U.S. Dept. of Energy selects Duke Energy
& Virginia Power facilities
to "burn" MOx fuel
On March 22, 1999, the U.S. Dept. of Energy
contracted with Duke Engineering & Services,
COGEMA, Inc., and Stone & Webster to provide
mixed oxide fuel fabrication and reactor
irradiation services in support of the
department's mission to dispose of surplus
weapons plutonium. The team, known as DUKE COGEMA
STONE & WEBSTER or DCS, has its corporate
headquarters in Charlotte, NC. Subcontractors to
DCS include Duke Power Company, Charlotte, NC and
Virginia Power Company, Richmond, VA, who will
provide the reactor facilities in which mixed
oxide fuel will be used upon receipt of Nuclear
Regulatory Commission license amendments.
The DCS team will also modify six existing
U.S. commercial light water reactors at three
sites to irradiate mixed oxide fuel assemblies.
These reactors sites are Catawba in York,
SC; McGuire in Huntersville, NC; and North Anna
in Mineral, VA. The consortium will be
responsible for obtaining a license to operate
the fuel fabrication facility and the license
modifications for the reactors from the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
``We will be asking for full public
involvement at every point,'' said Janet Zeller
of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League,
``DOE needs to hold hearings now, at the first
phase."
"The DOE is proceeding hastily and
without due caution in a matter that has serious
implications for security, public safety, and the
environment," charged Dr. Arjun Makhijani,
President of the Institute for Energy and
Environmental Research (IEER).  , DOE Press
Release , IEER Press
Release , Synergy
Article
On April 6, 1999, the DOE announced its intent
to prepare a supplement to the Surplus Plutonium
Disposition Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(SPD EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). The SPD Draft EIS
(DOE/EIS-0283D) was issued for public comment in
July 1998. The Supplement will update the SPD
Draft EIS by examining the potential
environmental impacts of using mixed oxide (MOX)
fuel in six specific commercial nuclear reactors
at three sites for the disposition of surplus
weapons-grade plutonium. The Department is
planning to issue the Supplement to the SPD Draft
EIS in April 1999. DOE will publish a separate
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register at
that time.
The purpose of the Supplement to the SPD Draft
EIS is to update the Draft by including specific
information available as a result of the award of
the DCS contract. The Supplement to the SPD Draft
EIS will contain background information on the
SPD Draft EIS; changes made to the SPD Draft EIS
(Section 1.7.2); a description of the reactor
sites (Section 3.7); impacts of irradiating mixed
oxide fuel in existing light water reactors
(Section 4.28); Facility Accidents (Appendix K);
Analysis of Environmental Justice (Appendix M);
and the Environmental Synopsis (Appendix O). DOE
anticipates that the Supplement to the SPD Draft
EIS will be available in April. DOE intends to
hold an interactive hearing in Washington, DC in
May 1999 to discuss issues and receive oral and
written comments on the Supplement to the Draft
SPD EIS. The Notice of Availability will provide
specific information concerning the date, time
and location for the public hearing. See
April 6 Federal Register
|
