nuclear-news

The 12 meetings, held by Nuclear Regulatory Commission, are part of the process of devising a “waste confidence rule” to assess the environmental impact of continued storage until the material can be sent to an underground repository. The closest meeting to Augusta will be held Nov. 4 in Charlotte, N.C., at the Hilton Charlotte University Place, 8629 J.M. Keynes Drive. An open house begins at 6 p.m., and the formal meeting will be held from 7 to 10 p.m.

Disposal of spent nuclear fuel that continues to accumulate at the nation’s 104 operating commercial reactors has been a perennial dilemma and a source of national debate…… The issue of long-term storage and disposal of spent fuel is an important issue nationwide, and especially in Georgia and South Carolina, said Tom Clements, Southeastern nuclear campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth.

The solution favored by Friends of the Earth includes removing spent fuel from storage pools, and storing it on-site in protected casks, until a geologic repository can be completed.

Under the Blue Ribbon Commission’s proposals, such a repository must be sited through a “consent-based” process that requires support and coordination from state and local officials who are willing to host such a project. The issue of long-term storage and disposal of spent fuel is an important issue nationwide, and especially in Georgia and South Carolina, said Tom Clements, Southeastern nuclear campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth.