Last Thursday, the private used fuel repository, Private Fuel Storage, LLC passed a major milestone with the decision by the Atomic Saftey Licensing Board to remove the last of the administrative objections on the project lodged by the state of Utah. This decision moves the project closer to a final licensing vote by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Hopefully this decision will soon allow the industry to demonstrate once again that it can move used nuclear fuel safley and securely on the nation's highways and railroads.
Below is from our rapid response team . Yesterday, regional anti-nuclear organizations asked federal nuclear energy regulators to launch an investigation into what it claims are “newly identified flaws” in Westinghouse’s advanced reactor design, the AP1000. During a teleconference releasing a report on the subject, participants urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend license reviews of proposed AP1000 reactors. In its news release, even the groups making these allegations provide conflicting information on its findings. In one instance, the groups cite “dozens of corrosion holes” at reactor vessels and in another says that eight holes have been documented. In all cases, there is another containment mechanism that would provide a barrier to radiation release. Below, we examine why these claims are unwarranted and why the AP1000 design certification process should continue as designated by the NRC. Myth: In the AP1000 reactor design, the gap between the shield bu...
Comments