TMI Update: Jan 14, 2024

Did you catch "The Meltdown: Three Mile Island" on Netflix?
TMI remains a danger and TMIA is working hard to ensure the safety of our communities and the surrounding areas.
Learn more on this site and support our efforts. Join TMIA. To contact the TMIA office, call 717-233-7897.

    

NRC Approves Further Uranium Enrichment at American Centrifuge Plant

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: II-23-028 September 23, 2023
Contact: Dave Gasperson, 404-997-4417
 
NRC Approves Further Uranium Enrichment at American Centrifuge Plant
 
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has authorized American Centrifuge Operating LLC to proceed with its planned demonstration project to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium, known as HALEU, under its contract with the Department of Energy. This is a major step in developing advanced fuels for the next generation of nuclear reactors.
 
The authorization signed Sept. 21 allows the company to possess and use enough uranium to perform Phase 1 of the company’s contract with DOE, the production of 20 kilograms of HALEU. The company plans to enrich the uranium in its HALEU Demonstration Cascade module at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio. HALEU is enriched up to 20 percent in the isotope U-235, higher than the typical 3-5 percent found in current nuclear reactor fuel.
 
“This authorization follows a rigorous review of the American Centrifuge Plant’s safety features and operating procedures,” said NRC Region II Administrator Laura A. Dudes. “The NRC is committed to ensuring that all nuclear facilities operate safely and securely, and we will continue to closely monitor the HALEU Demonstration Cascade to ensure that it continues to meet our high safety standards.”
 
The NRC in June authorized the company to possess a smaller amount of material as part of its project preparations. The company plans to initiate HALEU production in October and complete Phase 1 in December.
 
The amount of material and higher enrichment level authorized make the American Centrifuge Plant the first Category II fuel facility licensed by the NRC.
Details of the inspections and the latest authorization letter are available on the NRC website.
 
By admin at Tue, 09/26/2023 - 08:20

Price-Anderson / Accident Tolerant Fuel

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Items of Interest
Week Ending September 8, 2023
 
Inflation Adjustments to the Price-Anderson Act Financial Protection Regulations: Final
Rule; 10 CFR Part 140 [NRC-2023-0110; RIN 3150-AL01]
On September 5, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a notice in
the Federal Register (88 FR 60565) amending its regulations to adjust for inflation the maximum
total and annual standard deferred premiums specified in the Price-Anderson Act. The NRC
must perform this adjustment at least once during each 5-year period following August 20, 2003,
as mandated by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. This final rule is effective on
October 5, 2023.

Increased Enrichment of Conventional and Accident Tolerant Fuel Designs for LightWater Reactors: Regulatory Basis; Request for Comment; 10 CFR Parts 50, 51, and 71
[NRC-2020-0034; RIN 3150-AK79]

On September 8, 2023, the NRC published a notice in the Federal Register (88 FR 61986)
requesting comments on a regulatory basis to support a rulemaking to amend the NRC's
regulations related to the use of conventional and accident tolerant light-water reactor fuel
designs. The NRC's goal is to establish effective and efficient licensing of applications using
fuels enriched to greater than 5.0 and less than 20.0 weight percent uranium-235. The NRC will
hold a public meeting to promote a full understanding of the planned rulemaking and facilitate
public comment on the regulatory basis. Comments are requested by November 22, 2023.
By admin at Mon, 09/25/2023 - 03:26

Boy and Island: New podcast episode

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New Podcast Episode

Boy and Island: Episode 4
 

Welcome back to the Boy and Island podcast!!!

Introducing: Episode 4 "Honor Thy Error as a Hidden Intention"
After a routine medical procedure goes awry, sending his father Jim into a months-long health crisis, Hurst embarks on an esoteric ponderance on the nature of errors that includes the zen wisdom of composer John Cage, Brian Eno’s “Oblique Strategies,” the roving spirituality of walking, the pleasures and terrors of misunderstood song lyrics, the tragic convergence of mechanical and human error at the center of the accident at Three Mile Island, and more!  Listen now

And a quick reminder to check out my very special interview with my mom, Anne Hurst, that commemorated the 44th anniversary of the accident at Three Mile Island back in March.

Thanks again for your interest. Stay tuned for some exciting news on the Boy and Island project.  Go to boyandisland.com for more info, drop me a line, tell a friend and take care!

Best,
A
Listen on boyandisland.com
Listen on Apple Podcasts
 
The Boy and Island podcast is a companion to the book project currently in development by Andrew Hurst. The podcast follows Andrew's creative process as he reflects on the Three Mile Island accident after 40-plus years and examines the remarkable ways that time has distorted, as well as clarified the event's importance as a pivotal moment in world history and as a penultimate event in his family's history.

By admin at Mon, 09/04/2023 - 02:37

Updated Inspection Plan for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 (Report 05000387/2023005 and 05000388/2023005)

SUBJECT: UPDATED INSPECTION PLAN FOR SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 (REPORT 05000387/2023005 AND 05000388/2023005)
 
By admin at Fri, 09/01/2023 - 14:39

Updated Inspection Plan for Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 (Report 05000277/2023005 and 05000278/2023005)

SUBJECT: UPDATED INSPECTION PLAN FOR PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 (REPORT 05000277/2023005 AND
05000278/2023005)
 
By admin at Fri, 09/01/2023 - 14:35

Major waste victory!

https://files.constantcontact.com/abc65024401/7ee258bf-32c2-48a3-bbd6-c0cec7c545aa.jpg?rdr=true
Beyond Nuclear Bulletin
August 31, 2023

MAJOR WASTE VICTORY!
5th Circuit annuls CISF license
 
In a major legal victory for opponents to Interim Storage Partners' high-level radioactive waste consolidated interim storage facility in Andrews County, Texas, the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled in favor of the State of Texas, and Fasken Land and Minerals, vacating the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's 2021 license approval for construction and operation. The August 25 ruling came just before the U.S. Department of Energy pushed so-called "consent-based siting" of federal CISFs at a U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board meeting in Idaho, as well as Beyond Nuclear's September 1 Opening Brief filing deadline at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, in our many years' long opposition to Holtec's CISF targeted at New Mexico.

TRITIUM RELEASES OPPOSED
Environmental & health concerns grow
 
Environmentalists, political and public health officials, and the fishing industry, are coalescing around the world, calling for stricter protective actions to prevent the nuclear industry’s release of tritium -- radioactive hydrogen -- from nuclear power facilities. Massachusetts and New York officials are opposing decommissioning projects to discharge radioactive effluent into aquatic environments by Holtec International Decommissioning (HID). Holtec is now alleged to be evaporating liquid nuclear waste into the atmosphere. Internationally, the Japanese nuclear industry has started discharging millions of tons of Fukushima’s disputed radioactive effluent into the Pacific, sparking international outrage and boycotts of Japanese commerce.

ZOMBIE NUKE ALERT!
Holtec-NRC lay groundwork for restart
 
NRC met with Holtec on August 29. The webcast meeting followed those on March 20 and May 24, all devoted to charting an unprecedented pathway to restart the reactor, which supposedly closed permanently on May 22, 2022. Beyond Nuclear and other groups attended and spoke out against the astronomically expensive, very high-risk scheme. Holtec also plans to build four Small Modular Reactors at the site. This would mean both extremes of the risk spectrum, breakdown and break-in phase, and potential for domino effect multiple meltdowns, like at Fukushima Daiichi. Holtec seeks an additional $150 million in state subsidies, added to an already approved $150 million. Holtec has also applied for $8.4 billion in DOE loan guarantees for the schemes.
 
GOLDEN RULE
Lake Michigan voyage culmination
 
The Veterans For Peace Golden Rule Project is completing its 18-month "Great Loop" journey with events in Wisconsin (8/30 to 9/7 in Milwaukee and Racine), Michigan (St. Joe/Kalamazoo, 9/8-12), and Illinois (Chicago, 9/13-18). Beyond Nuclear's radioactive waste specialist, Kevin Kamps, joined the Golden Rule crew for events in Traverse City, Michigan last week, speaking and information tabling at a rally at the downtown waterfront. He is also an on-the-ground organizer for events in southwest Michigan from September 7 to 12, including concerts, information tabling, an all-day teach-in (that will also be webcast), and documentary film showings about the anti-nuke sail boat's remarkable 65-year long history.
Beyond Nuclear | 301.270.2209 | www.BeyondNuclear.org
By admin at Fri, 09/01/2023 - 14:26

Wastewater - Cape Cod Nuclear Plant The Messenger 8.22.23

Complaint Alleges 1M Gallons of Wastewater Released by Cape Cod Nuclear Plant The Messenger 8.22.23
 
Environmental activists in Massachusetts say they have received a whistleblower's complaint letter alleging that the company in charge of handling nuclear materials at a decommissioning power plant has released gallons of contaminated water into the environment.
By admin at Sat, 08/26/2023 - 07:14

Recent Critiques of New Reactors

2023-8-25 ICSEF Recent New Reactor Critiques Opeds .docx

File2023-8-25 ICSEF Recent New Reactor Critiques Opeds .docx

By admin at Sat, 08/26/2023 - 07:09

NRC Proposes $87,500 Fine to BWXT

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: II‑23-024 August 23, 2023
Contact: Dave Gasperson, 404-997-4417
 
NRC Proposes $87,500 Fine to BWXT
 
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed an $87,500 civil penalty to BWXT Nuclear Operations Group Inc. for two violations of regulatory requirements related to safety controls at its fuel fabrication facility in Lynchburg, Virginia.
 
The violations were discovered after a January 19 event when a storage tank at BWXT’s Uranium Recovery Facility overflowed, spilling uranium solution onto the floor and into a ventilation system. Two safety controls designed to prevent such a spill failed, increasing the risk of an accidental criticality. The event did not endanger the plant workers, the public, or the environment.
 
The NRC identified the proposed violations in March during an inspection that revealed an apparent breakdown of safety controls designed to prevent an accidental criticality at BWXT’s facility.
 
The NRC held a predecisional enforcement conference with BWXT on June 21, and the company provided its perspective, including the results from its root cause evaluation and corrective actions. The company’s investigation into the spill tracked the underlying reasons for the violations back to 2012.
 
The NRC reviewed BWXT’s response and determined that while previous incidents did not result in an accidental criticality, BWXT missed opportunities to identify the issues for more than 10 years. However, the NRC did credit actions BWXT has taken to strengthen safety controls in imposing the proposed fine.
 
The company has 30 days to pay the proposed penalty or contest the penalty in writing.
 
By admin at Sat, 08/26/2023 - 07:06

Peach Bottom Unit 1 decommissioning

PUBLIC MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
 
Title: Peach Bottom and Dresden Decommissioning Presubmittal Public Meeting
 
Date(s) and Time(s): September 14, 2023, 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM ET
 
Location: Webinar
 
Category: This is an Observation Meeting. This is a meeting in which attendees will have an
opportunity to observe the NRC performing its regulatory function or discussing regulatory
issues. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff or make
comments about the issues discussed following the business portion of the meeting;
however, the NRC is not actively soliciting comments towards regulatory decisions at this
meeting.
 
Purpose: Meeting between Constellation Energy Generation, LLC and NRC to discuss an
alternative approach from the decommissioning schedule requirements in 10 CFR
50.82(a)(3) to allow the completion of decommissioning for Peach Bottom Atomic Power
Station, Unit 1 and Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1 beyond 60 years of permanent
cessation of operations.
 
By admin at Sat, 08/26/2023 - 07:01

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