McFarlane, Faucon, Said, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), Saudi Arabia is reaching out to foreign producers for crude and other petroleum products in order to fill the gaps in its own supply.
German Intel: Iran Sought To Acquire Nuclear Weapons In 2018. The Jerusalem Post (9/19, Weinthal, 90K) reports that a "new German intelligence report from the state of Hesse outlined 'the Islamic Republic of Iran's efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction during 2018, as well as illicit espionage activities inside Germany." The Washington Free Beacon (9/19, Kredo, 78K) says the "new disclosures by German intelligence... reveal how Tehran tapped black weapons markets without the knowledge of international nuclear inspectors tasked with performing oversight on the Islamic Republic's weapons sites" as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement.
House Armed Services Panel Gets Classified Briefing On Saudi Attacks. The Hill (9/19, Kheel, 2.98M) reports the House Armed Services Committee received a classified briefing Thursday afternoon about the attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities." Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) said ahead of the briefing, 'The biggest thing that I'm hoping to find out is what are we planning, what are our options. I think we've all seen the intelligence.... The question is, where do we go from here?" He continued, "And also I think to mak~ sure everyone's clear on the point that an attack on Saudi Arabia is not an attack on the US, and the two should not be conflated. And an attack on Saudi Arabia gives no legal justification whatsoever to the president for US military action."
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News Exelon Closes Three Mile Island Plant Permanently..................... 1 NRC Report Finds No Safety Issues With Decommissioning Of Vermont Yankee................................................................... 2 Barnstable County Official Critical Of NRC's Pilgrim Plant License Transfer Approval.................................................... 3 NRC Extends Comment Period On GTCC Waste........................ 3 NRC Staff Plans To Complete Decommissioning Rulemaking In 2021...................................................................................... 3 Senate Energy Legislation Would Cut $66.5 Million From NRC Budget................................................................................... 3 NRC Rejects Call To Rescind Update On VLLW Disposal Regulatory Authority.............................................................. 3 FirstEnergy Solutions Spent Nearly $1 Million Legal Bill In Support Of House Bill 6 Passage......................................... 3 Editorial: DOE Research Project Gives Davis-Besse Plant New Opportunity For Revenue...................................................... 3 Plant Vogtle Nuclear Project Progress Featured On Univision.....4 Internal Reports On SONGS Spent Fuel Differ From NRC's Public Findings........,.............................................................4 Cory Booker Defends Role Of Nuclear Energy In Fighting Climate Change.................................................................... 4 Marianne Williamson Defends Opposition To Nuclear Power......4 Editorial Questions Those Opposed To Nuclear Power................ 4 NRC NEWS:
Exelon Closes Three Mile Island Plant Permanently.
On NBC Nightly News (9/20, story 12, 1 :16, Holt, 5.41 M), Lester Holt reported that a partial meltdown 40 years ago at fhe Three Mile Island nuclear facility in Pennsylvania "turned the nation against nuclear power." NBC*s Andrea Mitchell added that the facility on Friday closed "for good." However, Mitchell said that local officials are "mourning the lose of 675 jobs, a $60 million annual payroll that has powered 830,000 homes and businesses for decades."
S&P Global Platts {9/20, Dolley, 1K) reported that the TMI reactor "was taken offline 'for the final time' at noon EDT (1600 GMT), Exelon said." In a statement, the company said New Mexico Alliance Head Urges Action On Spent Fuel Storage Plan......................................................................... 4 Related News Sens. Warren, Sanders, Markey Urge Defense Leaders To Abandon Plutonium Pit Productlon....................................... 5 Cold War Era Nuclear Bombers Profiled....................................... 5 International Nuclear News French Power Generation Fell By 10% Amid EDF Strike............. 5 New Mexico Coalition Optimistic About Construction Of Nuclear Waste Storage Facility.......................................................... 5 Indian Nuclear Expert Calls On Country To Increase Thorium-Based Nuclear Power Reactors............................................ 5 Bulgaria Shuts Down Kozloduy Units 6 Reactor For Annual Maintenance.......................................................................... 5 Japanese Court Clears Three Energy Firm Bosses Of Charges Stemming From Fukushima Nuclear Meltdown................... 5 IEA Chief Says Nuclear Power Has Important Role In Global Energy Transition.................................................................. 5 Sizewell Nuclear Stations Could Impact Skyline View Of Minsmere Nature Reserve.................................................... 6 US To Place Additional Sanctions On Iran Over Attack On Saudi Oil Facilities................................................................. 6 that Three Mile lsland-1 set "a site record of running 709 continuous days, beating the station's previous record of 705 days set in 2009." Exelon added, "Over the next few weeks, workers will remove the reactor's fuel supply and store It safely in the station's used fuel pool. After that, workers will begin preparing the station for long-term decommissioning."
Reuters (9/20) reported that nuclear services company "EnergySolutions Inc said in July it was In negotiations with a unit of FirstEnergy to acquire and complete the decommissioning of Unit 2." Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, "Exelon operates two reactors at Peach Bottom and two at Limerick, FirstEnergy operates two reactors at Beaver Valley, and Talen Energy owns two at Susquehanna." FirstEnergy Solutions has said it would shut Beaver Valley in 2021 unless the reactors receive some financial support from federal or state programs."
The AP (9/20) reported that "Decommissioning Unit 1, dismantling its buildings and removing spent fuel could take six decades and cost more than $1 billion, Exelon estimates, although companies specializing in the handling of radioactive material are buying retired U.S. nuclear reactors and promising to do it in under a decade."
The Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News (9/20, Thompson, 427K) reported that "inside the plant, and out of public view, the plant was formally removed from the region's power grid at 12:07 p.m., according to sources on hand. Employees then gathered for what plant spokesman Dave Marcheskie called
'a private, intimate ceremony to celebrate 45 years of service."' Outside, in "full view of the last steam clouds billowing from the cooling towers on a fine, late summer day, some of those who must now deal with the economic effects of Harrisburg's post-nuclear era mourned what's going away."
WHYY-1V Philadelphia (9/22, 24K) reported that some nuclear power usay they think lawmakers are boosting the natural gas industry at the expense of nuclear." Londonderry Township Supervisor Anna Dale "said there's a lot of bitterness toward the state legislature." Dale said, "They could have done something to change the outcome that we are now looking at today." But state Rep. Tom Mehaffie "says with the energy market awash in cheaper natural gas, Pennsylvania's other nuclear plants are in trouble too."
Mehaffie "faults many of his GOP colleagues for not supporting his bill to bail out TMI."
Axios (9/20, Harder, 521 K) calls it an irony that even as climate activists rally in the "streets here and around the world today calling for urgent action curbing carbon emissions," the "controversial but carbon-free [Three Mile Island] nuclear power plant 180 miles away quietly goes offiine." Nuclear power "provides America -
and the world -
with one of the largest sources of carbon-free electricity," but many
environmentalists nonetheless don't support it because of fears about safety and radioactivity." MSN (CAN) (9/20, 5.16M), Ledyard King, writes that while it "may not produce power, Three Mile Island (TMI) will continue to generate memories, said local historian Erik Fasick." Fasick added, "It shouldn't be forgotten," noting, "It's the most important event that's occurred in this area since the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863." The New York Daily News (9/20, Gifford, 2.52M) reported that "there are still many inhabitants who are convinced that a direct correlation can be drawn between the accident and failing health.n But many residents "living in the rural central Pennsylvania area near the power plant are dismayed by its closing and lost employment opportunities."
Additional coverage was provided by: Also reporting are Fairfield (CA) Daily Republic (9/22, 53K), Yahoo! News (9/20, 12.82M), MSN (9/20, 5.16M), ArcaMax (9/20, 330K) and Yahoo! News (9/20, 12.82M).
Plant Staff To Decline To About 60 Employees By 2022. NPR (9/20, Blanchard, 3.12M) reported online that 2
"Exelon officials said some of the plant's approximately 675 employees will keep working at the plant to move the nuclear fuel as it cools." Most will "stay around until the end of the month, enough time to move fuel out of the reactor and into a massive vat of water called a spent fuel pool." After that, "staffing will be reduced to 300 employees, who will move the fuel to concrete and stainless steel 'dry casks.'" By 2022, "about 50 employees will remain, tasked with the long, slow process of winding down the plant and ensuring that the nuclear waste is kept away from people for tens of thousands of years."
The Wellsboro (PA) Gazette (9/20, Jarrett, 19K) reports, "About 112 of the plant's employees will be laid off beginning Oct. 1, according to documents filed with the state labor department." About "515 employees currently work at Three Mile Island, Exelon spokeswoman Lacey Dean told the Patriot-News." Employees have been "offered jobs at the company's two other Pennsylvania nuclear plants, she said."
Editorial: Three Mile Island Closure Will Increase Demand For Fossil Fuels. In an editorial, the New York Post (9/22, Board, 4.57M) wrote that Three Mile Island's closure is "like the coming closure of New York's Indian Point plant, It's bad news in the drive to reduce carbon emissions."
What "prompted the Pennsylvania plant's early shutdown?
Abundant, cheap natural gas--
thanks to tracking, which has been a huge boon to the Keystone State's economy. So cheap that the nuclear power wasn't cost-competitive Without a subsidy from the state." But, "giving up on nuclear has forced Japan, Germany and Vermont to increase their reliance on carbon-based fuels: gas, oil and even coal.
Pennsylvania will inevitably go the same way."
Local Leaders Call On State Lawmakers To Save Beaver Valley Plant. The Waynesboro (PA) Herald Record (9/21, Suttles, 23K) reported that as UThree Mile Island permanently closed on Friday, hundreds of local industry leaders demanded state lawmakers take action to keep nuclear energy financially viable in Pennsylvania."
Representatives from "Beaver County schools, unions, businesses and government gathered on the Beaver County Courthouse steps to support Shippingport's Beaver Valley Power Station, slated to close in less than two years unless lawmakers pass nuclear subsidies fast." The rally was
hosted by the Nuclear Powers Pennsylvania and Beaver Valley Matters coalitions,"
NRC Report Finds No Safety Issues With Decommissioning Of Vermont Yankee.
The Bennington (VT) Banner (9/20, Smallheer, 15K) reports that federal inspectors evaluating the decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant found no safety problems, according to a quarterly report from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said
that the inspections took place over four weeks and included observations by NRC's resident inspector Steve Hamman, as well as"interviews with Vermont Yankee personnel, plant and walkdowns review of procedures and records." According to Sheehan: "Our inspector was there to confirm this work was being performed safely and consistent with N~C requirements. Northstar is also planning for the segmentation of the reactor vessel itself, and Steve will be on hand when that takes place."
The AP (9/20) reports, "The inspections included observations by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission resident inspector Steve Hammann, who has spent more time at the plant in recent months, and interviews with Vermont Yankee personnel, walks through the plant and a review of procedures and records." NRC spokesman Nell Sheeha~,
said, "He has been there more frequently because the plant 1s now in active decommissioning versus the SAFSTOR (long-term storage) approach under Entergy."
Barnstable County Official Critical Of NRC's Pilgrim Plant License Transfer Approval. The Cape Cod (MA) News (9/23, Merchant) reports that Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment Director and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Sean O'Brien is expressing concerns about what he said is the lack of public input gathered by the Nuclear Re9ulatory Commission before it approved a license transfer for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station." The NRC "approved the transfer of the license from Entergy to Holtec International last month for the decommissioning of the shutdown Plymouth facility." O'Brien "voiced concerns last week before the Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners."
O'Brien said, "What came to Hght pretty quickly (at the meeting) was the transfer of the license happened in sort of a vacuum."
NRC Extends Comment Period On GTCC Waste. Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/20) reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is "giving stakeholders an additional 60 days to comment on a document that could lay the groundwork for an update to regulations on disposal of Greater-Than-Class C (GTCC) low-level radioactive waste."
NRC Staff Plans To Complete Decommissioning Rulemaking In 2021. Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/20) reported that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission "expects completion by 2021 of an overhaul. of regulations covering nuclear power reactors making the transition from operations to decommissioning."
That is "two years later than anticipated when the NRC."
3 Senate Energy Legislation Would Cut $66.5 Million From NRC Budget.
Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/20) reported that the US Senate.is "considering a steep cutback in funding for most operations at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the upcoming 2020 federal budget year." The
"$841.2 million budget recommendation unveiled last week would be just over $66.5 million less than" the agency's current appropriation.
NRC Rejects Call To Rescind Update On VLLW Disposal Regulatory Authority. ExchangeMonitor (9/20) reported that the Nuclear Regulatory _commission_ "s~id this week it would not withdraw a 2016 finding re-establishing the scope of its authority to regulate disposal of very low-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants."
FirstEnergy Solutions Spent Nearly $1 Million Legal Bill In Support Of House Bill 6 Passage.
The Akron (OH) Beacon Journal (9/20, Ludlow, 198K) reports, "FirstEnergy Solutions rang up a. legal bill approaching $1 million to help persuade the Ohio General Assembly to approve the $1 billion, consumer-financed bailout of its pair of nuclear power plants. A request for payment of legal bills was filed in U.S. Bankru~tcy Court_by FirstEnergy Solutions, led by work on House 8111 6, showing billing of "$1.149 million for legal work on 'state governm~nt affairs."' The billing covers "April 1 through July 31, the period in which House Bill 6 was introduced, received more than a dozen committee hearings and then was passed by the Republican-controlled House and Senate."
More Commentary On Opposition To Ohio Nuclear Bailout.
WOSU-FM Columbus, OH (9/23, Thompson, Brown) reported online thai the "fight over Ohio's new nuclear bailout law, though, is in full swing more than a year before a possible vote." The "law, House Bill 6, adds an 85 cent monthly fee to the electric bill of most Ohio customers." That
'1ee will provide $150 million a year to FirstEnergy Solutions to prop up two unprofitable nuclear power plants in no~~rn Ohio. It also lets utilities add subsidies to boost two failing coal power plants." Supporters of "the nuclear and coal plant subsidies don't even want the referendum on the ballot."
They've "gone as far as to hire third-party petition blockers to shadow signature gatherers and try to convince people not to sign."
Editorial: DOE Research Project Gives Davis-Besse Plant New Opportunity For Revenue. In an editorial, the Toledo (OH) Blade (9/22, 88K) writes that Northwest Ohio has "taken a few steps forward in the nation's energy development, with recent federal research grants on hydrogen. The "Davis-Besse nuclear power plant near Oak Harbor, which was slated to close until an Ohio General
Assembly bailout bill passed this summer, snared a $9.2 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to develop a hybrid energy system with a light-water reactor to produce hydrogen. At "Davis-Besse, which also will receive $2.3 million from four other partners, the project is to determine whether production of hydrogen at the plant is feasible and economical. If the '1esting in the pilot program proves fruitful, it could lead to a reliable alternative energy source for the country and a new revenue stream for Davis-Besse ancl other nuclear power fadlitles nationwide.
Plant Vogtle Nuclear Project Progress Featured On Univision. WUVG-TV Atlanta (9/22, 6:27 p.m. ET, SK) reported in Spanish from Plant Vogtle, where there are 700 permanent jobs and Hispanic employees are among the most valued. Executive Vice President Mark Raukhorst said the company needs a workforce that is very diverse. He said the company needs engineers, welders, lobbyists, and all the different kinds of jobs that the country needs for this type of mega construction. Georgia Power's Marlen Rios spoke about diversity at the company, the company's Hispanic affinity group, and efforts to hire more Hispanic workers.
Other Spanish-speaking employees also spoke about the company's efforts to support Hispanic employees and the community generally.
Internal Reports On SONGS Spent Fuel Differ From NRC's Public Findings. The San Diego Union-Tribune (9/22, McDonald, 755K) reports that '1ederal inspectors found many of the waste-filled canisters" at the San Onofre nuclear plant "had been scraped and scratched as they were lowered into the interim storage facility." Still, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission "allowed the waste transfer program to resume in July." Documents obtained by the San Dfego Union-Tribune "show that an agency field inspector reviewing the August 2018 incident Issued internal reports noting that the canisters were designed -
and certified -
to be lowered into the storage vault without any scratches." However, SoCal Edison spokesman John Dobken "said Friday the utility is following federal rules."
Cory Booker Defends Role Of Nuclear Energy In Fighting Climate Change. Axlos (9/20, Geman, 521 K) reports that Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker took a swipe at fellow Democrats by "saying his party's opposition to nuclear energy is just as a bad as Republicans who deny climate science." Booker's views reflect that of many energy analysts who say that "decarbonizing power relatively fast would be extraordinarily tough if plants are closing, and that construction of next-wave reactors should be an option."
4 The Jacksonville (Fl ) Free Press (9/20, Kaufman) reports that Booker "said he once shared progressives' skepticism of nuclear power but became convinced that reaching net-zero emissions from the utility sector by 2030 was impossible without the source that generates more power than all forms of renewables combined." According to Booker, "the data speaks for itself." The Daily Caller (9/20, 716K) reports that Booker said, "If we had a president who was going to pull us out of nuclear, we'd be more reliant on fossil fuels... It's as simple as that."
Marianne Williamson Defends Opposition To Nuclear Power. Independent Journal Review (9/19, Dibble) reports that Democratic presidential candidate and author Marianne Williamson tried to justify opposition to nuclear power in the fight against climate change during MSNBC's climate forum by asking viewers "'go beyond' thinking about the facts when considering the use of nuclear energy." In a "roundabout way, Williamson was referencing the dangers of nuclear power production that many opposed to the source highlight, including the problem of nuclear waste and the risk of meltdowns." The Review argues that "while this is a serious issue, the doomsday description associated with Williamson's answer may be over the top."
Editorial Questions Those Opposed To Nuclear Power. In an editorial, the Oklahoman (9/22, 381 K) wrote that during "CNN's recent climate change town hall with the candidates, Sen. Elizabeth Warren vowed that her administration 'won't be building new nuclear plants.'"
Instead, Warren said, "We will start weaning ourselves off nuclear and replace it with renewables." Even as Warren and other Democratic "candidates like to insist that policymakers heed the recommendations of scientists," as columnist "Jonah Goldberg notes, 'there are scads of scientists who think nuclear waste storage is eminently manageable."
Goldberg asks a "good question: 'If you honestty believe that climate change is an existential threat, akin to an impending asteroid strike, why would you rule out one of the only proven tools to combat it?'"
New Mexico Alliance Head Urges Action On Spent Fuel Storage Plan. The AP (9/22) reports that the leader of the southeastern New Mexico coalition Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance, "supporting plans to build a facility to temporary store spent nuclear fuel says supporters have around 18 months to go. Alliance Chairman John Heaton "last week encouraged fellow board members to keep pushing for the proposed multimillion-dollar facility despite opposition from environmentalists and nuclear watchdog groups." Heaton told the Hobbs News-Sun, "We're at the final push. I think this is not the time to be weak of heart." Heaton
added, "We expect a draft (Environmental Impact Statement) to come out in March. Then, there will be hearings following that draft Environmental Impact Statement." Holtec International is "seeking a 40-year license" from the NRC to "build the complex near Carlsbad."
RELATED News:
Sens. Warren, Sanders, Markey Urge Defense Leaders To Abandon Plutonium Pit Production.
The Aiken (SC) Standard (9/21, Demarest, 40K) reported that Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey of Massachusetts "believe there is no reason to produce 80 plutonium pits per year, as is planned, and have urged congressional defense leaders to step back and reconsider related legislation, according to a missive reviewed recently by the Aiken Standard." In their September 13 letter the senators "described a significantly bolstered pit production mission as 'unnecessary, unachievable and ill-advised,' citing an independent analysis" by the Institute for Defense Analyses "earlier this year cast serious skepticism on the National Nuclear Security Administration's and U.S.
Department of Defense's recommended path forward."
Sanders, Warren and Markey "in their letter encouraged leaders of the two armed services committees to support legislative language dialing back the pit count as well as stashing money for it."
Cold War Era Nuclear Bombers Profiled.
National Interest (9/21, Larson, 81 K) describes the nuclear-powered bombers developed by the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War. The idea, in theory, was that "aircraft powered by nuclear reactors could... remain in the sky for weeks or possibly months without needing to refuel," with their only limitations being food, water and pilot endurance.
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR News:
French Power Generation Fell By 10% Amid EDF Strike. Reuters (9/20) reports that more than a third of EDF's French workforce went on strike lat Thursday "in protest against government plans that could open part of EDF's business to more private investment." EDF unions said they would go on strike again next month if the withdraw restructuring plans. The strike caused French power generation to fall by more than 10 percent, but "EDF avoided power cuts by reducing its exports."
New Mexico Coalition Optimistic About Construction Of Nuclear Waste Storage Facility. The AP (9/22) reports that the Eddy-Lea Energy 5
Alliance, a New Mexico coalition supporting plans to build a temporary nuclear fuel storage facility, says that the plan is nearing finalization within the next 18 months despite opposition from environmentalists and nuclear watchdog groups. The Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance is a public entity organization that "owns 1,000 acres of land on which Holtec International Inc. hopes to build and operate the $2.4 billion facility, pending a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission."
Indian Nuclear Expert Calls On Country To Increase Thorium-Based Nuclear Power Reactors.
The Economic Times (IND) (9/22, 1.81M) reports that "eminent nuclear physicist and former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India Anil Kakodkar" called on India to "fully exploit its potential to develop reactors that use thorium" while speaking at a recent event. According to Kakodkar, 'The global community needs to know that reactors based on thorium are inherently more secure than others. Noting that nuclear energy only makes up 2.5 percent of India's energy mix, Kakodkar called on the country to increase "capacity to 60,000-65,000 MW by 2030-2032 to make nuclear energy's share to 10 percent.
Bulgaria Shuts Down Kozloduy Units 6 Reactor For Annual Maintenance. Reuters {AF) (9/22, SK) reports, Bulgaria's only nuclear plant, Kozloduy, has shut one of its two 1,000-megawatt reactors for planned annual maintenance, it said on Sunday." The country "said the reactor, Unit 6, will be reconnected to the national grid at the end of October once it is [refueled] and equipment repaired and upgraded." The "other Soviet-made 1,000-megawatt reactor, Unit 5, at the plant on the Danube was working at full capacity, the operator said in a statement."
Japanese Court Clears Three Energy Firm Bosses Of Charges Stemming From Fukushima Nuclear Meltdown. The Phnom Penh
{VNM) Post (9/20) reported a Japanese court on Thursday "cleared three energy firm bosses of professional negligence in the only criminal trial stemming from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown." The three men "were senior officials at the TEPCO firm operating the Fukushima Daiichi plant and had faced up to five years in prison if convicted."
Xinhua News Agency (CHN) (9/20, 7K) and the Straits Times (SGP) (9/19, SIM, 56K) also reported.
IEA Chief Says Nuclear Power Has Important Role In Global Energy Transition. Chemical &
Engineering News (9/23, Johnson) reports that IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol cautioned that the global energy transition "will be that much harder" without nuclear power. "Alongside
renewables, energy efficiency and other innovative technologies, nuclear can make a significant contribution to achieving sustainable energy goals and enhancing energy security," he wrote in a statement accompanying an IEA nuclear power report. The report ouUined the "steep barriers" to expanding nuclear power, including aging reactors, high costs to build new ones, safety concerns and questions about how much nuclear is needed in the world's energy mix." In the US, for example, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has already renewed and extended the operating licences for 90 of the 98 operating reactors from 40 to 60 years, so the industry is "now focusing on renewals to operate for up to 80 years."
Sizewell Nuclear Stations Could Impact Skyline View Of Minsmere Nature Reserve. The Telegraph (UK) (9/21, Atherton, 956K) reports, in a subscription-only article, how the Sizewell nuclear power stations may impact the skyline overlooking RSPB's Minsmere nature reserve.
US To Place Additional Sanctions On Iran Over Attack On Saudi Oil Facilities. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, on CNN's State Of The Union (9/22, 652K),
discussed the Trump Administration's decision to place additional sanctions on Iran's financial institutions. Mnuchin said, "I think we've now cut off all of the money. The thing we're focusing on now is people that are violating the Iran sanctions and issuing sanctions on third parties where we see violations.... I think the tensions are... worse because it is working. As you see we've cut off all of the money to Iran. I think you see Iran acting in desperation, attacking its neighbors. This is really unprecedented in that sense. And, yes, we continue to have conversations with all of our allies about these issues. And we'll be having conversations at the UN this week, this is a major topic for the President." On NBC's Meet the Press (9/22, t58M), Mnuchin said, "Let me just put this in perspective and then I'll comment on the details of the sanctions. This was clearly an event from Iran against not just Saudi Arabia but really against the world economic system, and that's why the President has reacted.
The first thing he did was authorize more sanctions against the central bank and against the sovereign wealth fund.
Although we're pretty much maxed out on Iran, we will begin to sanction third-party entities where we see violations. And we take our responsibility very seriously.... It's absolutely working because what we've done is we've cut off the Iranian regime's money. And they are now desperate. So all these actions are because their economy is suffering, they're running out of money and these are all signs of desperation.
So our maximum pressure campaign is about weakening Iran so that they can't spend money on terror. So I think this is 6
absolutely a sign of desperation that the campaign is working."
Secretary of State Pompeo, on Fox News Sunday (9/22, 79K), said, "Our mission set has been very clear, President Trump would like to have a diplomaiic solution, that's the task that's in front of us. That's what we've been aiming for for a little over two years now with the strongest sanctions that have ever been put in place against this revolutionary regime.... Our mission set is to avoid war. You saw what Secretary Esper announced on Friday, we are putting additional forces in the region for the purpose of deterrence and defense. The objective is very clear, to support the Iranian people so they can get this regime to cease behaving in a way that is so destructive not only to their own country, but to the entire Middle East." On ABC's This Week (9/22, 1.96M), Pompeo said, "Clearly they bombed that oil field. We're working to extinguish their capability. We've seen it. We've seen Hezbollah struggle with resources. We watched Internal decision making over whether they should arm their armed forces. We've only had these tough sanctions on since May. We're at the start of the sanctions campaign, not the middle or end. The Iranian economy will shrink by somewhere on the order of 10 percent to 15 percent this year. The regime knows their people won't stand for this. The Iranian people understand bringing back dead Iranians from Syria and Iraq is not going to sit well with the Iranian people. That's who we support. That's our mission." When asked what the sanctions will accomplish on CBS' Face The Nation (9/22, 2.36M), Pompeo said, It will deny them the resources to foment the exact kind of strikes we've seen. It will deny them the money, the wealth, the resources. They're operating today in five countries. It's expensive. They've already had to make difficult decisions about whether they will feed their people, provide medicine to their people, or launch missiles into Saudi Arabia. I am convinced the Iranian people see those choices being made, and as time goes on, they will continue to see that those conditions worsen. And they will demand, they will demand that their leadership not bring their brothers and sisters back home in body bags, The Iranian people are great people, We stand with them, and I am confident they will demand that their leadership behave in a way that reflects the great history of this place."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures (9/22, 1.28M), said, "If there's all-out war with Iran, we will win it. What did Reagan do to Iran, he hit oil platforms. We need to target them militarily. Here is the point, the maximum pressure campaign has crippled the economy but Iranians would eat grass if that's what it took to reach their goal of Middle East dominance and one day have nuclear weapons. That's why they struck pipelines, why they now attacked largest oil field in -the world under pressure, they are trying to break the will of the region. The Europeans are
worthless when it comes to Iran, Arabs don't have the capability.... I don't want war with Iran but I want them to stop."
Sen. Ben Cardin (0-MD), on Fox News Sunday (9/22, 79K), said, "This is a very dangerous situation, there could easily be a miscalculation. The temperature couldn't be hotter between United States and Iran. Our job is to isolate Iran.
Iran is the bad actor and what the President needs to do is get an international coalition to continue to work against Iran's support of terrorism. The challenge of course is the United States has been isolated since the President withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement, so we are having difficulty with our European allies to get the type of support we need, but we have to isolate Iran.... There's really not a military solution to the problem of Iran. We need to make diplomacy work.
Clearly there could be a miscalculation. We have to defend ourselves, no question about that, but we have to reduce where we are, where we could have this miscalculation."
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), on NBC's Meet the Press (9/22, 2.66M), said, "I think it's extremely unlikely that we would have a unilateral strike against Iran. By the way, the sanctions are working very, very well and this next round is likely to be devastating to the Iranian economy. I do think that it's essential that we re-establish deterrents and the Iranians have been demonstrating recently they don't feel very deterred. I would prefer that be led by a coalition of our Gulf states, probably with US support. That I think the President has full authority to do as commander in chief."
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, in a prerecorded interview on CBS' Face The Nation (9/22, 2.36M), said, "I think it's posturing. I think it's all going the wrong direction in addressing this issue.... The fact of the matter is that the Houthis have accepted responsibility for that. If somebody else did it, then they should look for that culprit. It wasn't Iran.
... I'm confident that Iran did not play a role. I'm confident that anybody who conducts an impartial investigation will reach that conclusion. But I cannot say that the people who are being sent will conduct an impartial investigation, because we have had cases in the past where they didn't."
Former Secretary of Defense Mattis, on ABC's This Week (9/22, 1.96M), said, "Iran is continuing to do what they've done for nearly four decades now. That is be a destabilizing influence as they promote their brand of how they want the Middle East to go, their brand of how they want to lead the Middle East into this fervor that gives the regime its bona fides. They want to look like the leader. They're trying to craft a foreign policy that pushes others around. It's the same thing they've been doing for many, many years. Not the Iranian people, but the Iranian regime.... They are under pressure. They're going to react the way they've always reacted.... They attack our embassies, diplomats.... This is their modis operandi. There's nothing new here."
7 Former Secretary of State Kerry, on CBS' Face The Nation (9/22, 2.36M), said, "I believe Iran one way or the other was behind the attack that took place. That to me is obvious. It's also obvious that it's got to be denied and it will be denied right now because they need the plausible deniability. But the Presfdent, I think, is actually correct to be evaluating sort of not being rushed into a corner to go to war.
That is what we shouldn't do. But you also have the look at what happened afterward, after we pulled out [of the JCPOA].
We basically declared economic war on Iran. We have been pressuring them, maximum pressure, and it was entirely foreseeable that that would result in further conflict. So we're seeing the unfolding of really a bankruptcy of approach. The international community can come together now. I think there is a way to avoid war without showing weakness,"
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News NRC Discusses Seabrook Plant's Concrete Cracks At Public Hearing.................................................................................. 1 Exelon Closes Three Mile Island Plant Permanently..................... 1 NRC Inspection Report Examines Scratching On SONGS Fuel Canisters............................................................................... 2 Group Supporting HB6 Accused Of Circulating Fake "Petition."... 2 PG&E Shuts Down Unit 2 At Diablo Canyon Plant For Maintenance, Refueling........................................................ 3 Columnist Laments "Reckless* Loss Of Crystal River Plant In 2009...................................................................................... 3 Town Near Seabrook Station Gets Federal Grant To Improve Seawall.................................................................................. 3 New Santee Cooper Execs Discuss Top-To-Bottom Reforms...... 3 Ocean Towns hip Does Not Want Oyster Creek Spent Fuel On Local Roadways.................................................................... 3 Spent Fuel Transport Plan For Proposed Texas Interim Storage Site Raises Concerns...........................................................4 NRC NEWS:
NRC Discusses Seabrook Plant's Concrete Cracks At Public Hearing. The North Andover (MA)
Eagle Tribune (9/23, Shea, 78K) reports, "Dozens of area residents urged nuclear officials to take serious precautions when reviewing the monitoring of the Seabrook nuclear power plant's degrading concrete." A "crowd of 100 peopl.e turned out in City Hall Auditorium for a two-hour public comment session Monday night hosted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board." The "hearing was dedicated entirely to public comment." The session "precedes a hearing to be held in City Hall Auditorium this week at which the board will review a contention from local whistleblower group C-10 on Seabrook Station's concrete. C-10 had "originally hoped to give its presentation based on 1 O contentions, which were boiled down to a single contention by the NRC." The "final contention the board will consider is: 'The large-scale test program, undertaken for NextEra (Energy) at the Ferguson Environmental Groups Give Xcel Energy's Resource Plan Mixed Reviews........,.......,..................................................,..4 Lake Anna Algae Warning Revised Down.....................................4 New Mexico Group Supports Interim Storage Plan.......................4 DOE Says INL Test Range Expansions May Begin Soon............4 Related News Hanford Is Seen As "America's Most Toxic Nuclear Waste Dump.
0
...................................................................................4 In the Biogs Wasserman Says Booker's Pro-Nuke" Stance Disqualifies Him. 5 International Nuclear News EDF Workers' Strike Forces Cattenom 4 Reactor To Reduce Output.................................................................................... 5 Group Says Nuclear Power Too Expensive To Help Reduce Carbon Emissions................................................................. 5 Trump Does Not Rule Out Meeting Rouhani................................. 5 Structural Engineering laboratory, has yielded data that are not representative of the progression of ASR at Seabrook. As a result, the proposed monitoring, acceptance criteria and inspection intervals are not adequate.'
Prior to the hearing, New Hampshire Public Radio (9/23, Ropeik) reports the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
will take public comment Monday night at the start of a week-long hearing about degraded concrete at the Seabrook nuclear power plant." The hearing is before a panel of administrative law judges and was "requested by the Seabrook watchdog group C-10," The group cites an "independent expert in saying Seabrook's owner, NextEra, didn't properly study the cracks forming in the concrete used to build Seabrook." As a result, "C-10 says, the company's monitoring plan for the cracks is inadequate." Seabrook is the "only nuclear plant in the country known to be experiencing the chemical reaction causing the cracks in the concrete.n Exelon Closes Three Mile Island Plant Permanently. World Nuclear News (9/23) reports Three Mile Island unit 1 has been "shut down for economic reasons after over 45 years of generation." Hundreds attended a "rally
to demand action by the state legislature and governor to prevent the premature retirement of the Beaver Valley nuclear plant in 2021. Exelon Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer, Bryan Hanson said, "At a time when our communities are demanding more clean energy to address climate change, it's regrettable that state law does not support the continued operation of this safe and reliable source of carbon-free power. It's critical that we continue to pursue policy reform to prevent other carbon-free nuclear resources from being pushed out of the market by rules that fail to evenly value clean energy resources and at the same time allow emitting resources to pollute for free."
The Napa Valley (CA) Register (9/23, 80K) provided a video-linked page featuring the broadcast story.
As TMI Closes, Nuclear Power Seen As Crucial To Climate Change Fight. In an editorial, the Scranton (PA)
Times Tribune (9/24, Board, 174K) argues that the closing last week of "the remaining nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island is a reminder of the failed promises of the early nuclear power industry." When the nuclear power building boom began, proponents predicted that power costs would plummet because of the sheer amount of electricity that nuclear power plants could produce." That did not happen. The TM!
shutdown is due directly to the rise of newly abundant natural gas, which has supplanted coal as the No. 1 fuel for power production, in plants that are far less expensive than nuclear power plants to build and operate." But the "biggest promise that the nuclear power industry has kept is more relevant than ever." That is, as "dangerous climate change has progressed from controversial theory to current fact, nuclear power plants continue to be the world's largest source of abundant, carbon-free power."
NRC Inspection Report Examines Scratching On SONGS Fuel Canisters.
Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/23) reports that an "internal inspection report from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission affirmed that scratching on spent fuel canisters as they were placed into dry storage at the retired San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California should not have occurred."
SoCal Edison Challenges Whistleblower's Arguments About SONGS Spent Fuel Transfer.
The Orange County (CA) Register (9/23, Sforza, 546K) reports the group looking to halt the burial of nuclear waste at San Onofre, Public Watchdogs, "is not only wrong on the science, wrong on the law and wrong on the facts, but it's asking a federal judge to upend decisions 'that are the product of expertise in a highly technical area of science' based only on speculation, court filings assert." The NRC "is more lapdog than watchdog, they assert, and moving radioactive waste from wet to dry storage is 'risking the lives of millions of California residents."' SoCal Edison says other dry storage 2
canister systems are in use all over the country, and none have released radioactive material to the surrounding environment.
Group Supporting HB6 Accused Of Circulating Fake "Petition." The Columbus (OH) Dispatch (9/23, Ludlow, 367K) reports that "House Bill 6 supporters are circulating a non-binding petition asking lawmakers to prohibit foreign ownership of Ohio power plants. Opponents "seeking to repeal the law at the ballot next year call the move 'dirty tricks."' Supporters of HB6 are "circulating non-binding petition forms calling on Ohio lawmakers to 'stop foreign ownership of our electric grid.'" The effort is believed to be funded by the "dark-money group" Ohioans for Energy Security, which is also "investing millions of dollars in a TV and mail campaign in an attempt to thwart a drive to gain signatures on a referendum petition to reverse a pending state law that would give FirstEnergy Solutions about $1 billion to subsidize its pair of nuclear power plants." The article adds, "Ohioans for Energy Security are suggesting, without proof, in advertisements that the Chinese government is buying and taking over Ohio's power grid and wants to close the nuclear plants."
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/23, Pelzer, 895K) reports that Ohioans For Energy Security, the "main group opposing a House Bill 6 referendum, is gathering the signatures to show the Ohio General Assembly how much public support it has, according to group spokesman Carlo LoParo." But referendum supporters "call the move a ploy to confuse voters and suck up the labor pool of petition circulators." The "new pro-HB6 petition urges state lawmakers to 'immediately enact legislation' prohibiting any foreign national, company, or government from holding a majority stake in any electric generation, supply or distribution company in Ohio."
Magnitude Of Battle Over Anti-HB6 Ballot Initiative Seen As "Unparalleled."
WVXU-FM Cincinnati (9/23, Thompson, Brown, 4K) reported on its website that ballot efforts typically "ramp up in the weeks before an election," but the fight over Ohio's new HB6 nuclear bailout law, "is in full swing more than a year before a possible vote." Supporters of the "nuclear and coal plant subsidies don't even want the referendum on the ballot" and have hired "third-party petition blockers to shadow signature gatherers and try to convince people not to sign." Ohio State University "political science professor Herb Asher says the magnitude of this campaign is unparalleled." Asher says, "We've never seen this kind of concerted effort to really use scare tactics to try to deter people from signing petitions."
WBNS-TV Columbus, OH (9/23, 312K) reported on its website that the "ominous" ads "are produced by a group called Ohioans for Energy Security" which is "trying to fight off a referendum by a group called Ohioans against Corporate
Bailouts." The latter group has "until October 21 to get 266,000 signatures to overturn House Bill 6." But "are the ideas telling Ohioans that China wants to control Ohio's electrical grid true? Ohio State political scientist Paul Beck says no." Beck said, "They are not just based on fact, the Chinese are not major investors here. China is not going to take over our energy." But Ohioans for Energy Security spokesperson Carlo Loparo said, 'This has everything to do with foreign interests coming into Ohio trying to monopolize our energy production. We think it's a fair point of discussion to emphasize that the organizations that are trying to shut down these power plants are trying to kill Ohio jobs."
Questions Remain About Who Is Funding Both Pro And Con HB6 Campaigns. Energy News Network (9/23, Kowalski) reports that since Ohio law allows political action groups to "keep funders secret during [the] drive to let voters get a say on nuclear subsidies." The ads have "'circulated in recent weeks along with a massive print and mail campaign, all attempting to undercut a potential referendum on FirstEnergy power plant subsidies." The ads "imply that signing the petition would give voters' personal information to the Chinese government - a conspiracy theory that has been substantially debunked." Questions remain about where the money to fund the both the "petition drive for a public vote on FirstEnergy's subsidies and the inflammatory campaign against it by a group called Ohioans for Energy Security. The ads seek to "prevent a referendum on a new law, House Bill 6, which will add charges to electric customers' bills to subsidize nuclear and coal plants while gutting the state's clean energy standards."
PG&E Shuts Down Unit 2 At Diablo Canyon Plant For Maintenance, Refueling. KEYT-TV Santa Barbara, CA (9/23, Zuchelli, 3K) reports on its website that "PG&E is conducting planned maintenance and refueling on one of its two reactor units at Diablo Canyon Power Plant."
Unit 2 was shut down Sunday, and "PG&E employees and about 1,000 temporary workers will be replacing a portion of the reactor fuel, conducting maintenance, and testing systems and components that they can't normally access."
Columnist Laments "Reckless
Loss Of Crystal River Plant In 2009. In a column for the Tampa Bay {FL} Times (9/23, 742K), business columnist Graham Brink, writes Progress Energy Florida's "reckless approach" ten years ago to "what should have been a routine maintenance upgrade" at its Crystal River nuclear plant. In an "act of corporate folly," the company broke the "concrete containment wall that houses the reactor... in October 2009."
The plant "never again produced another watt of electricity."
Brink adds, "Back then, Progress' customers paid for the blunder with higher rates." They "continue to pay for it in other 3
ways, something we were reminded of again last week,"
when "Duke Energy, which bought Progress Energy in 2012, announced that it wants to extend the life of its six nuclear plants in the Carolinas." Brink adds that prolonging the life of existing nuclear plants is "good for the environment, combating climate change and customers' pocketbooks.
Town Near Seabrook Station Gets Federal Grant To Improve Seawall. The AP (9/23) reports that the US Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration is granting the New Hampshire town of Seabrook nearly $700,000 to make improvements to its seawall. That grant "would be matched locally and is expected to help retain 200 jobs." The agency said the project "will help to repair the Seabrook Seawall to ensure the continued use of the wharf and adjacent channel." The work will "include the replacement of the existing bulkhead and the re-grading and paving of land behind the seawall." The "Seabrook Station nuclear power plant uses the wharf for equipment delivery."
New Santee Cooper Execs Discuss Top-To-Bottom Reforms. Columbia {SC} State (9/24, Wilks, 390K) reports that when Santee Cooper's board "hired CEO Mark Bonsall in June, there was no doubt about the retired Arizona public power executive's mission: to lead a top-to-bottom reform of the agency in order to convince state lawmakers It doesn't need to be offloaded to a private power company." Two months later, Bonsall "and the chief deputy he brought from Arizona, Charlie Duckworth, have unveiled an ambitious business plan they say will be a better deal for the utility's customers and for its longevity." They "promise they can freeze the utility's electric rates for another five years. The rate freeze "comes as welcome news to Santee Cooper ratepayers who have heard for months their power bills will have to rise at least another 7% over the next four decades so the 1..1tility can pay off $4 billion in construction debt for a nuclear power plant that was never finished." Other "parts of the plan are further-looking." Bonsall "plans to sell some $425 million in leftover parts and equipment from the failed V.C. Summer project, pay down about $900 million in nuclear debt early and save costs by reducing the utility's workforce and shuttering one of its two coals plants,"
Ocean Township Does Not Want Oyster Creek Spent Fuel On Local Roadways. Tap Into New Jersey (9/22, Faughnan) reports the decommissioning of the
Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant comes with a plethora of concerns." While the "plant's address is technically in Lacey, it's close enough to Waretown to warrant the attention of neighboring Ocean Township officials." Last month, "Ocean Township Mayor Ben LoParo was among the local
representatives who sat in on a Town Hall meeting put together by Congressman Andy Kim." One thing is clear.
"The Mayor and Township Committee don't want spent nuclear fuel passing over the community's roadways.
Therefore, they did the best they could to make that known to those who have some control over the decision." Holtec International is "leading the decommissioning process, which the Township estimates could take ten years. Ultimately, the plan is to transport the spent nuclear fuel to off-site locations."
Spent Fuel Transport Plan For Proposed Texas Interim Storage Site Raises Concerns.
The Houston Chronicle (9/23, Trevizo, 730K) reports that the proposal by Interim Storage Partners, formed by Orano USA and Waste Control Specialists LLC, to "send high-level nuclear waste to West Texas may seem like something Houstonians shouldn't worry about. But if approved, some of the state's largest metro areas could be in the path of thousands of shipments of radioactive materials as they make their way from plants across the country." Interim Storage Partners is "applying for an initial 40-year license to eventually store 40,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel in an existing facility in Andrews County." Those supporting the proposal say it will save taxpayers money and provide a temporary solution for spent fuel storage, while critics, made up of an unlikely coalition of environmentalists, ranchers and some in the oil industry, say the plan is not worth the risk of exposure en route to, or at, the storage site. An NRC administrative judges panel recently decided that "several advocacy groups won't be able to argue their case before commissioners weighing whether to approve the plan, saying they don't have standing in the proceedings."
Environmental Groups Give Xcel Energy's Resource Plan Mixed Reviews. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (9/23, Hughlett, 1.04M) says the Sierra Club, the Institute for Local-Self Reliance, and Vote Solar released a "report card" for Xcel Energy's most recent integrated resource plan. The groups gave Xcel's plan an "A" for the company's commitment to moving away from coal, but also gave the company a "F" for its plan to expand its natural gas generation. In response to the report card, Xcel said in a statement that it looks "forward to working with stakeholders to demonstrate why the Upper Midwest Energy Plan is the best path to reduce carbon emissions, maintain reliable electric service, and keep bills low for customers." Xcel "announced the plan's highlights in May, which include the coal exodus, a tripling of solar gener-ation and an extension of its Monticello nuclear plant's life by at least a decade."
Lake Anna Algae Warning Revised Down. The Fredericksburg (VA) Free Lance-Star (9/23, Shenk, 98K) reports that "a state advisory has been lifted for the state park 4
beach area of' Lake Anna. The Virginia Health Department had "first issued a harmful algae alert in July for the lake," but recent testing has shown the state park areas of the lake to be safe. The lake Is used to cool the Dominion Energy North Anna nuclear power plant.
New Mexico Group Supports Interim Storage Plan. In an opinion piece for the Albuquerque (NM) Journal (9/23, 196K), Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance Chairman John Heaton, who supports plans to build a facility to temporary store spent nuclear fuel "sc1ys supporters have around 18 months to go." Heaton last week encouraged fellow board members to keep pushing for the proposed multimillion-dollar facility despite opposition from environmentalists and nuclear watchdog groups." Heaton said, "We're at the final push," and added, "We expect a draft (Environmental Impact Statement) to come out in March. Then, there will be hearings following that draft Envll'onmental Impact Statement."
Holtec International is "seeking a 40-year license from federal regulators to build the complex near Carlsbad." The Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance owns "1,000 acres of land on which Holtec International Inc. hopes to build and operate the $2.4 billion facility, pending a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission."
DOE Says INL Test Range Expansions May Begin Soon. The Idaho Falls (ID) Post Register (9/23, Brown) reports that the "initial phases of the planned expansion of the two test ranges at the U.S. Department of Energy's desert site could be done as soon as next year."
Public comment on the "proposed expansions of Idaho National Laboratory's National Security Test Range and Radiological Response Training Range opened earlier this month and closes on Oct. 12. Plans for the "expansions came about three years ago as more federal entities expressed Interest in using the ranges for training," DOE spokesman Timothy Jackson said. The "National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Defense and National Guard are the primary users of both, but other entities that have used them at various points include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission."
RELATED NEWS:
Hanford Is Seen As "America's Most Toxic Nuclear Waste Dump.
Business Insider (9/23, Pasley, 3.67M) publishes a media profile the 586 square miles of desert In Washington state known as the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, which is "the most toxic place in America." Buried "beneath the ground, in storage tanks, are 56 million gallons of radiocjctive waste. Many of them are
leaking into the ground." According to "NBC, some nuclear experts have said Hanford is 'an underground Chernobyl waiting to happen."' The article cites The Daily Beast, which reported, "Hanford is the worst kind of mess: the kind that humanity is capable of making, but not capable of cleaning up." It also adds, "The longer the contaminated materials are left, the worse they become."
IN THE BLOGS:
Wasserman Says "Booker's Pro-Nuke Stance Disqualifies Him. In a commentary for the Columbus (OH) Free Press (9/23), anti-nuclear activist Harvey "Sluggo" Wasserman writes that "Senator Cory Booker has become a Pro-Nuke Holocaust Denier and must not be president or vice." Wasserman adds, "As desperate mostly-young millions march worldwide for the survival of our Earth, Booker embraces explosive atomic 500-F climate killing machines that are roasting Her." He added, "Any of our 96 badly run, rarely inspected US nukes could explode into a nuclear holocaust at any time." Wasserman takes Booker to task for asserting that those opposed to nuclear power are part of the problem akin to "climate deniers." He adds, "Over nearly a half-century of activism, I've never met a No Nuker who denies climate change."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
EDF Workers' Strike Forces Cattenom 4 Reactor To Reduce Output. Reuters (9/23) reports that EDF workers "began a 24-hour strike on Monday over pension reforms, echoing protests in other industries." Power generation at "one nuclear reactor. EDF's 1,300 MW Cattenom 4 nuclear reactor, was down 80% at 2115 GMT, company data showed, but there was no early indication of major disruption to output nationwide." The "EDF strike, called by hard-left union CGT, started at 1900 GMT." A "CGT spokesman said earlier on Monday that the 24-hour stoppage was part of nationwide action by unions in several sectors against the government's pension reform, which are expected to hit schools, public transport, hospitals and courts on Tuesday."
Group Says Nuclear Power Too Expensive To Help Reduce Carbon Emissions. Reuters (9/24, Dunai, De Clercq) reports that according to the annual World Nuclear Industry Status Report, nuclear power is "losing ground to renewables in terms of both cost and capacity as its reactors are increasingly seen as less economical and slower to reverse carbon emissions." In "mid-2019, new wind and solar generators competed efficiently against even 5
existing nuclear power plants in cost terms, and grew generating capacity faster than any other power type,"
according to the WNISR. Mycle Schneider, lead author of the report, said, Stabilizing the climate is urgent, nuclear power is slow." Scneider adds, "It meets no technical or operational need that low-carbon competitors cannot meet better, cheaper and faster." In May, "the International Energy Agency warned that a steep decline in nuclear capacity will threaten climate goals, as advanced economies could lose 25% of their nuclear capacity by 2025.
Trump Does Not Rule Out Meeting Rouhani.
Reuters (9/23) reports that when asked Monday about potentially meeting Iranian President Hassan Rouhanl at the UN General Assembly, President Trump said, "We'll see what happens. On NBC Nightly News (9/23, story 3, 1 :15, Holt, 5.91 M), Hallie Jackson said she asked the President Monday about a possible meeting with Rouhani. Trump was shown responding: "We'll see what happens, but we have nothing scheduled at this moment."
The Washington Post (9/23, Hudson, 14.2M) says Trump has "flirted with the idea of meeting with Rouhani for a historic tete-a-tete, only to retreat to a position of imposing tougher economic sanctions." According to the Post, "Trump's top advisers privately opposed such a meeting and appeared to win that debate after an attack on Saudi oil facilities Sept.
14 prompted the United States to impose more sanctions on Tehran. But Trump has not ruled anything out." The Post adds, "Even if Trump changed his mind and extended an invitation, however, it is far from clear that Rouhani would accept, something critics attribute to the Trump administration's mixed messages."
Reuters (9/23, Holland) reports Trump also said Monday that "he will discuss Iran a bit during his speech" before the General Assembly on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters in New York, the President said, "A lot of things are happening with respect to Iran. A lot more, than you know. I'll be discussing it a bit tomorrow."
AFP (9/23, Vujanovic) reports Rouhani departed Monday for New York. Before departing Tehran, Rouhani told reporters, It is essential for us to take part in the UN General Assembly and talk at various levels, The cruel actions that have been taken against the Iranian nation and also the difficult and complicated issues that our region faces with them need to be explained."
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on CNN lnternational's Amanpour (9/23, 1 :07 p.m.
ET, Amanpour), "If there is an attack on Iran, there will be an all-out war. But all I am trying as diplomat and I think every other diplomat including my American counterpart should be trying the same as to avoid war. This is our job.... Sanctions are war. Because in a war, usually military targets are chosen. In sanctions, civilians are the targets. So, it's war. It's more than
war." Asked about evidence of Iran's role in the Saudi Arabia bombing, he said, "There is no evidence. And it would be a miracle to produce evidence because it didn't take place. Had we been behind this, it would have been disaster for Saudi Arabia, nothing they could have repaired."
US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on CNN lnternational's Amanpour (9/23, 1 :19 p.m. ET.
Amanpour), "One year ago, I was here In New York for the General Assembly. I met with European diplomats and I said that we are accumulating risk of a regional war if we don't get serious about deterring Iranian aggression, and I think the facts have born that out... Even John Kerry said that Iran was behind these attacks. The UK foreign minister said Iran is behind the attacks. Saudi Arabia has said so, the United States.... I think the United States has had plenty of conflict in the Middle East. We are not looking for conflict or any military dimensions.
Johnson Floats New Iran Nuclear Deal Ahead Of Meeting With Rouhani. Reuters (9/23) reports President Trump "responded positively" on Monday to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's "idea of creating a new nuclear deal with Iran, saying that he respected Johnson and was not surprised he had floated the idea." Johnson said, "Whatever your objections to the old nuclear deal with Iran, it's time now to move forward and do a new deal." Trump responded by saying, "I respect Boris a lot and I am not surprised at all that he was the first one to come out and say that." Reuters adds, "In fact, others including French President Emmanuel Macron, have spoken about the possibility of a new deal with Iran for more than a year."
The AP (9/23, Lawless) reports that while flying to New York on Sunday, Johnson said his government is '"attributing responsibility with a very high degree of probability to Iran' for the attacks by drones and cruise missiles on the world's largest oil processor and an oil field," and "said the UK would consider taking part in a US-led military effort to bolster Saudi Arabia's defenses." However, Johnson also "said he would meet Rouhani at this week's high-level UN gathering," and "said he wanted Britain to be 'a bridge between our European friends and the Americans when it comes to the crisis in the Gulf.
Bloomberg (9/23, Hutton, Viscusi, 4.73M) reports Johnson told Sky News on Monday, "Whatever your objections to the old nuclear deal with Iran, it's time now to move forward and do a new deal." In an interview with NBC Nightly News (9/23, story 10, 2:40, Holt, 6.07M), Johnson said, "I think there is logic in having a deal with the Iranians that stopped them getting nuclear weapon in exchange for some participation in the wider economy. Asked if we would "be here today had the US not withdrawn from that agreement," Johnson replied: "That's a difficult question, because the reality is President Trump rightly said it was a bad deal. It wasn't a great deaJ. Iran was and is behaving 6
disruptively in the region, and I think there is one guy who can do a better deal. One guy who can understand how to get a difficult partner like Iran over the line. And that is the President of the United States:* Politico Europe (9/23, Casalicchio, 8K) reports on Johnson's comments to NBC.
Reuters (9/23) reports that Macron is scheduled to meet with both Trump and Rouhani on Tuesday. According to Reuters, Macron "reiterated that any framework for future new negotiations needed to focus on keeping a system in place to monitor Iran's current nuclear program, discuss Iran's post-2025 nuclear activities and ballistic missile program and its regional influence. 'We need with our allies, regional actors and Iran to sit round the table and advance on these four points,' Macron said."
The Wall Street Journal (9/23, Norman, Gordon, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that in a joint statement Monday, Johnson, Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined the US in blaming Iran for this month's attacks on Saudi Arabia and said it was time for Tehran to start talks on a new nuclear agreement.
The New York Times (9/23, Sanger, Fassihi, 18.61 M) reports that as opposed to last year's UNGA, when "European leaders largely sided with" Iran "in a desperate effort to preserve the 2015 nuclear agreement after the United States renounced it," Rouhani and "his witty, often biting American-educated foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, are on the defensive. They are denying any Iranian involvement in the destruction of two major Saudi oil facilities, an assertion that even former Secretary of State John Kerry, who negotiated the nuclear accord four years ago and has become its biggest defender, finds far-fetched."
NYTimes Report: Trump Leaning Towards Ordering Cyberstrike On Iran. The New York Times (9/23, Sanger, Barnes, 18.61 M) reports that "after spending billions of dollars to assemble the world's most potent arsenal of cyberweapons and plant them in networks around the world, United States Cyber Command... may face a critical test in the coming weeks. According to the Times, President Trump is "considering a range of options to punish Iran for this month's attack on Saudi oil facilities," and "a second cyberstrike -
after one launched against Iran just three months ago - has emerged as the most appealing course of action for Mr.
Trump, who is reluctant to widen the conflict in a region he has said the United States should leave." However, the Times says "a broader debate is taking place inside and outside the administration over whether a cyberattack alone will be enough to alter Iran's calculations, and what kind of retaliation a particularly damaging cyberstrike might provoke."
Iran Says Detained British-Flagged Tanker Is "Free To Leave." Reuters (9/23) reports Iran's ambassador to the UK, Hamid Baeidinejad, said Monday that "the detained British-flagged tanker Stena lmpero is 'free to leave."'
According to Reuters, "The seizure on July 19 of the ship, two
weeks after Britain detained an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar, ratcheted up tensions in the region in the wake of attacks on other merchant vessels that Washington blamed on Tehran."
Reuters says an Iranian government spokesman said Monday that "all legal steps had been completed for the release of the detained tanker but that he did not know when the vessel would be released."
The New York Times (9/23, Perez-Pena, Victor, 18.61 M) says "the news offered a rare sign of comity at a time when Iran has been in an escalating cycle of confrontation with its Persian Gulf neighbors and with the United States, including the shooting down of drones, the seizure of tankers and, most recently, an attack on major oil installations in Saudi Arabia." The Times reports that Iran "detained the 23-member crew along with the ship. It released seven of them this month, but the others have remained with the vessel." The Washington Post (9/23, Cunningham, 14.2M) reports that the Stena lmpero
appeared to remain anchored off the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Monday afternoon."
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 7:00AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News Seabrook Station Hearing Attendees Raise Concerns About ASR Monitoring Plan............................................................. 1 NRC Names New Senior Resident Inspector At Watts Bar Plant...................................................................................... 2 Unions Say Owner Of Oyster Creek Generating Facility Favoring Cheaper Labor At Risk Of Safety.......................... 2 Pilgrim Plant's Closure, Loss Of Revenue Raises Concerns Among Plymouth Residents................................................. 2 NRC Meets With Community On Kewaunee Plant Decommissioning.................................................................. 2 US Government Has Paid More Than $7 Billion To Utilities For Spent Fuel Storage Failure................................................... 2 Exelon Announces Millions. Of Dollars In Investment In Clean-Energy Startups.................................................................... 2 New Hampshire Resident Writes In Support Of Commercial Nuclear R&D......................................................................... 2 Solomon: Nuclear Power Is Critical In Fight Against Carbon Emissions.............................................................................. 3 Fluor Review Predicts Continued NuScale Progress* T award SMR Certification,...,.,........................................................... 3 Williamson Eschews Nuclear Power As Tool To Address Climate Change.................................................................... 3 NRC To Discuss Indian Point Plant Decommissioning................. 3 Related News Feds Argue Nevada Should Halt Legal Maneuvering In Plutonium Lawsuit................................................................. 3 NRC NEWS:
Seabrook Station Hearing Attendees Raise Concerns About ASR Monitoring Plan. On its website, New Hampshire Public Radio (9/24, Ropeik) reported that "neighbors" of "Seabrook nuclear power plant called for more transparent, independent monitoring of the facility's degrading concrete at a federal hearing Mo~day.". In a meeting before the NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, who "will spend the week weighing whether Seabrook's owner, NextEra, has adequately studied the cracks forming in the plant's concrete," Seabrook station Oklahoman Columnist Says US Too Reliant On Imports Of Strategic Minerals...,.......,..................................................,.. 3 DOE Outlines Plan For Demolition Of Santa Susana Structures..4 Nuclear Weapons Lab Buys D-Wave's Next-gen Quantum Computer............................................................................... 4 International Nuclear News EDF Expects Cost Of Hinkley Point C Reactor To Increase By
$3.6 Billion.............................................................................4 EDF Calls For EPR 2 Civil Engineering Bids.................................4 Holtec Wraps Up Work On Chernobyl Spent Fuel Storage Facility...................................................................................4 IEA Chief Urges Nuclear Power Contribution To Energy T ransition...............,.........,..................................................,.. 4 EU Prepares New Classification For Investments In "Sustainable" Companies...................................................... 4 Little Action Emerges From UN Climate Summit........................... 5 Estonian Startup Considers Developing Small Modular Reactor.. 5 Erdogan: World Must Completely Ban Nuclear Energy Or Provide All Countries With Nuclear Defense........................ 5 Russia Launches New Nuclear-Powered Ship.............................. 5 Trump Once Again Indicates He Wants To Reach A Deal With Iran........................................................................................ 5 US-North Korea Talks Expected To Resume Soon; Kim Could Visit South Korea.................................................................. 6 watchdog group C-10 cited an "independent expert !n contending that NextEra didn't properly study the cracks ~n order to write their monitoring plan." Seabrook plant 1s experiencing a chemical reaction called alkali-silica reaction which "can be common in concrete structures such as bridges and dams:" NextEra "commissioned a st~?Y of t~e reaction, which replicated it in laboratory cond1tIons with concrete that was not from Seabrook." They "based their monitoring plan for Seabrook's concrete on that study, and regulators approved that plan earlier this year. But nearby residents like Jack Santos don't trust it'll be adequate."
Feds Award Town Near Seabrook Station Nearly
$700K For Seawall Repair. Seacoast Online (NH) (9/24,
Chiaramida, 32K) reports that the US Commerce Department is awarding a $700,000 grant "to make long-needed repairs to Seabrook's seawall along Yankee Fisherman's Coop, saving 200 jobs." According to the agency's Economic Development Administration, "Seabrook is receiving a $695,965 grant to make "critical infrastructure improvements" needed to support the town's fishing fleet, the largest in New Hampshire, as well as NextEra Energy's Seabrook nuclear power plant." Town Manager Bill Manzi "said failure of the sheet pilings along the northern section of the seawall would negatively impact Seabrook Station's ability to bring in and off-load heavy equipment there, which is done presently." The article adds, "NextEra Energy Seabrook is the town's largest employer and taxpayer."
NRC Names New Senior Resident Inspector At Watts Bar Plant. The Chattanooqan {TN) (9/24, 34K) reports that Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials "have selected Wesley Deschaine as the NRC Senior Resident Inspector" at TVA's Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant, joining Resident Inspector Jeff Hamman. Deschaine first joined the NRC in 2007. Beginning in 2009, he served as project engineer for the TV A projects branch. From 2011 to 2018, he served as a resident inspector at TVA's Sequoyah Nuclear Plant. The Chattanoogan notes, "Each US commercial nuclear power plant site has at least two NRC resldent inspectors."
Unions Say Owner Of Oyster Creek Generating Facility Favoring Cheaper Labor At Risk Of Safety. The Asbury Park {NJ) Press (9/24, Oglesby, 3871<)
reports members of multiple labor unions" are claiming Holtec International is favoring non-union labor in the decommissioning of the Oyster Creek Generating Station in order to cut costs. The unions are accusing Holtec of putting workers and the community at risk. According to the story, Oyster Creek Vice President Jeff Dostal "said labor costs are being considered in Holtec's decisions, because the company must complete all cleanup and demolition using Oyster Creek's nearly $1 billion decommissioning trust fund."
Pilgrim Plant's Closure, Loss Of Revenue Raises Concerns Among Plymouth Residents.
The Carver (MA) Reporter (9/24, Clark, 2K) reports that Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is pitching legislation that would "require towns across the state to loosen the approval requirement for amendments to zoning bylaws that foster more housing, like accessory dwellings." If passed, the "measure would mean proposed amendments, like the one Plymouth's Town Meeting will consider to allow accessory apartments by right in residential and mixed-use zones, would no tonger need a two-thirds vote of Town Meeting; a 2
simple majority vote could approve it. Proponents cite "escalating taxes and the difficulty of living on a fixed income and affording to stay in their homes, particularly in Plymouth where taxes are currently increasing by $1,000 every four years for the average home valued at $350,000." With "one of the town's biggest tax payers, Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, offline and a Payment in Lieu of Tax agreement with Entergy sunsetting in FY 2021, residents are more concerned than ever."
NRC Meets With Community On Kewaunee Plant Decommissioning.
WFRV-TV (9/24, 15K) broadcast that there is a "public meeting underway in Kewaunee - on how best to decommission the Kewaunee nuclear plant." The purpose of the "meeting is to identify best practices and make sure they are shared with the community."
US Government Has Paid More Than $7 Billion To Utilities For Spent Fuel Storage Failure.
Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/24) reports that the US "has paid at least $7.4 billion to nuclear power plant owners for failing to meet its Jan. 31, 1998, deadline to begin taking their spent reactor fuel for disposal, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS)."
Exelon Announces Millions Of Dollars In Investment In Clean-Energy Startups. The AP (9/25) reports Exelon Corp. and the Exelon Foundation will announce a $20 milllon initiative on Wednesday as part of events for Climate Week NYC. Exelon, which "runs three upstate nuclear plants" in New York, will be "launching a $20 million initiative to boost clean energy start-ups."
New Hampshire Resident Writes In Support Of Commercial Nuclear R&D. Exeter, New Hampshire resident Irving Glater writes to Seacoast Online (NH) (9/24, 32K) to give Jimmy Carter "full credit" for putting "nuclear R&D in the US... on life support," as it was Carter who implemented the "permanent ban on the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel." Glater says, "At the time, the best overall plans for improvements in the commercial nuclear energy business all incorporated nuclear fuel reprocessing capabilities," but "Carter's edlct" sounded the "death knell for the industry in the U.S." Glater also blames President Obama for shutting down Yucca Mountain "after it was completely finished and before it was ever put to use," which means that spent nuclear fuel rods will be doomed to be stored adjacent to the plants from which they came." Glater hopes that "some time down the road the hysterical ninnies that caused this mess will disappear and rational people will realize the true worth of nuclear energy for sustaining life on this planet."
Solomon: Nuclear Power Is Critical In Fight Against Carbon Emissions.
In a column for the Newport News (VA) Daily Press (9/25, Subscription Publication, 176K), Digby A. Solomon, wrote that "Arguments over climate change have devolved into quasi-religious warfare between sides that cannot agree on the scope of the real danger or how to ameliorate it without destroying the economic progress that has lifted great swaths of humanity out of poverty." Such fervor has even split environmental advocates over the value of harnessing clean nuclear power, even as many reputable environmentalists are now calling for the use of more nuclear power to prevent pollution without damaging the atmosphere." Nuclear energy "has been safely powering the Surry nuclear power plant, the submarines and aircraft carriers built in Newport News and those anchored in Norfolk for more than a generation."
More Commentary. In the Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger (9/24, 2.15M), Robert Muska of Berkeley Heights wrote, PSEG is "stuck in an old world of fossil fuel and nuclear power plants." Time has "moved on and we are now aware that natural gas is not as 'clean' as we thought because it generates greenhouse gases that cause global warming."
Fluor Review Predicts Continued NuScale Progress Toward SMR Certification. In a press release on Business Insider (9/24, 3.67M), Fluor Corporation announced the "results of its strategic review and operational review." The "strategic review evaluated the entire portfolio of businesses including Stork, COOEC-Fluor Heavy Industries and NuScale," The company has taken "deliberate and constructive action on these investments." NuScale has the "only small modular reactor (SMR) technology being reviewed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and it expects final approval of its SMR by the end of 2020. Commitments from "new investors Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction and Sargent & Lundy, subject to regulatory approval, are expected to allow the funding of NuScale activities for the remainder of this year." Recent milestones "achieved by NuScale have generated additional investor interest that is expected to offset 2020 funding requirements.
Engineering News-Record (9/24, Rubin) reports that Fluor "said the strategic review evaluated the contractor's
'entire portfolio of businesses,' including its Stork industrial unit acquired in 2015, its COOEC-Fluor Heavy Industries business and the small nuclear reactor technology firm NuScale. Fluor will "retain the businesses but emphasized new efforts to push better financial performance and, related to NuScale, investments from outsiders."
Williamson Eschews Nuclear Power As Tool To Address Climate Change.
The Daily Intelligencer (NY) (9/24, Nuzzi, 1.1 M) reports on a climate change 3
discussion with presidential candidate Marianne Williamson.
Asked about the role of "nuclear power in addressing climate change" and whether climate goals can be met without expanding nuclear capacity, Williamson said, "I'm against nuclear power. I'm against it." She added, "I think it's risky. I think that we are living in such a state of denial." She continued, "One mistake, one earthquake too close to a nuclear facility - we saw what happened at Fukushima. I'm not sure we've ever even totally faced some of the consequences. I think the public is kept in the dark about a lot of the consequences of Fukushima."
NRC To Discuss Indian Point Plant Decommissioning. The Peekskill-Cortlandt (NY) Patch (9/24, Taliaferro, 1.03M) reports, "Two upcoming meetings about the closure of Indian Point will tackle various issues about the decommissioning of the nuclear plant. Operations at Indian Point 2 will end by April 30, 2020 and Indian Point 3 will stop by April 30, 2021." The ~rst meeting is a joint session of the "community's and the state's task forces, coming up Wednesday." That meeting will "start at 7 p.m. in the Vincent Nyberg General Meeting room, Cortlandt Town Hall, 1 Heady Street, Cortlandt Manor, NY." On "Oct. 2 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled a public meeting at the Morabito Community Center, 29 Westbrook Drive, Cortlandt Manor, NY 10567. That meeting will start at 6 p.m."
RELATED NEWS:
Feds Argue Nevada Should Halt Legal Maneuvering In Plutonium Lawsuit.
Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/24) reports, "Nevada should not be allowed to seek removal of one-half a metric ton of weapon-usable plutonium from its borders by amending a lawsuit it filed agalnst the Department of Energy last year, according to the federal government."
Oklahoman Columnist Says US Too Reliant On Imports Of Strategic Minerals. Writing in his column with the Oklahoman (9/24, 381K), Stephen Moore warns "the decline of American mining and production of critical minerals in recent decades is a self-inflicted wound that could imperil our economy and national security." Citing "data from the latest federal geological survey" showing the US "has become 99% dependent on imports. for at least 20 critical and strategic minerals, not including each of the rare earth minerals, even though we were No.1 in mining output across the world as recently as 1990," Moore says US imports of uranium perfectly demonstrate the country's decision to abandon mining. He says many of the countries the US imports uranium from are not "a friendly free-market group that American can depend on, especially in an emergency."
Moore adds that "several domestic issues" have also helped continue "dwindling U.S. production, including some states' environmental laws and regulations that are overtly anti-mining."
DOE Outlines Plan For Demolition Of Santa Susana Structures.
Behind a
- paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/24) reported that the Energy Department Monday "formally announced it would demolish the final 18 structures at the former Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in California."
Nuclear Weapons Lab Buys D-Wave 1s Next-gen Quantum Computer CNET News (9/24, Shankland, 1.99M) reports D-Wave, a rival to IBM and Google in quantum computing, received its first order for its machine, from nuclear weapons lab Los Alamos National Laboratory.
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
EDF Expects Cost Of Hinkley Point C Reactor To Increase By $3.6 Billion.
Reuters (9/25, Kar-Gupta) reports, EDF warned Wednesday that its "Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Britain could cost up to 2.9 billion pounds ($3.6 billion) more than previously estimated, sending shares in the French power company sharply lower." EDF is "already grappling with delays to the project, even longer delays at a plant in Finland, and investigatlons into welding and steel used in its reactors." EDF "said Hinkley Point C was estimated to cost 21.5-22.5 billion pounds ($26.8-$28 billion),
up 1.9-2.9 billion pounds from previous estimates." MB Capital director Marcus Bullus said, "A cost increase of around 10% isn't horrific. The issue however is you have a company with a market cap of 31 billion euros that is currently trading at a year low in a sector that has become increasingly more regulated in terms of price caps."
BBC News Online (UK) (9/25, 1.02M) reports EDF estimates the Hinkley Point nuclear project in Somerset, England will cost between £21.5 billion and £22.5 billion, or "up to £2.9bn more than thought." EDF further said the project could be completed 15 months later than planned.
According to the BBC, because of the way that the project is being funded, taxpayers and customers will not foot the bill for the increase in costs - EDF and CGN will pay. But part of their risk is covered by a comparatively high unit cost for customers."
Bloomberg (9/25, De Beaupuy, 4.73M) reports the project cost increases make "Britain's nuclear ambitions look increasingly untenable as renewables become ever cheaper to develop." The story says the Hinkley Point "project is now 4
strikingly expensive compared with U.K. wind, for example, where power from the latest offshore auction sold at less than half that from Hinkley." Bloomberg (9/25, 4.73M) reports in another story. The Financial Times (9/25, Keohane, Subscription Publication, 1.34M) and The Times (UK) (9/25,
- Gosden, Subscription Publication, 50K) also provide coverage.
EDF Calls For EPR 2 Civil Engineering Bids.
S&P Global Platts (9/23, 1 K) reports that EDF has "called for civil engineering bids for a pair of EPR 2-type nuclear units in France, according to a note published Friday in the EU's Official Journal." The EPR 2 is the "successor unit to the world's most powerful reactor, the 1,650 MW EPR currently being built in Finland, France and now the UK at Hinkley Point C." The contract on µoffer involves earthworks, demolition of existing structures and construction of a variety of buildings based on specifications and digltalplans to be provided by the French utility."
Holtec Wraps Up Work On Chernobyl Spent Fuel Storage Facility.
Behl'nd a
- paywalr, Exchange Monitor (9/24) reported that Holtec International Monday "said... it has completed construction and testing of the interim storage facility for spent fuel from three reactors at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine," effectively concluding the New Jersey energy technology firm's role.
IEA Chief Urges Nuclear Power Contribution To Energy Transition. Chemical & Engineering News (9/23, Johnson) reports that aocording to IEA executive director Fatih Birol, "Without an important contribution from nuclear power, the global energy transition will be that much harder." Birol's comment accompanied an IEA nuclear power report. Biro! added, "Alongside renewables, energy efficiency and other innovative technologies, nuclear can make a significant contribution to achieving sustainable energy goals and enhancing energy security." However, steep "barriers to a nuclear energy renaissance exist, among them aging reactors, high costs to bufld new ones, safety concerns, and questions about how much nuclear is needed in the world's energy mix."
EU Prepares New Classification For Investments In "Sustainable" Companies.
Reuters (9/24, Guarascio) reports the EU member states "are set to approve criteria to define which investments can be labeled sustainable... although some states have already criticized the rules for being so broad that even nuclear power could be deemed 'green.'" The new classifications are part of the EU's work to reduce emissions. Countries that support "stricter rules" include Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg, but their side does "not yet have the numbers to veto the
plans." The story says that "under the criteria, governments would have more power to decide what is green, thwarting proposals made by the European Commission which had sought to give independent experts a bigger role In deciding which products were environmentally friendly."
Little Action Emerges From UN Climate Summit. Politico Europe (9/24, Oroschakoff, Colman, 8K) reports on Monday's UN climate summit, where, despite "fiery words from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, the pledges made in New York didn't amount to any kind of a climate revolution."
More than "60 countries did commit to the target of becoming climate neutral by 2050 - one of the goals set for the summit by Guterres, but the biggest polluters ended up with a case of stage fright." Japan's environment minister, "speaking at a side event, said he would reduce his nation's coal combustion, which has risen steadily after a turn away from nuclear powe.r following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, but didn't offer how." Shinjiro Koizumi said, "I just became the environment minister last week."
Estonian Startup Considers Developing Small Modular Reactor.
Bloomberg (9/25, Starn, 4.73M) reports Estonian startup Fermi Energia OU is considering "proposals to build a small modular reactor, or SMR, in Estonia by the middle of next decade. According to the story,
'the units are supposed to provide cheaper and more flexible generation than traditional atomic plants," which could help
wean the market of 1.3 million people off their dependence on oil, while also securing energy independence from Russia."
Erdogan: World Must Completely Ban Nuclear Energy Or Provide All Countries With Nuclear Defense.
Reuters (9/24) reports on Tuesday Turkish President T ayyip Erdogan "said nuclear power should either be free for all states or banned completely, and warned that the 'inequality' between states who have nuclear power and who do not undermines global balances." Although Turkey signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 1980 and signed the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, Reuters says "Erdogan has hinted in the past that he wanted he same protection for Turkey as Israel, which foreign analysts say possesses a sizable nuclear arsenal."
Russia Launches New Nuclear-Powered Ship.
Engineering (9/24, Lomonosov, 3K) reports on the dual-reactor "floating nuclear power plant" launched by Russia recently, the KLT-40C, saying "the two reactors have a combined capacity of 70 megawatts and 50 gigacalories an hour of heat energy - enough to provide light and heat to a 5
city of about 100,000 inhabitants," The story reports "Russian officials claim it can save 200,000 tons of coal and 100,000 tons of fuel oil each year."
Trump Once Again Indicates He Wants To Reach A Deal With Iran.
Reuters (9/24, Holland, Mason) reports that in his UN General Assembly address yesterday, President Trump "denounced Iran's 'blood lust' and called on other nations to join the United States to pressure Iran after attacks on Saudi oil facilities, but said there is a path to peace. According to Reuters, Trump "has shown restraint in the crisis, holding back from military retaliation despite pressure from conservative hawks, at least for now." Trump is quoted as saying, "America knows that while anyone can make war, only the most courageous can choose peace,." However, Reuters says Trump also "promised to keep trying to squeeze Iran's economy with sanctions until Tehran agrees to give up what Washington says is a pursuit of nuclear weapons."
The New York Times (9/24, Crowley, Sanger, 18.61M) says Trump took "a notably moderate line on Iranian aggression in the Middle East." According to the Times, "Before an audience that had been primed for him to focus on attacks on Saudi oil facilities that the United States has said Iran was behind, Mr. Trump said relatively little about the Sept. 14 strikes," which Secretary of State Pompeo "labeled...'an act of war."'
The AP (9/24, Lemire, Riechmann) says the Administration's "hard-line Iran policy got a boost on Monday from Britain, France and Germany, which blamed Iran for an attack on Saudi oil facilities earlier this month and said the time had come to negotiate a new deal with Tehran to replace the landmark 2015 nuclear accord from which Trump withdrew last year."
Reuters (9/24, Adler) reports that also at the UN yesterday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, described by Reuters as "pragmatic," "said... he was open to discuss small changes, additions or amendments to a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers if the United States lifted sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic."
Rouhani, the AP (9/24, Buzbee) reports, said "he'd consider meeting 'at any level' to explore what the Trump administration seeks in a nuclear deal -
but not until sanctions against his country are lifted." Speaking to a small group of US media leaders," Rouhani "downplayed any imminent diplomatic breakthrough," and Bloomberg (9/24, Micklethwait, Faries, 4.73M) too says the likelihood of direct negotiations at the United Nations this week appeared to be slipping away as key European leaders prepare to leave New York."
Official: Saudis To Consider "All Options" In Response To Attack On Oil Facilities.
Reuters (9/24,
Kumar) reports Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said Tuesday that Riyadh uwill consider all options in its response to an attack on its oil facilities, including a military one, once a probe into who was responsible is completed. Jubeir, speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, "said Saudi Arabia believed Iran was behind the attacks, but added that the United Nations was helping it identify the launch site."
The Washington (DC) Times (9/24, Taylor, 492K) reports, "Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said here Tuesday that the attack earlier this month on Saudi oil infrastructure was 'an act of war' and that Riyadh is 'certain' it was launched by Iran." The Washington Times (9/24, Taylor, 492K) reports separately that al-Jubeir "downplayed the notion that Saudi and US forces are preparing to counter with military strikes of their own against Iran." Said the Saudi official, "We want to make sure that we avoid war at all cost, but we are not going to sit there with our hands tied while the Iranians continue to attack us."
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) said on CNN (9/24, 3:56 p.m. ET, Baldwin, 837K), "This latest attack on Saudi Arabia is a retaliatory attack because of all the sanctions in place that are essentially blocking Iran from selling their oil on the market So by recognizing that this is a retaliatory attack, that we cannot continue this cycle of retaliation that can only lead to an all-out inferno of a war both in Iran and across the region that would be so costly and devastating that would make the war we served [in] Iraq look like a picnic in comparison in lost American lives, trillions of taxpayer dollars, exacerbating an already terrible refugee crisis. This is not serving the interests of our people nor is it serving in the interest of our national security,"
Retired Gen. Jack Keane said on Fox News' The Story (9/24, 7:31 p.m. ET, Mccallum, 1.46M), "What's really happening is we are on really different parallel paths. Here we have the United States as escalating sanctions, crippling the economy of Iran as its intermediate goal to eventually force them into better negotiation of the nuclear deal, that's kind of the path the United States is on. The Iranians have not accepted that.... Three drones they've shot down, now attacking one of the largest oil fields in the world. All escalating tensions to get the world community to pressure the United States to reduce sanctions and it actually is backfiring on them, because I think they're somewhat brain-dead.
Perry: Increased US Oil Production Allowed Markets To Absorb Shock Of Attack On Saudi Facility.
Energy Secretary Perry, appearing on Fox Business Mornings with Maria (9/24), was asked about the impact of the attack on Saudi oil facilities. Perry said, The key here is that, yes1 we saw bump up in the cost of crude.... West Texas Intermediate crude is about $58 a barrel. But had this happened a decade ago, we would have gone through a 6
hundred dollars in just a few days. America's ability to fill the gap here... should give our country and our allies, great good feelings of confidence that America can fill in the needed supplies." Perry added, "At the same time, we are making great progress in other areas of energy. Nuclear energy, for instance - we happen to think that small modular reactors, zero emission types of energy."
US-North Korea Talks Expected To Resume Soon; Kim Could Visit South Korea. The New York Times (9/24, Sang-Hun, 18.61 M) reports that South Korean intelligence officials say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could meet again with President Trump and even visit South Korea in November if expected talks between Pyongyang and Washington make progress on eliminating North Korea's nuclear weapons program." According to the Times, "South Korean officials have been considering inviting Mr. Kim to a conference of Southeast Asran countries that Is planned in Busan, a port city on the southeastern tip of South Korea, in November." A South Korean legislator said Tuesday that while "neither North Korea nor the United States has officially announced the resumption of dialogue," talks
will most likely take place within 'two or three weeks."'
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News Pro-Nuclear Subsidy Group Distributing Petitions Calling For Support Of HB 6.................................................................... 1 Davis-Besse Plant Safety Priorities Emphasized In Operator Training................................................................................. 2 Environmentalist Believes Nuclear Power Essential To Climate Flght.......................................................................................2 Three Mile Island Plant's Unit 1 Reactor Permanently Shut Down..................................................................................... 2 Barnstable County Commissioners Expect To Protest Pilgrim Plant's License Transfer....................................................... 2 Duke Energy To Seek Relicensing For Eleven Reactors.............. 2 Seabrook Plant Neighbors Raise Concerns About ASR Monitoring Plan..................................................................... 2 Holtec Discusses Plans To Decommission Indian Point Plant...... 2 Board Urges DOE To Prioritize Closed Nuclear Sites And Waste Transport Plans......................................................... 2 SCE Expanding Wheeler North Reef............................................. 3 Exelon Launches $20 Million Climate Change Mitigation Fund.... 3 Proposed California Constitutional Amendment Would Designate Nuclear As Renewal Power................................. 3 NRC NEWS:
Pro-Nuclear Subsidy Group Distributing Petitions Calling For Support Of HB 6. The Lorain (OH) Morning Journal (9/25, Arnold, 47K) reports that Ohioans for Energy Security, which is "promoting Ohio's $1 billion nuclear energy bailout, has begun circulating petitions that request the General Assembly support legislation that prevents foreign entities from having too much control over the state's electric grid." The petition is "informal and serves only to demonstrate grassroots support for the position." The effort was launched in "response to a more formal petition from Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts, which seeks to get a referendum on the November 2020 ballot that would reverse the bailout." The pro-HB6 group has "focused their campaign on claiming that it is primarily Chinese interests that are trying to prevent the bailout so that the Chinese government can control the electric grid in Ohio, as opposed Holtec Prepares To Build Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility In New Mexico........................................................................... 3 Thomas: The Truth Behind Small Modular Reactors.................... 3 Related News Governor Northam's Green New Deal Ignores Carbon Free Nuclear Power....................................................................... 3 DOE's Proposed Plan To Demolish Santa Susana Site Structures Runs Afoul Of State Rules, Activists Say............ 4 International Nuclear News EDF Says UK's Hinkley Point C Costs Increase...........................4 Group Says Renewables "Faster And Cheaper" Than Nuclear....4 French Officials Increase Safety Radius Around Flamanville.......4 Japan High Court Rejects Petition To Close Nuclear Plants In Saga Prefecture.................................................................... 5 UK Launching New Initiative To Find Solution For Nuclear Waste.................................................................................... 5 Rouhani Says US Must Pay More" For New Deal Even As New Sanctions Are Announced.................................................... 5 to American-owned companies." But Ohioans Agarnst Corporate Bailouts "has described this approach as a scare tactic."
Ohio Lawmaker Calls Pro-HB 6 Ads Racist, Xenophobic. The Statehouse News Bureau (OH) (9/24, Chow) reported that the group fighting to protect the subsidies under HB 6 for FirstEnergy Solutions' Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear plants "has been paying for mailers and ads that use anti-Chinese government rhetoric." But House Democratic Leader Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) is calling the campaign to support the nuclear bailout law, racist and xenophobic." Sykes "says Ohioans for Energy Security is trying to incite fear to stop people from signing referendum petitions." But Ohioans for "Energy Security says their ads that claim the Chinese government is invading the American electric grid are not xenophobic, but says they were produced to attract attention."
Davis-Besse Plant Safety Priorities Emphasized In Operator Training.
WTOL-TV Toledo, OH (9/26, 76K) posts online a video-linked version of its broadcast story.
Environmentalist Believes Nuclear Power Essential To Climate Fight.
iHeartRadio (9/25, 5.62M) posts a link to an audio broadcast from 700 WLW-AM, Cincinnati about a prominent environmentalist who believes only nuclear power can be effective in combating climate change.
Three Mile Island Plant's Unit 1 Reactor Permanently Shut Down. SteelGuru (9/25) reported on the closure of Three Mile Island Generating Station Unit 1 reactor, which retired from service after 45 years. The unit was shut down after "setting a site record of running 709 continuous days, beating the station's previous record of 705 days set in 2009." The world-class commercial nuclear power facility now enters a new chapter." Over the "next few weeks_. workers will remove the reactor's fuel supply and store 1t safely in the station's used fuel pool." After that, workers will "begin preparing the station for long-term decommissioning."
Billboard Says TM/ Too Toxic To Cleanup.
The Middletown (PA) Press And Journal (9/25, Miller, 23K) reports, "A new billboard on the Airport Connector put up by the watchdog group TMI Alert points out 'the irony' behind the premature shutdown of Unit 1, says TMI Alert chairman Eric Epstein." Before the "March 1979 accident that crippled Unit 2, TMI owners touted that the cost of making electricity from nuclear power was 'too cheap to meter."' Now, it is "so expensive that TMI owners Exelon and other energy companies are shutting down nuclear plants across the United States, Epstein said." The billboard says: "Three Mile Island: What was once too cheap to meter, Is now too toxic to clean up."
, The Middletown (PA) Press And Journal (9/25, 23K) provided more commentary.
Barnstable County Commissioners Expect To Protest Pilgrim Plant's License Transfer.
iHeartRadio (9/25( Baibak, 5.62M) reported online that Barnstable County Commissioners were expected to "issue a letter protesting some of the aspects of the license transfer of the Plymouth Nuclear Power Station." Commissioners and "Emergency Preparedness Director Sean O'Brien have had issues with various aspects of the transfer, including a lack of sufficient off site emergency management."
Duke Energy To Seek Relicensing For Eleven Reactors. The State Port Pilot (NC) (9/25) reports that 2
~uke Energy announced it will "seek to renew the operating licenses of the 11 reactors it operates at six nuclear stations in the Carolinas for an additional 20 years." This includes "the 1,870 megawatt twin units at Brunswick Nuclear Plant near Southport." Preston Gillespie, Duke Energy's Chief Nuclear O~cer said1_ "Our nuclear power plants have safely and reliably provided electricity to our Carolinas customers for decades," Gillespie added, "These plants generate clean and cost-effective power, provide thousands of well-paying jops, and produce substantial economic benefits for the Carolinas.
Renewing the licenses of these plants is important for our customers, communities and environment."
Seabrook Plant Neighbors Raise Concerns About ASR Monitoring Plan. The AP (9/25) reports that Seabrook nuclear power plant neighbors told a the NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board "that they want more transparent, Independent monitoring of cracks that have formed in the plant's concrete foundation. According to New Hampshire Public Radio, the attendees "spoke Monday before" the ASLB panel that is "weighing whether Seabrook's owner, NextEra, adequately studied the cracks." The hearing was granted to a watchdog group C* 10, which cites an independent expert in contending that NextEra didn't properly study the cracks in order to write their monitoring plan." But NextEra based its "monitoring plan for Seabrook's concrete on a study, and regulators approved that plan."
Holtec Discusses Plans To Decommission Indian Point Plant.
12-TV Westchester, NY (9/25) reports, Holtec International plans to "buy and dismantle Indian Point," and it "revealed some of Its plans Wednesday at a public meeting" for the Indian Point Closure Task Force which brought together "stakeholders to discuss issue~
surrounding the nuclear plant's closure and explore some solutions." Joy Russell, an official with Holtec, said, "I want to assure you that Holtec has the same objectives that you as community leaders, state leaders, have, and that is the absolute safe decommissioning of the Indian Point Energy Center." Indian Point is "set to begin shutting down next spring. Buchanan, the village where the plant stands, is set to lose 40 percent of its budget."
Board Urges DOE To Prioritize Closed Nuclear Sites And Waste Transport Plans.
Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/25) reported that the Energy Department "should focus on retired nuclear power plants and some of its own facilities as it plans for the eventual removal and transport of radioactive waste from dozens of sites around the nation," according to the federal Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.
SCE Expanding Wheeler North Reef. Construction Equipment Guide (9/25, Riley, 3K) reports Southern California Edison is expanding the 17 4-acre, man-made Wheeler North Reef to 384 acres, more than double its current size.
"Mandated by the Californla Coastal Commission (CCC), the reef is intended to facilitate kelp forests that were lost to warm-water discharge from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS)." Project Manager Jenny McGee, an ecologist who specializes in the coastal habitats of Southern California, said, "Safety is SCE's highest priority and greatest focus, especially given the environmental dynamics of constructing in open water."
Exelon Launches $20 Million Climate Change Mitigation Fund.
The Philadelphia Inquirer (9/25, Maykuth, 814K) reports, Exelon Corp. and its foundation on Wednesday launched a $20 million initiative to fund startups working on new technologies to mitigate climate change in the six urban markets where Exelon operates utilities, including Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Wilmington, Del."
About a decade ago, Exelon moved to "divest much of its fossil-fuel power-generation, and to concentrate on carbon-free nuclear." But the company's "efforts to push public policies that favor zero-carbon generation have been mixed:
It was unable to persuade the federal government to embrace a tax on carbon; and on Friday it prematurely retired its Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg after failing to convince Pennsylvania policy makers to approve a rescue for the state's nuclear fleet."
Proposed California Constitutional Amendment Would Designate Nuclear As Renewal Power. The Epoch Times (9/25, Schneider, 675K} reports, A proposed amendment to California's constitution would classify nuclear power as renewable."
Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R) who proposed the amendment, according to his office is looking "to prolong the life of Diablo Canyon." The amendment also "would prohibit the legislature from passing any future energy law that's not
'technology neutral,' or that discriminates against any form of renewable energy, which would include nuclear.
Holtec Prepares To Build Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility In New Mexico. The AP (9/26, Bryan) reports that Holtec International of New Jersey reached an "agreement with a construction trades group as it pushes for approval to build a multibillion-dollar facility for temporarily storing spent nuclear fuel from comme~cial reactors around the U.S." Holtec announced the "labor agreement with the New Mexico Building and Construction Trad es Council on Wednesday to establish a framework for cooperation between labor groups and management.1' Joy 3
Russell, Holtec's Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, wrote, "The agreement with the council further cements the local contribution to the project and ensures that the local communities and the state of New Mexico will greatly benefit from it." While officials in Eddy and Lea counties "support the project, it has garnered fierce opposition from nuclear watchdog groups, New Mexico Gov.
Michelle Lujan
- Grisham, members of the state's congressional delegation." Holtec "expects the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to decide on the license for the storage facility in 2021." If approved, "construction could start soon after.
Thomas: The Truth Behind Small Modular Reactors. In an op-ed for the Augusta (VA) Free Press (9/26), University of Greenwich, London Energy Policy Professor Steve Thomas discusses Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which he describes as the "latest folly" for the nuclear industry. He says that "as always with nuclear technologies, the public will be footing the bill. Thomas says the US and the United Kingdom are "heavily promoting SMRs." In the US, the leading technology is the 60 MW NuScale PWR." NuScale's first customer will be the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems consortium, and the design "also seems to be the front runner in a scheme promoted by the federally-owned Tennessee Valley Authority." Thomas says at best, SMRs will waste a "decade or more while it is established the designs are not economically feasible." At worst, he says, the US and UK "will construct large numbers of hopelessly uneconomic reactors burdening consumer bills for decades to come."
RELATED NEWS:
Governor Northam's Green New Deal Ignores Carbon Free Nuclear Power.
American Thinker (9/25, Stansbury, 931<) reports that a "few days ago, our small-town mayor in rural Virginia, about 45 minutes from a major nuclear power plant, announced she had received an offer from a company desiring 125 acres of town-owned woodland for a solar farm." It "made little business sense until learning of Executive Order 43, signed on Sep. 16 by Virginia's Gov. Ralph Northam." That order "mandates expansion of solar energy and other renewable energy ideas like those in the Democrats' radical Green New Deal: But Northam's 'mandated solutions make no mentron of carbon-free nuclear power, instead deferring to the usual suspects:"
meaning offshore and land-based "wind farms, solar farms and building energy storage capability." But "environmental activists will approve since they have already successfully blocked construction of several less invasive natural gas pipelines. And like the Green New Deal, the plan also
advances socialist-sounding notions of social, energy, equity, and environmental justice."
DOE's Proposed Plan To Demolish Santa Susana Site Structures Runs Afoul Of State Rules, Activists Say. The Ventura County (CA) Star (9/25, Harris, 17 4K) reports that the Energy Department announced this week it has udecided to demolish and remove, without state oversight, 13 of 18 remaining structures from its portion of the contaminated Santa Susana Field laboratory as part of the much-delayed cleanup of the site."
However, in a "so-called record of decision it issued Monday, the federal agency said it recognizes that the demolition and removal of the other five structures must be "compliant" with state permits and state hazardous waste laws." Even so, "cleanup activists said all of the energy department's plans are a breach of a legally binding agreement the federal agency and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, which is overseeing the cleanup, signed in 2010."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
EDF Says UK's Hinkley Point C Costs Increase.
Greentech Media (9/25, Parnell, Subscription Publication) reports that EDF has "suffered another blow in the development of its controversial Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the U.K. after costs soared by as much as £2.9 billion ($3.6 billion), potentially rising to a total of more than
£22 billion." EDF "said 'challenging ground conditions' have made earthworks at the site more expensive than expected.
A set of "remedies are now underway with contractors and depending on their success, costs will rise by between 1
£1.9 billion to £2.9 billion." The two Hinkley Point reactors "which V.:ill total 3.2 gigawatts of generating capacity, are delayed rnne and 15 months, respectively. First power is now expected in 2025."
POST Online Media (HRV) (9/25, Fernsby) reports, the Hinkley Point C project "successfully delivered J-0, the completion of the nuclear island 'common raft' for its first unit in June 2019, in line with the schedule announced in September 2016." Following this "major milestone a detailed review of the project's costs, schedule and organisation was performed." Cost increases "reflect challenging ground conditions which made earthworks more expensive than anticipated, revised action plan targets and extra costs needed to implement the completed functional design, which has been adapted for a first-of-a-kind appllcatlon In the UK context."
Bloomberg Opinion (9/25, Bryant) reports that the hope is that the cost overruns at Hinkley are a reminder too that those still hoping giant new nuclear power plants will help solve the climate crisis may be sorely disappointed." The 4
"power Hinkley will deliver, if it's ever completed, is ludicrously expensive, even if the benefit to EDF is less now that it's having to shoulder higher construction costs.
S&P Global Platts (9/25, Edwardes-Evans, 1 K) reports, EDF "remained 'mobilized' to start generating power from the first of two 1.6-GW units at the coastal site at the end of 2025 but the risk of a 15-month delay had increased." Als~
reporting ar_e the Telegraph (UK) (9/25, Mkandawire, 956K),
The Guardian (UK) (9/25, Ambrose, 4.19M), Construction News (UK) (9/25), the Construction Index (9/25), the East Anglia (UK) Daily Times (9/25, Cornwell), New Civil Engineer (UK) (9/26), Power Engineering (9/25), the Energy Reporters (9/25) and Gas Strategies (9/25).
Group Says Renewables "Faster And Cheaper" Than Nuclear. Recharge News (9/25) reports on the research of anti-nuclear activist and French industry consultant Mycle Schneider with World Nuclear Industry Status Report, who claims that renewable energy is cheaper and reduces emissions faster than nuclear power. New "renewable plants in many countries with nuclear fleets now can not only compete economically with new nuclear, but also with existing nuclear power plants, the report finds."
Schneider argues, "The closure of uneconomic reactors will not directly save CO2 emissions but can indirectly save more CO2 than closing a coal-fired plant, if the nuclear plant's larger saved operating costs are reinvested in efficiency or cheap modem renewables that in turn displace more fossil-fuelled generation."
Bloomberg (9/26, Mathis, DeBeaupuy, 4.73M) reports that nuclear power is in "danger of pricing itself out of the energy market in Europe. EDF SA's "announcement on Wednesday that the investment needed for two new reactors in the U.K. will be as much as 2.9 billion pounds ($3.6 billion) more than previously forecast highlighted rising costs for the industry." Aside from the "British project at Hinkley Point in southwestern England, additional nuclear plants in Finland and France are also behind schedule and over budget." The "i~dustry's woes contrast with swiftly falling costs for installing wind and solar farms - and especially for erecting power generation turbines at sea." Mycle Schneider, an "independent consultant on nuclear policy/' said, "If the industry is incapable to deliver on time and on budget, other options are going to take over."
French Officials Increase Safety Radius Around Flamanville. The Jersey Evening Post (9/26, Stephenson) reports, "French authorities have doubled the safety radius originally set in 2016 to 20km, around 12 miles, and will soon start distributing the pills to an additional 2.2 million people living near the country's 19 power plants, including Flamanville in Normandy, 22 miles to the north-east
of Jersey." The "pills work by introducing iodine into the body, reducing its appetite for other more harmful forms of the element, such as iodine-131, which is created by nuclear power stations' reactor cores." A spokeswoman for the "government said: 'Jersey's closest point to Flamanville is further than 20km (approximately 35km) and iodine is not provided by the government."'
Japan High Court Rejects Petition To Close Nuclear Plants In Saga Prefecture. Kyodo News Plus (JPN) (9/26) reports, A "Japanese high court upheld Wednesday a lower court decision dismissing a demand by local residents for nuclear reactors in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, to be halted over safety concerns." The "Fukuoka High Court ruled the country's stricter safety standards for nuclear reactors introduced following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis and safety measures taken by Kyushu Electric Power Co. in operating the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the Genkai nuclear power plant were appropriate."
The "plaintiffs criticized the court's judgment as 'unjust' at a press conference, but took a cautious stance on whether to appeal to the Supreme Court." Kyushu Electric said, "Our claims so far were accepted by the court and we consider the decision appropriate.
UK Launching New Initiative To Find Solution For Nuclear Waste. In a piece for The Conversation (UK) (9/25, 62K), Claire Corkhill, Research Fellow in nuclear waste disposal, University of Sheffield, writes that the UK government has "launched a process to find a volunteer community who would be willing to host a £12 billion geological disposal facility for nuclear waste." The initiative "comes after seven decades of successive governments putting the decision off." The situation is "similar in many other countries, with dangerous nuclear material being stored unsafely because of political Inaction." In the UK, "nuclear waste is currently kept in safe but high-maintenance conditions, with some canisters deteriorating, at Sellafield in Cumbria." This costs "tax payers £3 billion per year." The "new geological disposal facility is a vast underground bunker, to be buried around 500m below the Earth's surface."
Rouhani Says US Must "Pay More" For New Deal Even As New Sanctions Are Announced.
The New York Times (9/25, Fassihi, Jakes, 18.61 M) reports that the Administration has "announced new economic penalties against Iran's largest oil customer... further squeezing the country as its president told the United Nations he would not negotiate with an 'enemy who uses sanction and poverty as a tool."' According to the Times, "The actions and statements by both countries appeared to rule out what would be a historic meeting between President Trump and 5
President Hassan Rouhani of Iran at the United Nations, where both leaders were attending the General Assembly."
The Times reports that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "said the additional American sanctions would punish 'certain Chinese entities for knowingly transporting oil from Iran' in defiance of American financia.l restrictions imposed earlier this year." The Times says China has been the biggest foreign buyer of Iran's oil," and in 2018, "roughly 6 percent of China's oil imports came from Iran."
Reuters (9/25, Pamuk) reports the Treasury Department announced that it is "placing sanctions on five Chinese nationals and six entities, including two Cosco Shipping Corporation subsidiaries." Reuters (9/25) reports separately that the sanctions "target Cosco Shipping Tanker Go and Cosco Shipping Tanker Seaman and Ship Management Co Ltd but do not apply to the parent company, the notice on the department's website said." They also target China Concord Petroleum Co, Kunlun Shipping Company Ltd, Kunlun Holding Company Ltd and Pegasus 88 Limited, the department said.
The Wall Street Journal (9/25, Talley, McBride, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Pompeo said, "Know that we will sanction every violation of sanctionable activity."
CNN (9/25, Gaouette, Hansler, 83.16M) reports Pompeo also said the US was '1aking new action to disentangle" Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps "from the Iranian economy." He said, "The United States will intensify our efforts to educate countries and companies on the risk of doing business with IRGC entities and we will punish them if they persist in defiance of our warnings." Reuters (9/26) reports this morning that China's Foreign Ministry "deplored on Thursday" the sanctions imposed by the US. Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang "made the comments at a daily news briefing in Beijing, adding that China's cooperation with Iran was legitimate and legal."
Yahool News (9/25, 12.82M) interviews Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker, who said, "What we are doing... is denying them the revenue they need to build out their WMD program, to engage in continued funding of terror, to engage in the gross human rights violations that they've engaged in. And we simply cannot ignore that that it is a major part of our pressure campaign." The Financial Times (9/25, Williams, Meyer, Sheppard, Subscription Publication, 1.34M) also reports on the sanctions.
The New York Post (9/25, Moore, 4.57M) reports Rouhani "did not fully rule out a diplomatic solution." He said, "This is the message of the Iranian nation: Let's invest on hope toward a better future rather than on war and violence.
Let's return to justice, to peace, to law, commitment and promise and finally to the negotiating table." However, Reuters (9/25, Hafezi, Nichols) reports that Rouhani said Wednesday that the United States must 'pay more' for any
agreement that goes beyond the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Washington abandoned.... 'Our response to talks under pressure is no,* Rouhani said in a speech to the U.N. even as the United States increased the pressure by sanctioning Chinese firms for dealing in Iranian oil despite U.S.
sanctions." Rouhani is quoted as saying, "If you wish more, if you require more, you should give and pay more."
The AP (9/25, Batrawy) reports that Rouhani also "warned world leaders..,that security in the energy-rich Persian Gulf could collapse quickly with a 'single blunder,*
and he accused the United States of engaging in 'merciless economic terrorism'.against his country." Rouhani also charged that the US is "engaging in 'international piracy' against his country by re-imposing economic sanctions after Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers."
The Wall Street Journal (9/25, Gordon, Norman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports in an additional jab at Washington, Rouhani outlined a broad plan to stabilize the Persian Gulf region under which the US military would exit the Middle East, allowing countries in the region to export their oil under security provided by local states. He said, "The security of the region shall be provided when American troops pull out."
The Washington Times (9/25, A 1, Taylor, 4921<) reports Rouhani's ~remarks came hours" after Pompeo "argued in a speech on the sidelines of the General Assembly Wednesday morning that Mr. Rouhani and other Iranian leaders are prone to projecting false narratives about their country at the annual gathering in New York." At an event hosted by United Against Nuclear Iran, Pompeo said, "Too many people listen... and take their words as relevant or important or material or accurate.
Meanwhile, Thomas A. Shannon Jr. and John B.
Bellinger Ill write in Foreign Policy (9/25, 340K) that sanctioning Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif "is counterproductive-and so is avoiding conversation. Trump Administration officials "justified sanctioning Zarif...by asserting that he acts as a propagandist for the Iranian regime." Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said: "Javad Zarif implements the reckless agenda of Iran's Supreme Leader, and is the regime's primary spokesperson around the world." However, they argue that "even if administration officials disagree strongly with Zarif s message and defense of his country, he still remains Iran's senior diplomat and designated interlocutor with the United States."
Rouhani Says Not Interested In Meeting With Trump Until US Lives Up To 2015 Commitments. In an interview with David Muir on ABC World News Tonight (9/25, story 5, 6:37, 7.05M), Iranian President Hassan Rouhani downplayed the effectiveness of sanctions, and said it is "an economic form of terrorism," hurting vulnerable Iranians in "need of medication. When asked if Iran was responsible for the 6
recent attack on Saudi Arabia, Rouhani called it an "unfounded allegation." Rouhani also said no further talks between the US and Iran were necessary until the US lives up to its 2015 commitments.
US Seeking Release Of American Prisoners Held In Iran. Reuters (9/25, Pamuk) reports, 'The United States has been reaching out to Iranian officials to discuss the fate of American nationals held in the Islamic republic, a U.S. State Department officials said on Wednesday, at a time of heightened tension between the longtime enemies." The official said, "We've been offering, as has [President Trump]
to meet with Iranians [over the Issue). We sent a letter earlier this year [that] found its way there."
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
FRJDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News Mass. AG Seeks To Overturn NRC Approval Of Pilgrim License Transfer................................................................................. 1 Three Mile Island Closure Puts Nuclear Power In Spotlight.......... 2 Kewaunee Station Decommissioning Could Begin In 2069.......... 2 Waterford Selectman Candidates Square Off Over Future Of
- Millstone Station.................................................................... 2 New Nucor CEO Charts Path From Nuclear To Steel lndustry..... 2 Duke Energy Reaches Agreement With FERC To Recover
$258M From Canceled Nuclear Project............................... 2 NRC Further Pushes Back Timeline To Complete Part 61 Rulemaking*........................................................................... 3 NRC To Reorganize Nuclear Material Safety Office..................... 3 KUSI Interviews Nuclear Researcher About SONGS Spent Fuel........................................................................................ 3 Illinois Commerce Commission To Host Nuclear Energy Policy Session October 1................................................................. 3 Presidential Candidates Divided On Role Of Nuclear Power........ 3 Trump Seen As Slow To Fill Agency JG Slots...............................4 NRC NEWS:
Mass. AG Seeks To Overturn NRC Approval Of Pilgrim License Transfer. The Cape Cod (MA} Times (9/26, Legere, 64K) reports Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey "has filed a federal court appeal that seeks to vacate the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's order to transfer Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station's license from Entergy Corp.. to Holtec International, and its $1.1 billion trust fund along with it." The day before the transfer was approved, Healey "sent a seven-page letter to the NRC questioning Holtec's truthfulness, citing the company's admission to bribery of a Tennessee Valley Authority employee in 2007." Recently, New Jersey officials "froze a $260 million tax break secured by Holtec when they discovered the company had lied on its application, the attorney general said."
The Old Colony Memorial (MA) (9/26, Kindy, 27K) reports that local officials are "pleased with the decision to challenge the NRG in federal court." Plymouth, the state and others have been "upset by the federal agency's actions House Panel Approves Yucca Mountain Preparation Bill.............4 Related News Westinghouse To Acquire Rolls-Royce's US Nuclear Unit...........4 Walker: Climate Change Movement "Full of Hypocrites:.............4 Montana Residents Want Stricter Radioactive Waste Rules........4 Kemp: EIA Shows Global Energy Consumption To Rise 50 Percent By 2050....................................................................4 How Federal Tax Incentives Could Yield Big Carbon Emissions Cuts....................................................................................... 5 International Nuclear News EDF Announces Cost Overruns, Delays For Hinkley Point C Project................................................................................... 5 Mexico May Consider Expanding Nuclear Power......................... 5 Slovenia's Krsko Plant To Shut Down For Maintenance October 1............................................................................................. 5 Rouhani Says Iran Seeks Dialogue" Wlth US, Calls For Lifting Of Sanctions.......................................................................... 5 regarding the nuclear power plant." Several motions were filed requesting stays of the license transfer until comment could be provfded by the community. The NRC approved the transfer without ruling on those motions. Sean Mullin, co-chair of the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel, "pr-aised the decision to challenge the NRC in court." Mullin said, "I commend the Attorney General for continuing to pursue every available legal recourse to force the NRC to follow the law and its own regulations and practices."
The Boston Globe (9/26, McDonald, 972K) reports that AG Healey's office "filed suit against federal nuclear regulators in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit." The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, according to the complaint, "acted
[arbitrarily]
and capriciously, abused its discretion' and violated the law in failing to provide Massachusetts with a 'meaningful opportunity to participate in the process."'
Three Mile Island Closure Puts Nuclear Power In Spotlight.
The Washington Post (9/26, Worden, 14.2M) reports on the closure of Three Mile Island nuclear
power plant, which had operated more than forty years near Harrisburg. "Nuclear energy has long provided the lion's share of electric power generated in Pennsylvania -
about 40 percent." But over the "past decade, with the discovery of the Marcellus Shale deposit that courses below most of Pennsylvania, natural gas has surged ahead of coal and now produces almost 30 percent of the state's power." Critics, including "environmental groups and the powerful natural gas lobby -
condemned the legislation to save Three Mile Island as a $500 million bailout of a failing industry, similar to what New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Ohio have approved in recent years." But pronuclear lawmakers, "including th~se with the four remaining plants in their districts, and the union representing many nuclear energy workers, argued ~he legislation, by adding nuclear power to the state's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards, would have helped address climate change, retained 600 jobs at TMI and preserved millions in local tax revenue."
Kewaunee Station Decommissioning Could Begin In 2069. WUWM-FM Milwaukee (9/26, Quirmbach, 3K) reported on its website that Kewaunee and Zion nuclear power plants are "on the west shore of Lake Michigan" and not "far from Milwaukee" and this week the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is "holding meetings in those communities to discuss where the plants are in the shutdown, or decommissioning process, as well as a possible increased role for the public." Kewaunee Power Station owner, "Dominion Energy, pulled the plug six years ago, saying it no longer made economic sense to generate power there."
Bruce Watson, of the NRC, "says he and an NRC inspector toured the site" and it "is in good shape." Watson told WUWM, "The plant is in safe, stable condition. Almost all the radioactive systems have been drained, so there's no tanks to leak into the groundwater. It's in a very good situation to what we call SAFSTOR." Dominion Energy "says it could be 2069 before major decommissioning and dismantlement activities get underway at Kewaunee."
The Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette (9/26, Devlin, 124K) reports, Virginia-based Dominion Energy "was attempting in 2008 to put together a network of second-hand nuclear plants to produce electricity for the wholesale market," but that effort was "thwarted by cheaper natural gas prices that allowed electric producers to cut rates to big customers, making the Kewaunee plant too expensive to continue operating." Bruce Watson, chief of the Reactor Decommissioning Br-anch of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said his team was visiting shuttered plants in more than a dozen locations, including a brief visit to the site of the former Genoa Nuclear Plant near Lacrosse. That plant was demolished after shutting down in 1987." The article was also picked up by MSN (9/26, 5.16M).
2 Waterford Selectman Candidates Square Off Over Future Of Millstone Station. The New London (CT) Day (9/26, Kail, 109K) reports on Democratic candidate for first selectman Beth Sabilia, who took "aim not only at her opponent, Republican Rob Brule, but also the _last,,seve_r~I years of GOP leadership at a debate Thursday_ rnght. Sab11ta
argued the town's destiny hinges on change in t~e wake of what she described as crumbling infrastructure, inadequate fire services and few economic plans to overcome a slowdown in retail and Millstone Power Station's eventual shuttering." To businessman Brule, "working with state lawmakers to help coax Millstone owner Dominion Energy to stay operational beyond a recently approved 10-year deal is essential to maintain jobs and efficient, carbon-free energy."
Brule added. "And in those 1 O years, we're going to be working on saving money, not spending money, if that's w~at it takes." Sabilia, a "longtime attorney and a Representative Town Meeting member who previously served New London as mayor and a city councilor, pointed out that Dominion
[Energy] has closed several nuclear plants due to fiscal stress."
New Nucor CEO Charts Path From Nuclear To Steel Industry. The Charlotte (NC) Business Journal (9/26, Downey, Subscription Publication, 883K) profil_es Leon Topalian, who took a "circuitous route to the steel industry, starting off as an engineer in the nuclear industry. He was
attracted to Nucor Corp... and a career in steel by the reputation of the company's culture, which centered on g[ving employees the power to do their work and pay them for t~e production." Topalian, who is set to become Nucor's CE~ in January, discussed some of his history and how he stud1ed engineering at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and was
hired by Westinghouse Electric in their nuclear engineering service division." Topalian adds, "I did that for about a year-and-a-half, and then got hired by one of their utilities, Dominion [Energy] Resources (Now Dominion Energy Inc.) in Virginia." Topalian "worked at the North Anna Nuclear Generating Station for about four years."
Duke Energy Reaches Agreement With FERC To Recover $258M From Canceled Nuclear Project. S&P Global Platts (9/26, Melvin, 1 K) reports the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will allow Duke Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy Gorp.,
"to recover roughly $258 million in costs associated with the cancefed Lee Nuclear Station project in South Carolina."
FERG said Duke's proposed cost recovery methods are "a reasonable compromise that provide savings to the wholesale customers." FERG added that the agreement would "result in a reasonable sharing of the canceled" project's costs with customers. Duke had planned to
construct two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors at Lee Units 1 and 2 as recently as 2017. But Duke said recent events -
primarily Westinghouse Electric's bankruptcy filing and cost overruns on the Vogtle and VC Summer projects - made "construction of nuclear plants in the United States untenable in the near term. When Duke decided to cancel the project, the company already had spent $558 million on its development.
Continuing Coverage: Duke Energy Agrees To Eliminate Carbon Emissions From Power Plants By 2050.
Bloomberg Business (9/26, Martin, 4.73M) (9/26, Martin, 4.73M) reports Duke Energy recently "*agreed to eliminate carbon emissions from its power plants and offset those that it can't by 2050, joining a slew of power producers taking steps to limit the effects of global warming." Currently one of the top carbon emitters in the US, Duke "plans to shift away from burning coal and invest in solar, nuclear and other carbon-free technologies, as well as natural gas, during ihe transition, according to a statement." However, according to Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good, getting there will require innovation and new technologies. Duke Energy Vice President of State Energy Policy Diane Denton said those technologies include battery storage, advanced modular nuclear reactors, and carbon capture.
NRC Further Pushes Back Timeline To Complete Part 61 Rulemaking. Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/26)
- reports,
'The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's timeline for completing its regulatory update on disposal of low-level radioactive waste has slid further to the right, though an agency official cautioned Wednesday the latest schedule remains tentative."
NRC To Reorganize Nuclear Material Safety Office. Behind a paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/26) reports the US "Nuclear Regulatory Commission In October plans to reorganize its Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS), including combining two divisions."
During a
meeting Wednesday, officials said the reorganization would take effect October 13.
KUSI Interviews Nuclear Researcher About SONGS Spent Fuel. KUSI-TV San Diego (9/27, 1K) features an interview on its website with Forbes contributor Dr. James Conca, who argues that the storage of spent nuclear fuel at San Onofre is "no big deal," as the reactor has been shut down. He says the key to maintaining a safe environment at San Onofre is ensuring the storage canisters are robust Illinois Commerce Commission To Host Nuclear Energy Policy Session October 1.
3 DailyEnergylnsider (9/26, Galford) reports that the Illinois Commerce Commission "plans to host the fourth installment of its Power Meter policy sessions next week, to cover the current and future role of nuclear energy for the state." The state "currently has the most nuclear power plants" in the country, and "relies on these facilities for 52.2 percent of its electricity and 88 percent of its -carbon-free electricity." They are "looking to nuclear power as a potential means for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, following their role in the U.S. Climate Alliance and the targets set under the 2015 Paris climate agreement." ICC Commissioner Sadzi Martha Oliva said, "Understanding the role of nuclear power is timely and necessary because Illinois has the largest number of nuclear power plants in the nation and there is a need for carbon-free energy to meet environmental policy goals."
Presidential Candidates Divided On Role Of Nuclear Power. E&E Publishing (9/26, Sobczyk, Cama, Subscription Publication) reports that the role of nuclear power may be the most divisive of all issues for the Democrats, as "Progressives and some environmental groups have long lumped it into a category with fossil fuels, and some have spent decades opposing it -
going back to the Three Mile Island disaster in 1979 and even more fervently since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The "dividing line was on full display at the climate change forums with Democratic presidential candidates this month. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), whose home state relies heavily on nuclear, said during CNN's climate town hall that those who want to eliminate it 'just aren't looking at the facts.'" Sen. "Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), meanwhile, said she would not license new reactors and suggested she would aim to phase out the power source by 2035. Similarly, Vermont Independent Sen.
Bernie Sanders, "says he would phase out nuclear by halting both new licenses and license renewals of existing plants."
Warren Criticized For Opposition To Nuclear Power.
In a piece for the Daily Iowan (IA) (9/26, O'Day, 59K),
Columnist, Jason O'Day, writes that among the "most prominent issues championed by the Democratic Party is cutting carbon emissions, but the easiest method to replace fossil fuels is largely ignored by the party. It's time we take nuclear energy seriously." O'Day adds that concerning Sen.
Elizabeth Warren, he would be "more apt to entertain her apocalyptic melodrama" were she not opposed to nuclear power, which is safe and clean." It's the "only form of energy proven to reduce carbon emissions on a massive scale in a relatively short period of time." Nearly 20 "percent of America's energy is already derived from nuclear power plants, and Warren wants to phase them out."
Trump Seen As Slow To Fill Agency IG Slots.
McClatchy (9/27, Lightman, 19K) reportsi "Nine of the government's top watchdog jobs - the independent officials
charged with handling whistleblower complaints and keeping an eye on unusual agency activity - have not been filled by President Donald Trump. Trump is "supposed to nominate candidates to fill the top inspector general job at the Pentagon, Central Intelligence Agency, Environmental Protection Agency and departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury and Education, according to a congressional committee letter to the White House." Those "positions - which also include permanent IGs at the Office of Personnel Management, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission -
need Senate confirmation." The government "has 74 IG positions." Most are "appointed by the president, and about half require Senate confirmation." The Obama administration also faced similar vacancy issues."
House Panel Approves Yucca Mountain Preparation Bill. The Las Vegas Review-Journal (9/26, Martin, 345K) reports that a "House subcommittee passed a bill Thursday that would authorize preparation of Yucca Mountain in Nevada to store nuclear waste, although the House and Senate have not included funds in spending bills."
The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on environment and climate change "passed a bill that would allow the Department of Energy to undertake 'infrastructure activities' for operation of Yucca Mountain as a radioactive waste repository." Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
"said communities 'across the country are expressing frustration' as nuclear power plants close and there are no permanent or interim facilities to store spent fuel." The measure now goes to the "full committee and then the House floor for a vote."
Behind a paywall, Bloomberg Environment (9/27, Stecker, Subscription Publication) reports, H.R. 2699, a "measure from Rep. Jerry McNemey (D-Calif.) and Rep. John Shimkus (R-111.), would restart the process of studying Nevada's Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository, while considering two other remote sites for waste storage until the repository is built." Behind a paywall, Greenwire (9/26, Subscription Publication) reports that the bipartisan legislation looking to take an all-hands approach to breaking the nation's nuclear waste logjam cleared an Energy and Commerce subcommittee this morning on a voice vote."
RELATED NEWS:
Westinghouse To Acquire Rolls-Royce's US Nuclear Unit. Reuters (9/26) reports, US nuclear energy firm Westinghouse Electric "said on Thursday it would buy Rolls-Royce Holding's... Civil Nuclear Systems and Services business in North America, to boost its growth in North American and European nuclear markets." Westinghouse, 4
which "supplies products and technological assistance to nuclear utilities, said the Rolls-Royce deal would boost its nuclear power plant services and digital offerings." The "American nuclear business of Rolls-Royce offers services from engineering and software and data solutions to maintenance optimization and field services, the company's website shows."
Walker: Climate Change Movement "Full of Hypocrites." In a Washington Times (9/26, 492K) op-ed, former Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) writes, "the 'climate change' movement is full of hypocrites." He says that the words spoken by politicians, movie stars, activists, and candidates when they advocate for combating climate change do not align with their actions. He argues that conserving energy, using more nuclear power, and planting more trees are better solutions than the ideas those figures present.
Montana Residents Want Stricter Radioactive Waste Rules. KPVI-TV Idaho Falls, ID (9/26, Sukut) reported on its website that during the Montana Department of Environmental Quality hearing Tuesday in Glendive, some residents "questioned why Montana would propose less stringent rules, including accepting higher levels of radioactive waste, than neighboring North Dakota, a state largely responsible for generating the waste. About 70 people attended the emotionally charged DEQ hearing on the latest draft of proposed regulations on radioactive waste in Montana." The "rule, proposed in late August, would regulate TENORM -
technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material - which typically comes to Montana from North Dakota oilfields in the form of drill cuttings or filter socks." Unlike "NORM - naturally occurring radioactive material - TENORM could pose a threat to human health if ingested or inhaled, according to DEQ." The "draft for the disposal of TENORM has been in the works for two years, and would be the first statewide regulation.
TENORM is not federally regulated."
Kemp: EIA Shows Global Energy Consumption To Rise 50 Percent By 2050. In his Reuters (9/26) column, John Kemp says that the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that global energy consumption will increase nearly 50 percent by 2050. Kemp writes that the EIA believes this increased consumption will come from all sources, with renewables showing the fastest growth ( + 166 percent) followed by natural gas (+44 percent). However, nuclear (+36 percent), oil (+22 percent) and coal {+12 percent) will also see increases. Kemp says this means that global carbon emissions "will increase substantially by 2050 unless energy consumption growth is curbed sharply."
How Federal Tax Incentives Could Yield Big Carbon Emissions Cuts. Axios (9/26, Geman, 521 K) reports the Rhodium Group consultancy has found that extended and broadened federal tax incentives for green energy and transportation "could yield substantial carbon emissions cuts." Rhodium argues that there is currently "at least some political opening" in Congress to pass legislation on federal tax credits for a number of environmentally-friendly policies, including renewable energy, electric vehicles, and more. Rhodium says that extending such tax credits "through 2025 for zero-emitting generation including wind, solar or nuclear could achieve reductions of up to 125 million tons compared to current policy in 2025."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
EDF Announces Cost Overruns, Delays For Hinkley Point C Project. Current News (UK) (9/26) reports that EDF considered yesterday an opportune time to bury some bad news" in that it had to confirm "that not only was its flagship UK nuclear project, Hinkley Point C, now more likely to be 15 months late, but it could cost as much as
£2.9 billion more than previously thought. It "represents the latest episode in a continuing drama that the UK just can't seem to get enough of." Project delays and cost overruns in "that comer of Somerset are now as common an occurrence in the power market as energy retailer collapses, only at least on this front the customers don't stand to be adversely affected." EDF "would have been just as better off if it had ploughed £20 billion+ into solar-plus-storage projects from next year, and those could've actually been generating by the year's end."
Energy Industry Times (UK) (9/27) reports, EDF has "warned that the cost of building Hinkley Point C could cost up to £2.9 billion more than expected, and that the chance of a delay to the project has also increased. It said that the new price for Hinkley Poiht C Is estimated at between £21.5 billion and £22.5 billion, up from the previous estimate of £19.6 billion, itself an increase from the initial cost estimate of £12.4 billion. EDF said that the risk of a delay of 15 and 9 months for units one and two respectively has significantly increased."
Mexico May Consider Expanding Nuclear Power.
BNamericas (9/26) reports that Mexico's sole nuclear plant, "the 1,600MW Laguna Verde, currently accounts for 4.3% of the country's electricity load but officials are mulling increasing that share." At an energy forum in Mexico City, Energy Minister Rocio Nahle said, "We have a large energy deficit," describing nuclear as "a clean energy."
Nahle "wants to promote nuclear more. 'We should consider a study' on the potential for increasing nuclear power 5
generation, she said." Nahle added, "We in Mexico haven't communicated well on this subject, because if "you say
'nuclear energy' it causes fear, because of the two big nuclear accidents in the world, in Russia [sic] and Japan."
Slovenia's Krsko Plant To Shut Down For Maintenance October 1.
Reuters (9/26) reports, "Slovenia's sole nuclear power plant, Krsko (NEK), will shut down for regular maintenance on Oct. 1, NEK spokewoman Ida Novak Jerele told Reuters on Thursday." Jerele "said the process was expected to last about a month and would include a change of fuel, regular maintenance and modernisations to improve the security and efficiency of the plant." NEK, "which is jointly owned by Slovenia and neighbouring Croatia, conducts maintenance every 18 months.
Rouhani Says Iran Seeks "Dialogue" With US, Calls For Lifting Of Sanctions. The AP (9/26, Lederer, Batrawy) reports at the UN General Assembly yesterday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "urged the United States... to 'cease this policy of maximum pressure' in favor of 'dialogue, and logic and reason."' Rouhani "also again denied that Iran has anything to do with drone and missile strikes against key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia earlier this month that rattled the global oil markets." Said the Iranian leader, "Those who make the allegations must provide the needed proof to back up those allegations."
According to an AP (9/26, Batrawy) analysis, "The limits of Iran's ability to go it alone were on display at the United Nations this week as it engaged in a flurry of diplomatic outreach. The AP says the Iranian government's "fraught history with the US has essentially locked it out of the global financial system, making it difficult to find partners, allies and countries willing or even able to do business with it."
IAEA: Iran Has Committed Further Breaches Of Nuclear Deal.
Reuters (9/26, Murphy) reports that, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran "has committed another breach of its nuclear deal with major powers by enriching uranium with advanced centrifuges....
'They are busy at the [Natanz enrichment] facility,' one diplomat said in response to" the IAEA report. According to Reuters, the 2015 nuclear deal "only lets Iran accumulate enriched uranium with just over 5,000 of its first-generation IR-1 centrifuges at Natanz," and "lets Iran use small numbers of more advanced models for research, withoul producing enriched uranium." Reuters adds that the deal "also caps the amount of enriched uranium Iran can produce and the purity to which it can enrich it, both of which Tehran has already breached, but only incrementally rather than by ramping up the level and amount as quickly as it can."
According to Bloomberg (9/26, 4.73M), the IAEA says "in addition to new advanced centrifuges being fed with uranium at a testing facility at Natanz, Iran is also reconstituting machines and infrastructure that will allow It to ramp up its program even further within a matter of weeks."
Pompeo Asked About Potential Prisoner Swap In Wake Of Iranian's Deportation.
Reuters (9/26, Pamuk, Nichols) reports Secretary of State Pompeo on Thursday "declined.Jo discuss the possibility of a prisoner swap between the United States and Iran following the United States' deportation of an Iranian woman." Pompeo was "asked about the woman, Negar Ghodskani, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses against the United States and was sentenced by a federal court to time served, and whether he expected Iran to soon release a detained Princeton University doctoral student." Pompeo replied, "I never talk about sensitive issues as you described there.... We spent time this week, we spend time nearly every day working to release the Americans and others who are detained wrongfully inside of Iran. We will continue to do that."
State Department Cracks Down On Visits By Iranian Officials. The Washington Times (9/26, Meier, 492K} reports the Administration on Thursday "began restrictin9 senior Iranian government officials and their family members from entering the US." In a statement, Pompeo said, "For years, Iranian officials and their family members have quietly taken advantage of America's freedom and prosperity, including excellent educational, employment, entertainment and cultural opportunities in the United States:" Pompeo said senior Iranian officials will not be allowed to travel to the US "while their people suffer,"
Rouhani Expects UK Tanker Held In Iran To Be Released. Reuters (9/26, Hafezi) reports Rouhani also said yesterday that "he expected the Britrsh-flagged oll tanker Stena lmpero, seized by Iran in July, to be released."
Speaking to reporters, Rouhani said, "The tanker is going through the final court proceedings. I predict that it will be released."
Iraq Seeks To Rein In Iran-Aligned Militias. The Washington Post (9/26, Loveluck, Salim, 14.2M) reports that
~escalating tensions" between the US and Iran "have raised the prospect that Iraq could again became the terrain on which these two powers pursue their shadow war and a staging ground for attacks on American and allied forces in the region." The Post, however, says recent developments suggest that the government in Baghdad is trying to clip the wings of the powerful Iran-aligned militias operating in Iraq, just as Tehran is looking for its proxies and allies in the Middle East to intensify the pressure on US interests. Iraqi officials are said to be worried that their country could get sucked into the conflict."
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION NEWS
SUMMARY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 7:00 AM EDT NRC.BULLETININTELUGENCE.COM TODAY'S EDITION NRC News As ASLB Hearings Conclude, C-10 Calls On NRC To Revoke Seabrook Station's License Extension................................. 1 Critic's Commentary Calls Out Safety Lapses For Lapses........... 1 Borehole Technology Remains Possible Solution To Complex San Onofre Spent Fuel Question.......................................... 2 Massachusetts AG Sues NRC Over Pilgrim Plant License Transfer................................................................................. 2 Exelon Completes Fuel Removal From Three Mile Island Unit 1 Reactor.................................................................................. 2 Shearon Harris Plant Cost Overruns Connected To Energy Shift....................................................................................... 2 NRC Names New Senior Resident Inspector At Watts Bar Nuclear Plant......................................................................... 2 Opponents Of HB 6 Launch New TV Ad Campaign In Ohio......... 3 Utility Expected To Seek 10 Percent Rate Hike On South Carolina Customers Next Year............................................. 3 State Regulators Considering Water Discharge Plan For Westinghouse Fuel Plant...................................................... 3 US Government Wasted $8 Billion On Poorly Managed MOX Project................................................................................... 3 NRC NEWS:
As ASLB Hearings Conclude, C-10 Calls On NRC To Revoke Seabrook Station's License Extension.
The Newburyport (MA} Daily News (9/28, Shea, 17K) reported that a 'four-day hearing about concrete degradation at the Seabrook nuclear power plant concluded Friday afternoon in City Hall Auditorjum with the local monitoring group C-10 calling for the revocation of the plant's recent license renewal." The hearing was conducted by '1he Nuclear Regulatory's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board in order to allow C-1 O to present a contention on the plant's concrete monitoring program.* C-1 O had "hoped to give its presentation based on 10 contentions, which were boiled down to a single one by the NRC." The "final contention the board will consider is: 'The large-scale test program, undertaken for NextEra (Energy) at the Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory, has yielded data that are not Westinghouse Announces Acquisition Of Rolls-Royce's Nuclear Business................................................................................4 Related News Column: US Must Rebuild Uranium Mining Capacity....................4 DOE Dismisses DNFSB Recommendation On SRS Tritium Safety.................................................................................... 4 Modem SRS Contrasted With Past Facility...................................4 NASA Ordered To Prepare For Nuclear Power In Space.............4 In the Biogs EDF Plans To Close Fessenheim Reactors By Mid-2020............ 5 International Nuclear News Prosecutors Appealing Acquittal Of TEPCO Executives............... 5 WNISR Report Misses Crucial Details, World Nuclear Association Says................................................................... 5 Head Of UN Test Ban Group Calls For Young Children To Be Taught Nuclear Testing Isn't Good....................................... 5 Trump Rejects Rouhani's Claim That He Had Offered To Ease Sanctions On Iran In Return For Talks................................. 5 representative of the progression of ASR at Seabrook. As a result, the proposed monitoring, acceptance criteria and inspection intervals are not adequate.'"
New Hampshire Public Radio (9/28) reported, "Last week, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission held a federal hearing to address cracks in the concrete at Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant." The "safety and longevity concerns around this facility raise larger questions about the role of nuclear power as an alternative to fossil fuels." In a broadcast radio show tease, NHPR added, "We look at the role of Seabrook as part of the New England energy grid,, and the conversations around the use of nuclear energy now and in the future."
Critic's Commentary Calls Out Safety Lapses For Lapses. In a commentary for Asbury Park /NJ) Press (9/27, 387K), anti-nuclear activist Janet Tauro of Clean Water Action New Jersey, wrote that the "public deserves to have confidence in the company performing the ongoing
decommissioning of the Oyster Creek nuclear plant that will include the transfer of highly radioactive nuclear waste from an overhead pool to dry cask storage." That confidence "has to derive from concrete proof of stellar work and not placating words of assurance by company officials." Tauro added that public confidence was "shaken al last week's community meeting hosted by Holtec International Inc. when members of multiple unions charged that the company was hiring lower-skilled workers to save money. The labor issue "can now be added to the growing list of safety concerns that includes: the long-term viability of thin-walled Holtec casks, instrumentation to measure and monitor possible future radiation leaks, the company's complex limited liability structure, whether the casks are transportable, and an NRC citation concerning the company's casks at the San Onofre plant in California."
Borehole Technology Remains Possible Solution To Complex San Onofre Spent Fuel Question. The Orange County (CA) Register (9/29, Sforza, 546K) reports the U.S. Department of Energy in 2015 announced its Deep Borehole Field test project. The idea behind the project was to "study the properties of the crystalline 'host rock' buried" in the Earth's crust in North Dakota and "determine if it might be suitable" for "interning America's spent fuel canisters - rncluding those piled up at California's San Onofre and Diablo Canyon plants - at the bottom, then sealing the hole with miles of concrete-and-asphalt plugs, never to be seen or heard from again." North Dakotans rejected the idea, as did residents of several other locales. Meanwhile, questions about what to do with the spent fuel "have moved front and center as more waste is
'stranded' at closed sites like San Onofre, but the answers remain maddeningly unclear." Deep borehole technology has returned to the spotlight, however, as Berkeley-based Deep Isolation made waves with a public demonstration of its technology in January."
Massachusetts AG Sues NRC Over Pilgrim Plant License Transfer. WBUR-FM Boston (9/27, Young, 49K) reported on its website that Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey "sued the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over its recent approval of the transfer of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station license" to Holtec International. The MA AG "lodged the suit Wednesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit over the NRC's decision last month to approve the transfer of Pilgrim's license from Entergy." Healey "and members of the state's Congressional delegation mounted an effort to block the transfer unless the NRC held a full hearing on concerns over Holtec's ability to safely decommission the nuclear plant, the company's financial stability and its alleged involvement in a kickback scheme." No "hearing was held 2
before the NRC approved the transfer." Healey said, "The NRC has repeatedly rubber stamped Holtec's plans, despite serious concerns about the company's financial capacity, technical qualifications, and competency to safely decommission and clean up the Pilgrim site."
Exelon Completes Fuel Removal From Three Mile Island Unit 1 Reactor. The Harrisburg (PA)
Patriot-News (9/27, Thompson, 427K) reports that Three Mile Island plant has reached another milestone in its shutdown as plant owners Exelon "reported that as of Thursday, all of the nuclear fuel in the Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor vessel had been removed and transferred to the plant's spent fuel pool,
'without incident."' The development means that "future operation of the reactor is no longer authorized. It also "checks the box on one of the riskier tasks of any shutdown."
While Three Mile Island's overall 'risk profile' has dropped significantly now that the reactor is no longer operating, fuel handling accidents are still one of the risks that remains."
NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said Friday, "Any time spent nuclear fuel is handled it must be done with great care and precision." Sheehan added, "TMI st-afters have moved fuel out of the reactor and into the spent fuel pool many times over the course of the plant's operational life."
Shearon Harris Plant Cost Overruns Connected To Energy Shift. The Wilson (NC) Times (9/29, Handgraaf, 49K) reports on the closure of Three Mile Island's remaining operational reactor and adds that around the time of the accident, closer to home, ffCarolina Power &
Light and the N.C. Eastern Municipal Power Agency set out to build Harris Nuclear Pl-ant 70 miles from Wilson in New Hill." Construction "began in 1978, but Three Mile Island threw a wrench in the plans and increased the costs, so instead of four reactors, only one was completed." Ken Raber, former senior vice president of ElectriCities and consultant with Raber and Associates, said, "There was a plan for how much debt would be incurred and a long-range forecast, but that changed." Raber added, "First the costs skyrocketed, and more energy conservation caused the load forecasts to be reduced. That resulted in the cancellation of units two through four. Money was still spent on those, but not nearly enough to finish, so we ended up with larger capital costs and less available energy,"
NRC Names New Senior Resident Inspector At Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. WTVC-TV Chattanooga, TN (9/27, Jones, 101 K) reported the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has named Wesley Deschaine as Senior Resident Inspector at TVA's Watts Bar Nuclear Plant.
Deschaine will join Resident Inspector Jeff Hamman at the 2-unit plant.
Opponents Of HB 6 Launch New TV Ad Campaign In Ohio. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/27, Tobias, 895K) reports that Ohioans, who have endured the barrage of ads defending House BIii 6, Ohio's nuclear bailout law, can expect to hear from the "campaign trying to repeal the law" with a response of its own. Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts, the anti-HB6 group, has reserved
$903,000 in TV ads that starting Saturday, will air for one week, according to Medium Buying, a political-ad firm in Columbus." Meantime, "the pro HB6 Ohioans for Energy Security has reserved TV ads worth $517,000 over the same time period, according to Medium Buying." The group has "aired a total of nearly $5 million in ads, or about $1 million per week, since Aug. 26." The "new anti-HB6 ad casts the law as a '$1 billion corporate bailout' that 'picks Wall Street over Main Street."'
Three Ohio Supreme Court Justices Withdraw From Hearing HB6 Nuclear Bailout Case.
The Akron (OH)
Beacon Journal (9/27, Ludlow, 198K) reported that two Ohio Sup~eme Court justices "recused themselves Friday from hearing a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a referendum attempt to cast aside the House Bill 6 bailout of two nuclear power plants." And Monday, a third justice plans to disqualify himself from the case. The "common thread: Two of the defendants in the House Bill 6 case managed the three Republicans' election campaigns that won them seats on the court." Justice Patrick Fischer "removed himself from the case on Friday morning, with Justice Judith French following on Friday afternoon." Justice "Patrick DeWine told the Columbus Dispatch he would recuse himself on Monday." Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, a Republican, will appoint judges to take the place of justices who recused themselves."
Utility Expected To Seek 10 Percent Rate Hike On South Carolina Customers Next Year. on its website, FITSNews (9/27) writes that Dominion Energy is "expected to seek an almost ten percent rate hike on its South Carolina residential customers next spring, sources famili~r with the proposal tell us - a move likely to prompt massive backlash among multiple constituencies." The article adds_ !hat "While SCANA -
the crony capitalist utility Dominion [Energy] acquired in January - was busy raising rates on consumers over the past decade for the failed V.C.
Summer nuclear generating station expansion (NukeGate), it deferred several rate hikes tied to legitimate grid enhancement needs." These deferrals "created a backlog of
'justifiable' capital expansion projects which Dominion
[Energy) could now seek to subsidize via additional rate increases on consumers." The article adds, "even after SCANA screwed ratepayers coming and going on the V.C.
Summer project this rate hike is going to be approved?
Yes...in all likelihood.
3 Editorial:
Santee Cooper Needs
- Reform, Accountability. In an editorial, the Charleston (SC) Post and Courier (9/28, 290K), wrote that on the issue *of whether or not to sell Santee-Cooper, it is evident that "Santee Cooper can't reform itself without the legislature's help." What ';we've seen so far are parts of Santee Cooper's business plan: to phase out dirty, costly coal plants and buy cheaper electricity on the open market, grow its solar energy in conjunction with battery storage, slim down its management costs and keep power bills from rising." While those things are "all encouraging" they are "also things Santee Cooper could have and should have done long ago. The fact that it didn't act much sooner goes back to the fundamental problem with the utility: It's not accountable to anyone.n And "unlike SCANA and purchaser Dominion Energy, Santee Cooper doesn't have to get approval from the S.C. Public Service Commission to raise rates, or to embark on $11 billion construction projects that turn into $20 billion construction P:Ojects that get abandoned before they ever produce a stngle watt of electricity."
State Regulators Considering Water Discharge Plan For Westinghouse Fuel Plant. The Charlotte (NC) Observer (9/27, Fretwell, 470K) reports, "The S.C.
Department of Health and Environmental Control is considering whether to allow a troubled nuclear fuel factory on Bluff Road to continue discharging contaminants from its industrial process into the air and the Congaree River." DHEC "says pollution released from the Westinghouse nuclear fuel plant will be within safe limits, and in some cases, discharge limits will be tougher than they have been before at the 50-year-old factory. But skeptics oppose plans for new pollution permits "at least not for now. Westinghouse has a recent history of spills, leaks, small explosions and the buildup of nuclear materials, all of which have made some neighbors in eastern Richland County nervous."
US Government Wasted $8 Billion On Poorly Managed MOX Project.
In an 8,000-word feature article, the Charleston (SC) Post and Courier (9/28, Moore, 290K) reports on the "faulty assumptions and lacking political will" that resulted in the squandering of billions of dollars and an opportunity to dispose of the nation's most dangerous nuclear material by chasing a massive construction project in South Carolina that was doomed from the* start." Instead, the US Department of Energy "stranded a huge stockpile of plutonium - the lethal metal at the core of nuclear weapons -
a~ a federal installation on the state's wooded western edge, with plans to leave it there for decades." The roadblocks "weren't science or technology. They were politics and poor planning." Evidence mounted for years that MOX plant "would cost billions of dollars more than initially thought and take far
longer to finish." Congress and federal officials "failed again and again to make a decision about its future, which was caught between spiraling cost estimates and the unified force of South Carolina politicians who saw it as a critical jobs engine."
Editorial Examines Whether US Can Do Big Projects Anymore. In an editorial, the Charleston (SC) Post and Courier (9/29, 290K) considers whether the US is "losing its managerial and technical ability to build big, complex projects given that "both the scuttled mixed-oxide fuel plant at the Savannah River Site near Aiken and the abandoned V.C. Summer nuclear reactors beg the question." The failed projects, "both of which sucked billions of dollars into a black hole, should prompt some deep soul searching within the Department of Energy, as well as among leading engineering and construction firms in the private sector." After all, the "French have been reprocessing spent reactor fuel since 1976 and, over the past decade, the Chinese have successfully completed four Westinghouse AP1000 reactors like the two for the failed V.C. Summer expansion." While politics "no doubt played a big role in dooming MOX... so did poor planning and lax oversight."
Westinghouse Announces Acquisition Of Rolls-Royce's Nuclear Business. The Pittsburgh Business Times (9/27, Larson, 835K) reported that Westinghouse Electric Friday announced the acquisition of Rolls-Royce's Civil Nuclear Systems and Services business in North America. Patrick Fragman, Westinghouse president and CEO in a statement, "Creating customer value and supporting our customers' operations is a key driver for Westinghouse. Fragman added, "Acquiring Rolls-Royce will strengthen our ability to serve the nuclear operating fleet through an expanded presence in our core business while adding new digital offerings. This acquisition is an important step in our growth strategy. We look froward to welcoming the employees of Rolls-Royce to Westinghouse."
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (9/27, Litvak, 616K) reports that Westinghouse Electric spokeswoman "Sarah Cassella said the deal 'fits into our long-term strategy through growing the digital market and Westinghouse's global profile, specifically in the Canadian marketplace."' Accordihg to "Rolls-Royce, the British engineering giant, the assets being transferred to Westinghouse come with about 500 employees." From "several offices around the world, these employees help service operating nuclear plants and crunch data on their equipment, maintenance and supply chains to predict problems and increase efficient operations.;,
4 RELATED NEWS:
Column: US Must Rebuild Uranium Mining Capacity. In a piece for the Boston Herald (9/30, 410K),
syndicated columnist Stephen Moore and Ned Mamula write that the "decline of American mining and production of critical minerals in recent decades is a self-inflicted wound that could imperil our economy and national security." Data from the "latest federal geological survey showed the United States has become 99% dependent on imports for at least 20 critical and strategic minerals, not including each of the rare earth minerals, even though we were No.1 in mining ou4>ut across the world as recently as 1990." Uranium is a "perfect case in point. In Western states such as Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nebraska and Texas, the Untted States has massive domestic uranium resources and reserves." But incredibly, more than 90% of U.S. uranium requirements are now imported."
DOE Dismisses DNFSB Recommendation On SRS Tritium Safety.
Behind a
- paywall, ExchangeMonitor (9/27) reported that the US Energy Department "rejected a Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) recommendation intended to better protect workers at the Savannah River Site's tritium facilities from fires, explosions, and other accidents that could expose the public" to contamination.
Modern SRS Contrasted With Past Facility. The Aiken (SC) Standard (9/29, Demarest, 40K) reported that SRS was established in the early 1950s, (then known as the Savannah River Plant) and was "cloaked in Cold War confidentiality and was built amid the resultant international nuclear frenzy." For SRS to be constructed, "land in several counties was eventually acquired by the g,overnment and families had to be relocated." As the "Cold War cooled, though, the site pivoted and transitioned to what it is now, No longer is the site a wartime hub." Simply put, the SRS of today is "vastly different than the site of yore." These days, SRS is "home to a major, decades-long cleanup effort -
a tidying of the local Cold War legacy."
NASA Ordered To Prepare For Nuclear Power In Space. Politico (9/27, Feldscher, 4.29M) reports, "NASA could place human missions to the moon or Mars In political jeopardy if it opts to use highly-enriched uranium as a power source in space, warns a leading specialist on nuclear proliferation. Astronauts living off of Earth for months at a time will need a reliable energy source for life support and to conduct experiments. The Trump administration "ordered NASA in August to craft guidelines for safely using nuclear reactors on Mars or the moon." NASA is "also moving ahead
with its nuclear power ambitions under it's Kilopower project to build a highly-enriched uranium reactor that could deliver 10 kilowatts of electrical power continuously for at least 10 years."
Ars Technica (9/29, Oberhaus, 1.36M) reports that the "tangled history of nukes and space is again resurfacing, just up the road from the Redstone test stand." This time "NASA engiheers want to create somethihg deceptively simple: a rocket engine powered by nuclear fission." A "nuclear rocket engine would be twice as efficient as the chemical engines powering rockets today." But despite their "conceptual simplicity, small-scale fission reactors are challenging to build and risky to operate because they produce toxic waste."
IN THE BLOGS:
EDF Plans To Close Fessenheim Reactors By Mid-2020.
Reuters (9/30, Van Overstraeten) reports France's EDF group plans to close Fessenheim nuclear power plant's Number 1 reactor February 221 2020 and the Number 2 reactor at that same plant on June 30, it said Monday. In a statement, EDF said, "The compensation payments over Fessenheim are expected to amount to a total of nearly 400 million euros ($437.5 million).
French Ministers Criticize EDF. Reuters (9/30, Kar-Gupta, Van Overstraeten) reports, EDF announced this month "welding problems at some of its nuclear reactors and extra costs at the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Britain."
Frahce's environment minister Monday "criticised EDF over the various delays and problems with its nuclear power business, echoing similar critiques of EDF made by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire." Environment Minister Elisabeth Borne said, "EDF needs to be held accountable."
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NEWS:
Prosecutors Appealing Acquittal Of TEPCO Executives.
he AP (9/30) reports that lawyers representing thousands of disaster-hit residents in the criminal trial involving the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown said that prosecutors on Monday appealed the acquittal of three former Tokyo Electric Power Co. executives.
The Tokyo District Court rules on September 19 that the three executives were not guilty of "professional negligence in the disaster and the death of 44 elderly patients who were forcibly evacuated from local hospitals" since the tsunami that hit the plant was so large as to be unpredictable.
WNISR Report Misses Crucial Details, World Nuclear Association Says.
Ars Technica (9/27, O'Grady, 1.36M) reports that renewable power is "capable of 5
reducing more carbon emissions per dollar and per year than nuclear energy, according to the recently released World Nuclear Industry Status Report." The WNISR is "about the nuclear industry, not by the nuclear industry - it's actually produced by an anti-nuclear activist." Naturally, "the actual nuclear industry disagrees strongly with the report's conclusions." While the report "does reflect the reality that renewable power is now faster ahd cheaper to build and operate, what that means for limiting carbon emissions is substantially more complicated.fl The WNISR "has consistently made the case against investing in nuclear power." The report "argues that new nuclear power is both costlier and slower to build than new renewable capacity."
The World Nuclear Association "released a statement arguing that this analysis of the situation misses crucial details."
Head Of UN Test Ban Group Calls For Young Children To Be Taught Nuclear Testing Isn't Good.
The AP (9/28, Lederer) reported that on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly gathering, Lassina Zerbo, head of the UN's nuclear test ban treaty organization said young children around the world should be taught that nuclear testing isn't good - and that the world should be free of nuclear weapons. Zerbo said Thursday, "we have to take kids when they start talking and then put in their mouth, in their brain, that nuclear testing isn't good, and that we want a world free of nuclear weapons."
Trump Rejects Rouhani's Claim That He Had Offered To Ease Sanctions On Iran In Return For Talks. The Washington Times (9/27, Taylor, 492K) reports Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "said Friday that President Trump had sent repeated behind-the-scenes messages to him vowing to ease sanctions on Tehran if Mr.
Rouhani agreed to a one-on-one meeting at the U.N. General Assembly," but Trump quickly shot down Mr. Rouhani's claim," tweeting "that it was, in fact, the Iranians who demanded sanctions relief as a condition for such a meeting."
Trump wrote, "I said, of course, NO!" The Times adds that after returning to Tehran, Rouhani "said the conditions for a meeting were spoiled by Saudi, U.S. and European allegations that Iran was to blame for recent attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities."
On ABC World News Tonight (9/27, story 8, 2:18, Muir, 6.3M), Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz said, "The short answer from the State Department is that it didn't happen. There were no offers to relieve sanctions in exchange for a meeting. In fact, the us. has been playing hardball with Rouhani during the UN session in New York this week, even denying a request by Iran's Foreign Minister to visit Iran's UN Ambassador in a hospital in New York. The visa that Foreign Minister Zarif was issued limited him to only
a few blocks on the East Side of Manhattan." Raddatz added the State Department "said Zarif could only visit the Ambassador if Iran released one of at least five US citizens currently being detained in Iran."
Reuters (9/27, Hafezi, Irish, Mohammed) reports that while the UK and France all but begged Iran to jump into the waters of a negotiation with the United States this week,"
neither country "showed much desire to discuss the many issues dividing them, from Iran's reawakening nuclear program to the U.S. sanctions squeezing the Iranian economy." The Wall Street Journal (9/27, Norman, Gordon, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports similarly in an article headlined "How A Push To Get Trump And Rouhani To Meet Unraveled.
The New York Times (9/27,
- Board, 18.61 M) editorializes that when it comes to America's standoff with Iran, President Trump "has boxed himself in. The Times says Trump may not want war, but he has helped raise tensions to such a level that a misstep or deliberate provocation by any one of a number of players in the region could drag the United States into one." In order avoid things getting worse,"
the Times suggests the Administration first restore "a modicum of credibility with its allies and the international community." The Times adds that in the meantime, "Mr.
Trump should keep the door open to negotiations and to make clear to Iran that while further aggression will not go unanswered, resuming compliance with the 2015 agreement would be met with concrete benefits." The Times concludes, "That would amount to a painful climbdown for Mr. Trump.
But a military confrontation would be far worse.
British-Flagged Oil Tanker Leaves Iran After Two Month Detention. The New York Times (9/27, Wolgelenter, 18.61 M) reports the Stena lmpero, "the British-flagged oil tanker that was seized by Iran two months ago,* on Friday "left port with its crew, sailed into international waters in the Strait of Hormuz. and headed for Dubai," bringing "an end to at least one source of contention between Iran and the West."
According to the Times, 'The ship and its crew were caught up in the broader dispute between Iran and the West that included the seizure of an Iranian tanker by British forces near Gibraltar in July. Officials said the vessel was carrying oil to Syria, in defiance of European Union sanctions against Syria." The Washington Post (9/27, Cunningham, 14.2M) reports the release of the Stena lmpero "comes amid a simmering standoff between Iran and the West over security in the Persian Gulf region. The United States has also blamed Iran for a string of attacks on commercial tankers in the area, as well as a complex drone and missile attack on Saudi oil facilities earlier this month. Iran has denied both charges."
Bin Salman Discusses Potential War With Iran.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman was asked in an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes (9/29, 4.46M) if his country 6
was "blindsided" by Iran's attack on "the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry." Bin Salman said, "I might disagree with you. This attack didn't hit the heart of the Saudi energy industry, but rather the heart of the global energy industry."
Asked about the potential impact of a war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, bin Salman said, 'This means a total collapse of the global economy, and not just Saudi Arabia or the Middle East countries." He was also asked if President Trump should sit down with Iranian President Hasan Rouhani to negotiate a new nuclear deal. Bin Salman said, "Absolutely.
This is what President Trump is asking for, this is what we all ask for. However, it is the Iranians who don't want to sit at the table.
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