Westinghouse is currently decommissioning its Hematite nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Jefferson County, Mo. Westinghouse has requested a license amendment and authorization from the NRC to dispose of 327,000 cubic feet of low-activity radioactive waste – primarily building rubble – at the U.S. Ecology facility
– Source NRC –
NRC staff will hold a public meeting June 9 in Bruneau, Idaho, to brief members of the public on a proposal by Westinghouse Electric Co. to dispose of low-activity radioactive materials at the U.S. Ecology Disposal Facility in Grand View, Idaho.
The meeting will take place from 6 – 8:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Rimrock Jr. Sr. High School, 39678 State Highway 78, in Bruneau.
Westinghouse is currently decommissioning its Hematite nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Jefferson County, Mo. Westinghouse has requested a license amendment and authorization from the NRC to dispose of 327,000 cubic feet of low-activity radioactive waste – primarily building rubble – at the U.S. Ecology facility. Westinghouse has also asked the NRC to exempt U.S. Ecology from the agency’s licensing requirements for radioactive byproduct material and special nuclear material so the facility could receive the waste.
At the June 9 meeting, NRC staff will explain the Westinghouse proposal and the NRC’s process for reviewing the proposal, including development of an Environmental Assessment, and will be available to answer questions from the public before the close of the meeting. The staff will also explain further opportunities for public involvement, including the opportunity to request an adjudicatory hearing.
This is the second such request from Westinghouse. Last year, the company requested permission from the NRC to dispose of some burial pit material from the Hematite site in the U.S. Ecology facility. NRC’s decision on that request remains pending.
Westinghouse has requested the authorizations to dispose of the material at U.S. Ecology through a provision of NRC regulations at 10 CFR 20.2002. Information on this procedure is available on the agency Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/waste/llw-disposal/10cfr20-2002-info.html.