nuclear-news

THE PENTAGON — A brewing regulatory fight between the Navy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over who should oversee a possible commercial contract to dismantle the hull of the former USS Enterprise (CVN-65) could ultimately cause the project’s price tag to balloon well above the current $1 billion estimate.

Controlling costs and preventing a log-jam of nuclear refueling and maintenance work on decommissioned nuclear surface ships and submarines were cited as reasons the Navy would consider using a private contractor to dismantle the nation’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, according to an August Government Accountability Office report.

However, civilian regulators with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) aren’t keen on overseeing the dismantlement of Enterprise.

The NRC position is, “regulatory responsibility for the safe processing and disposal of Navy ships falls to Naval Reactors under its Department of Energy authority,” reads the report.

Using a commercial shipyard to take Enterprise apart would potentially save hundreds of millions of dollars and shave as many as five years off the project completion time, according to the GAO.

If the Navy contracted a commercial yard do take Enterprise apart, the Navy’s position is civilian regulators should monitor the work of a civilian company, essentially leaving the Navy out of the process……. https://news.usni.org/2018/08/15/navy-civilian-nuclear-regulators-in-fight-over-who-monitors-enterprise-dismantling