nuclear-news

Silex Laser Uranium Enrichment – is it safe?

NRC to hold hearing on proposed laser-enrichment facility Star News,  May 1, 2012   by Gareth McGrath  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission  (NRC) will hold a public meeting on May 10 to discuss the proposal to build a laser-based uranium enrichment facility  in Castle Hayne….. GE Hitachi  Global Laser Enrichment’s proposed facility would be constructed on about 117 acres in the north-central sector of GE’s sprawling campus at Interstate 140 and Castle Hayne Road, according to the project’s environmental impact statement.

The laser-based technology would be used to enrich uranium in the U-235 isotope to concentrations up to 8 percent by weight. The enriched uranium would be used in manufacturing fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.

By some estimates, the facility could cost $1 billion.

The May 10 meeting will be to discuss the project’s safety evaluation and environmental impact report  recently issued by the NRC staff…. If built, the facility would be the nation’s first laser-based commercial uranium enrichment operation, using an Australian technology called SILEX, or Separation of Isotopes by Laser Excitation.

Commercialization of the SILEX technology has sparked concerns of nuclear proliferation. Arms control advocates fear that commercialization could lead other countries to follow suit, raising concerns about the technology falling into the wrong hands.  http://business.blogs.starnewsonline.com/19961/nrc-to-hold-hearing-on-proposed-laser-enrichment-facility/

May 2, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general