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$225 billion could be the cost of U.S. nuke waste storage

Report: Spent fuel storage costs may run $225B By BOB AUDETTE BRATTLEBORO REFORMER 9 Dec 09 — If no federal repository for spent nuclear fuel is opened in the next 100 years, the nation’s taxpayers could be on the hook to pay for on-site storage, such as the dry casks at Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon.That cost could run anywhere between $10 billion and $26 billion.That was the conclusion of the Government Accounting Office, which just released a report on the costs of nuclear waste management — whether it be a long-term repository, centralized storage or on-site storage.The United States has 70,000 tons of waste stored at 80 sites in 35 states. By 2055, the amount of waste is expected to increase to 153,000 tons…………..
The GAO also conducted a scenario in which fuel stays on site for 500 years. It concluded the cost for that scenario could range between $34 billion to $225 billion……………….
Yankee is home to five dry casks containing a total of 340 spent fuel assemblies. In addition, the plant’s spent fuel pool currently holds 2,819 assemblies. The capacity of the spent fuel pool is 3,355 assemblies and room must be maintained to keep space for the full-core offload of the reactor’s 368 assemblies.

By 2012, another seven to eight canisters will need to be filled and if the plant is closed that year, 55 to 60 dry casks will be needed.

If Vermont Yankee receives approval to continue operation for 20 years past its original license expiration date of 2012, five to six dry casks will need to be loaded every five to seven years to maintain full-core offload.

Report: Spent fuel storage costs may run $225B – Brattleboro Reformer

December 10, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radioactive, wastes