The spent fuel, which comes from two German reactors that have ceased operations, originated in the U.S. It takes the form of about one million graphite spheres that contain uranium and thorium and are currently stored in 455 casks…….

The draft recommendation failed to pass, getting only six votes in favor. Eleven board members voted against, and one abstained.

The position statement, which opposed receiving the spent fuel, was voted on next. It passed 13 to five.

The board also voted in favor of a position statement that opposes the storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel and high level radioactive waste atSRS until 2048 or longer.

Tom Clements, the director of nuclear watchdog group SRS Watch, was pleased with the outcome of the votes.

“I thought it was quite strange that they allowed the two positions that had opposite statements to get this far,” Clements said. “I think they should have resolved this in the committee and presented one unified statement and not two.”

Clements said that a final Environmental Assessment from the Department of Energy is pending on the German spent nuclear fuel issue. He said it was supposed to be released in June but now there is no timetable.

“I personally think part of the reason for that is what’s happening in Germany, both the terrorism issue, and that there may be hesitancy to pay more to Savannah River National Laboratory for a program they don’t think is going to go forward.” fuel http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/government/2016-07-26/srs-board-votes-officially-oppose-accepting-german-spent-nuclear-fuel