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, September 2023 (22MB PDF)
), Dec. 20, 2022
· alternate source
, see also Sep. 13, 2023 update , Apr. 5, 2024 retraction )
Uranium Recovery and Recycle Services (URRS) personnel were offloading ash received in 2003 from the decommissioned Hematite site at Dock 3, which is where material enters the manufacturing building for processing. The operators opened the Type A drum and the inner canister, pulled out the bag of ash, and noted the tag on the bag stated that the contents were 5.010% U235. The operators stopped and contacted criticality safety engineering and the safeguards coordinator. The operators were instructed to replace the bag in the canister, place the canister in the drum, segregate the drums that contained material potentially >5% U235 and space the containers at least 24 inches apart in accordance with generally accepted guidance for criticality safety.
An extent of condition was performed using MC&A records of the received material. It was discovered that 7 drums potentially contain a bag of material between 5% and 5.17% U235, with a total of 9 drums with contents potentially at or above 4.96% U235. Total U235 material potentially at or exceeding 5% was 540 grams, which is above the material possession limits of SNM-1107.
(Westinghouse 60-Day Report for EN 56199, Dec. 29, 2022 )
On Dec. 2, 2022, WEC submitted a Request for Temporary License Amendment for Storage of Hematite Ash to NRC.
On May 5, 2023, NRC granted a temporary license amendment .
On June 9, 2023, WEC submitted an application for the treatment of the ash .
On Oct. 27, 2023, NRC granted a temporary license amendment .
, July 22, 2022 (PDF)
WASTE DESCRIPTION
Wastes volumetrically contaminated with low enriched uranium and technetium-99 (Tc-99):
, Nov. 5, 2021, Dec. 1, 2021
On Mar. 4, 2022, NRC issued an Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact for the requested action.
> Federal Register Volume 87, Number 47 (Thursday, March 10, 2022) p. 13766-13768
(download full text )
> Access Docket ID NRC-2022-0047
On Mar. 21, 2022, NRC issued the requested license amendment and exemptions.
> Federal Register Volume 87, Number 57 (Thursday, March 24, 2022) p. 16772-16773 (download full text )
, Nov. 18, 2021 - this is the first mentioning of this incident in NRC's CFFF docket)
"On August 17, 2021, a Westinghouse employee was washing piping over a container of nitric acid in the Conversion Decontamination Area. The piping fell into the container of nitric acid and employee reached into the container to retrieve the piping and received nitric acid burns to hands and left wrist. [...]"
(Integrated Inspection Report, NRC, Jan. 14, 2022 )
(15.9MB PDF) · Part 2 (10.8MB PDF)
, Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC., September 28, 2020 (17.1MB PDF) · alternate source
, May 8, 2020
Pursuant to final NRC approval of the above referenced submittal, US Ecology requests an exemption from the licensing requirements published in 10CFR30.3 and 10CFR70.3 for their Grand View, ID facility to allow for disposal of these wastes.
> Download: US Ecology letter to NRC, May 11, 2020
On Nov. 30, 2020, NRC released the Safety Evaluation Report on Westinghouse's request.
"[...] NRC staff concludes that the requested alternate disposal of this
material is acceptable under 10 CFR 20.2002. In addition, as provided in 10 CFR 30.11 and
10 CFR 70.17, the NRC staff finds that issuance of the exemptions is otherwise authorized by
law, will not endanger life or property and is consistent with the common defense and security,
and that authorizing such alternate disposal is in the public interest. Therefore, the
10 CFR 20.2002 request should be approved, WEC's license should be amended, and
exemptions to sections 30.3 and 70.3 should be granted to WEC and USEI [...]." [emphasis added]
> Download: Safety Evaluation Report , Nov. 30, 2020
> Download: Revised Safety Evaluation Report , Mar. 3, 2021
On Dec. 9, 2020, NRC issued License Amendment No. 25 to authorize the alternate disposal of the material at the US Ecology site near Grand View, Idaho.
> Federal Register Volume 85, Number 242 (Wednesday, December 16, 2020) p. 81525-81527 (download full text )
> Download: NRC letter Dec. 9, 2020 (PDF) · License Amendment No. 25 (PDF)
> Access Docket ID NRC-2020-0265
On Mar. 11, 2021, NRC issued License Amendment No. 26 to reflect changes in the composition of the material to be disposed of.
> Download: NRC letter Mar. 11, 2021 (PDF) · License Amendment No. 26, Mar. 11, 2021 (PDF)
> Federal Register Volume 86, Number 57 (Friday, March 26, 2021) p. 16239-16241 (download full text )
> Access Docket ID NRC-2021-0062
On Oct. 4, 2021, NRC issued a Safety Evaluation Report, in which the NRC staff concludes that the alternate disposal of 133,000 ft3 [3,766 m3] of CaF2 sludge at the US Ecology facility is acceptable under 10 CFR 20.2002, as requested by Westinghouse on June 1, 2021.
> Download: Cover Letter, Oct. 4, 2021 · Safety Evaluation Report (PDF)
On Oct. 12, 2021, NRC issues an Environmental assessment (EA) and Finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the proposed alternate disposal.
> Federal Register Volume 86, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 12, 2021) p. 56729-56731 (download full text )
On Oct. 13, 2021, NRC granted WEC and USEI exemptions from 10 CFR 70.3 and 10 CFR 30.3 to allow WEC to transfer 133,000 ft3 of CaF2 sludge from the WEC CFFF for disposal at the USEI disposal facility located near Grand View, Idaho, and issued WEC a conforming license amendment.
> Federal Register Volume 86, Number 198 (Monday, October 18, 2021) p. 57705-57706 (download full text )
> Download: Amendment 28, NRC License SNM-1107 , Oct. 12, 2021 (PDF)
> Access Docket ID NRC-2021-0158
> Download: NRC letter to US Ecology Inc , Oct. 12, 2021 (PDF)
On Nov. 5, 2021, US Ecology requested from NRC an exemption from the licensing requirements published in 10CFR30.3 and 10CFR70.3 for their Grand View, ID facility to allow for disposal of these wastes.
, NUREG-0713
Vol. 40, U.S. NRC, March 2020
, Jan. 10, 2020
(PDF)
"The causal analysis determined the likely cause was an exothermic reaction from mixing of incompatible chemicals. The heat generated increased pressure in the sealed drum. Once exposed to air, the heat ignited dry paper material that was placed into the 'wet' collection drum."
> Download: Westinghouse Reported Event # EN54161 Follow-up Report , Aug. 8, 2019 (PDF)
, NUREG-0713
Vol. 39, U.S. NRC, March 2019
> View Event Notification Report for July 20, 2018, Event Number: 53504
"The probable cause of the event is a gap existed in the CFFF standards related to design, configuration management, operations and maintenance when the spiking station dike and liner were modified in 2002.
Specifically, a design modification was made in 2002 to line the diked area with polypropylene material to protect the concrete floor. The site did not recognize that this design change would allow process fluid to get trapped between the bottom of the liner and the epoxy coated concrete surface. Thus, the modification introduced an unrecognized failure mode in which the concrete could become degraded and any resulting defect in the concrete underneath the liner would not be visible. The contributing factors are degradation of the polypropylene liner from operations and maintenance activities, and system leaks into the diked area over time."
(Westinghouse 60-day follow-up report to NRC, Oct. 5, 2018 )
Groundwater not contaminated from uranium leak through floor of WEC Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control met with Lower Richland residents on Thursday night (July 25), to discuss what they found in their investigation of the Westinghouse nuclear fuel facility in Columbia.
Last year, a chemical leaked through the floor of the facility and was believed to have gone into the soil beneath the Bluff Road plant.
DHEC's investigation found that there was no contaminated groundwater.
DHEC and Richland County also tested nearly 100 private wells in the Lower Richland Community and also found no contamination from the Westinghouse facility.
(wltx.com July 25, 2019)
, Dec. 14, 2017 (10.3MB PDF)
, U.S. NRC
On Apr. 25, 2018, NRC issued a Notice of Violation to WEC, because "the licensee failed to assure that under normal and credible abnormal conditions, all nuclear processes were subcritical. Specifically, the licensee failed to assure that, under the credible abnormal condition of a fissile-bearing solution leak from process vessels or piping in the solvent extraction or cylinder wash areas, movement and replacement activities for 55-gallon drums used for processing in the uranium recycle and recovery services (URRS) area would remain subcritical. This resulted in a failure to include a credible accident sequence in the licensee's integrated safety analysis."
> Download: Inspection Report and Notice of Violation , Apr. 25, 2018 (PDF)
Underground piping leak detected at Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel plant in 2011 will not be cleaned up before 2058:
Seven years before a uranium leak was discovered at a Westinghouse nuclear fuel factory this summer, the toxic radioactive material trickled out of a pipe buried below the plant on Bluff Road.
That 2011 leak, unknown to many Lower Richland residents, sent uranium levels soaring to amounts not typically found in the area's soggy soil, in one spot exceeding safe drinking-water standards.
But Westinghouse hasn't cleaned up the polluted site - and it doesn't plan to for at least 40 years - despite evidence the contamination will spread into creeks, ponds and groundwater, according to a June report by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
If Westinghouse obtains a new 40-year operating license this year from the NRC, the cleanup would occur no sooner than 2058, when its Bluff Road plant would be shut down, federal records show. The NRC's June environmental assessment says the contaminated soil is below a uranium recovery and recycling building on the Westinghouse site.
"Because the contaminated material is located beneath the ... building, the soil will not be remediated until decommissioning," the NRC report said. "Therefore, the contaminated material will likely be a source of future ground-water and/or surface water contamination if the material leaches into the shallow water-table aquifer."
Westinghouse does not know how long the uranium leak - discovered in 2011 - occurred or how much pollution escaped into the ground, the NRC report said.
(The State Aug. 16, 2018)
> Download: Final Environmental Assessment for the Renewal of SNM-1107, Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility , June 2018 (12.5MB PDF)
> See also: Westinghouse requests 40-year license renewal for Columbia nuclear fuel plant
Underground piping leak detected at Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel plant in 2011 requires soil excavation:
A leak of an underground contaminated waste water line was detected under the concrete floor slab of the Solvent Extraction Area at Westinghouse Electric Co's Columbia nuclear fuel fabrication facility in 2011. Westinghouse now presented a supplement to its 2014 Environmental Report specifying how the resulting soil contamination shall be dealt with once the plant will be decommissioned. Westinghouse expects that an amount of 81,610 cubic feet [2,311 m3] of soil will have to removed.
> Download: SNM-1107 Environmental Report Supplement , March 6, 2018 (13MB PDF)
On June 28, 2018, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the indirect transfer of Westinghouse Electric Co.'s licenses from Toshiba to Brookfield WEC Holdings, Inc.
The NRC action covers Westinghouse's licenses for the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility in Hopkins, S.C., and the Hematite Fuel Fabrication Facility in Festus, Mo., as well as 29 export licenses. The Hematite facility is in decommissioning.
> Download: NRC News release June 29, 2018 (PDF)
> Download: NRC Order, June 28, 2018
, U.S. NRC, Oct. 26, 2017
, U.S. NRC, Nov. 17, 2017 (PDF)
, NUREG-0713
Vol. 37, U.S. NRC, Sep. 2017
(PDF)
)
NRC issues Confirmatory Order on uranium accumulation in scrubber and ventilation systems at Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel fabrication facility:
> Federal Register Volume 82, Number 155 (Monday, August 14, 2017) p. 37903-37908 (download full text )
> Download: NRC release Aug. 11, 2017 (PDF)
> Download: NRC cover letter · Confirmatory Order , Aug. 9, 2017
> Access Docket ID NRC-2017-0176
NRC issues report on lessons learned from uranium accumulation in scrubber and ventilation systems at Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel fabrication facility:
> Download NRC report, Jan. 30, 2017
Unexpected accumulation of uranium-bearing material in air scrubber of Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel plant rated INES Level 2:
"[...] For this event, the maximum potential consequences were Level 3 or 4 because, 'The main hazard from a criticality excursion is exposure of personnel due to high radiation fields from direct neutron and gamma radiation,...' The number of remaining safety layers were zero because all of the controls relied on to prevent criticality were compromised. Therefore, this event is rated a Level 2. While there were significant failures in safety provisions, there were no actual consequences."
(NRC INES Event Rating Dec. 7, 2016 )
NRC Augmented Inspection Team report scathes management of criticality hazards at Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
"The Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) was established to inspect and assess the facts and circumstances surrounding the failure to meet the performance requirements of 10 CFR 70.61 due to exceeding the nuclear criticality safety (NCS) mass limit in a process off-gas scrubber. The team reviewed the record of activities that occurred, interviewed personnel, and conducted facility walkdowns. [...]
The AIT determined that items relied on for safety (IROFS) for the S-1030 scrubber did not ensure that a criticality accident was highly unlikely. The IROFS were not sufficient to prevent exceeding the NCS mass limit of the CSE. Westinghouse incorrectly assumed that only minor amounts of uranium were expected to accumulate in the S-1030 transition and scrubber vessel packing; that low uranium concentration would be present within the scrubber vessel; minimal amounts of small uranium particles were entrained within the intake ductwork; and that the scrubber would constantly dilute the uranium concentration with the addition of makeup water during normal operation and anticipated upsets. As a result, the controls and measures to protect against a criticality were not sufficient to assure subcriticality conditions. The AIT also determined that Westinghouse did not establish adequate management measures to ensure IROFS related to ventilation systems were designed, implemented, and maintained such that they were available and reliable to perform their function when needed.
The AIT also concluded that Westinghouse failed to provide adequate levels of oversight, enforcement, and accountability to the organizations directly involved with configuration management, operations, and maintenance of the wet ventilation systems. Specifically, the management team did not enforce procedure compliance and did not promote the importance of problem identification and resolution, even though established inspection criteria and procedure actions were available. Management did not drive corrective actions to be taken when action limits were exceeded, did not display accountability for monitoring criticality safety controls through management measures, and had a less than adequate questioning attitude that led to non-conservative decision making."
> Download: NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AUGMENTED INSPECTION TEAM REPORT NO. 70-1151/2016-007 , Oct. 26, 2016 (23.3 MB PDF)
NRC allows restart of operations at Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel plant: On Oct. 20, 2016, NRC authorized Westinghouse to restart conversion area process equipment and the S-1030 scrubber system.
NRC issues Information Notice requesting nuclear fuel facility operators to consider potential for uranium accumulation in off-gas ventilation and scrubber systems:
> View here
Westinghouse concedes "long-standing deficiencies" led to accumulation of uranium in air scrubber of Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
An internal review of a Columbia nuclear fuel factory has identified multiple problems with how the site has been managed for atomic safety through the years.
The report, compiled by plant operator Westinghouse, says the company wasn't always tough-minded enough about safety and it didn't ensure employees knew enough about nuclear safety while operating some of the factory's equipment.
Westinghouse's report cited "long standing deficiencies" that led to a buildup of uranium in excess of federal nuclear safety standards in part of the Bluff Road plant.
The 47-year-old plant employs about 1,000 people, but at least 170 have been laid off temporarily while Westinghouse and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission separately investigate why uranium built up in apparent violation of federal standards.
Buildups of atomic material are of concern because they can lead to nuclear accidents, although that did not occur in this case. Nuclear safety advocates say Westinghouse needs to redouble its efforts to make sure other, more serious problems don't arise.
"There were no actual safety-related consequences as a result of the accumulation, but the potential for such consequences may have existed," the NRC said in a recent news release.
The NRC has scheduled a public meeting Tuesday night [Sep. 27] in Columbia to discuss problems identified this past summer at Westinghouse.
(The State Sep. 22, 2016)
> Download: Westinghouse Reported Event #EN52090 60-Day Follow-Up Report , Sep. 12, 2016 (3MB PDF)
> Download: NRC release Sep. 19, 2016 (161k PDF)
Inspectors find another unexpected accumulation of uranium-bearing material in air scrubber of Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
An atomic safety investigation at a Columbia nuclear fuel factory uncovered additional problems this week as inspectors discovered more radioactive material had built up in the plant than they previously knew about.
An air pollution control system pipe potentially contained enough uranium to cause a nuclear accident at the Westinghouse plant on Bluff Road, records show. The amount of uranium found in the pipe might have exceeded a federal safety limit, according to a federal event notification report.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission became aware of the problem Tuesday (Aug. 23), about five weeks after Westinghouse notified the agency that uranium had built up in another part of the air pollution scrubber system, records show. In that case, the amount of uranium found in the scrubber was three times higher than federal safety limits, the notification report says.
This week's discovery, like the uranium buildup that surfaced in July, did not pose any danger to the surrounding community and no workers at the factory were harmed, according to the NRC. But buildups of nuclear material are a concern.
A buildup of atomic material can cause accidents that could endanger plant employees working nearby. Too much uranium in one place can increase chances of a "critical event," which federal officials say is one of the most serious problems at a nuclear fuel plant.
(The State Aug. 26, 2016)
> View NRC Event Notification Report for August 24, 2016, Event No. 52090
Westinghouse voluntarily shuts down part of Columbia nuclear fuel plant as NRC investigates cause of unexpected accumulation of uranium-bearing material in air scrubber:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently dispatched a special inspection team to the plant after learning that enough uranium had been found in an air scrubber to raise concerns. The buildup did not result in any "safety related consequences" or injuries, but the NRC said "the potential for such consequences may have existed."
Records indicate that the amount of uranium exceeded a limit of 29 kilograms.
While the NRC investigation is ongoing, the plant's operator, Westinghouse, voluntarily shut down part of the facility and began notifying some employees this week of a "temporary workforce reduction," said company spokeswoman Courtney Boone.
NRC spokesman Roger Hannah said nuclear materials can cause an atomic reaction if not handled carefully, which is why the agency is taking the matter seriously.
"In a fuel facility, probably the biggest safety issue is getting either too much material or material in the wrong configuration so that you could potentially have criticality - basically a chain reaction that could cause some kind of flash explosion," Hannah said Thursday (Aug. 11). "It's not as much of an off-site risk as it is to employees and workers in the area."
(The State Aug. 11, 2016)
NRC sends Augmented Inspection Team to assess unexpected accumulation of uranium-bearing material in air scrubber of Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission today is sending an Augmented Inspection Team to the Westinghouse nuclear fuel fabrication plant in Columbia, S.C., to assess the unexpected accumulation of an excessive amount of uranium-bearing material in a plant component.
An air scrubber, which removes unwanted material from a number of processes at the plant, was undergoing an annual inspection and cleanout. During that work, an unexpectedly large amount of material was found inside the scrubber. Initially, it was thought the material did not contain a significant amount of uranium, but upon analysis, it was found that the uranium levels were higher in that area than allowed under NRC requirements in the facility license.
The initial problem was reported to the NRC July 14, agency records show. A report provided Thursday by the NRC said a limit of 29 kilograms of uranium was exceeded. The material found contained 87 kilograms of uranium, agency records show.
(NRC Aug. 1, 2016)
, Nov. 11, 2014 (ML14315A078)
On Nov. 21, 2014, Westinghouse provided additional information, including the following, among others:
"As of November 2014, there are around 1,000 cylinders containing SNM [Special Nuclear Material, here: enriched uranium] on site. Most of the cylinders (74%) on site are owned by enrichers (USEC, Urenco, Areva, TENEX, CNEIC). The balance is a combination of Transporters (8%), Department of Energy (6%) and Westinghouse (12%). Also, under certain storage arrangements with our utility customers, they may provide the cylinders."
> Download Additional information to support license amendment request , Nov. 21, 2014 (ML14328A605)
(PDF)
) (PDF) (PDF), Sep. 12, 2022 [On Sep. 13, the PDF file of the Safety Evaluation Report was silently replaced by a version, where the quantities of licensed materials were actually deleted, rather than just obfuscated...]
EPA raises concerns about proposed 40-year license renewal for Columbia nuclear fuel plant - in view of poor track record: "Based on the review of the DEIS [Draft Environmental Impact Statement], we have environmental concerns regarding water resources, air quality, climate, environmental justice (EJ) and tribal issues that should be addressed in the Final EIS and the Safety Evaluation Report."
"Clean Air Act: The EPA concerns are based on past operational incidents and violations over the last 15 years, including one which occurred as recently as August 2021. [...]
On August 17, 2021, CFFF [Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility] reported to the NRC that an individual working in the facility suffered chemical burns and was contaminated with radioactive material. There have been incidents onsite where radiological contaminants have been released to the environment outside of the production area for reactor fuel fabrication, but no contamination has been detected offsite.
Recommendations: To better understand the overall compliance issues with CFFF over the past 52 years, we recommend that a non-compliance table be developed showing air releases in chronological order. [...]"
Surface and Groundwater: On June 5, 2020, the NRC prepared an EIS due to new information related to the WEC's remedial investigations conducted under a CA [Compliance Agreement] with SCDHEC [South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental and Control]. These investigations revealed uncertainty related to the source and extent of contamination onsite and the potential future migration pathways offsite that precluded the NRC staff from making a finding of "no significant impact" through the environmental assessment process. The CFFF has a history of non-compliance associated with groundwater and surface water discharges to Waters of the U.S. The EPA's concerns include:
, Nov. 18, 2021 - emphasis added)
Westinghouse submits revised 40-year license renewal application for Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
On Sep. 20, 2021, WEC submitted to NRC a revised application for a 40-year license renewal for its Columbia nuclear fuel plant.
> Download: Cover Letter · SNM-1107 License Renewal Application , Sep. 20, 2021 (PDF)
Governor's Nuclear Advisory Council supports 40-year license renewal for violation-plagued Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
A panel of nuclear advisers to Gov. Henry McMaster favors a new long-term operating license for a violation-plagued atomic fuel plant whose manager says the facility has been working to clean up its act.
The Governor's Nuclear Advisory Council voted unanimously Monday (Oct. 18) to support Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel's request for a license to run the Bluff Road factory another 40 years. The committee took the vote after hearing a presentation from Westinghouse.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is weighing whether to approve the license for the Westinghouse factory southeast of Columbia.
Critics, including Democratic state Rep. Wendy Brawley, have said the license should either be denied or, if approved, cover only 10 to 20 years because of the company's troubled history. The current license expires in 2027 but the company says it would prefer to get the license now rather than closer to the expiration date.
(Rome News Tribune Oct. 18, 2021)
NRC releases Environmental Impact Statement for requested 40-year license renewal for Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
Submit comments by November 19, 2021 (Comment period reopened).
> Download: NRC release Aug. 6, 2021 (PDF)
> Download: Public Comment Period Now Closes on November 19, 2021 , NRC, Sep. 21, 2021 (PDF)
> Federal Register Volume 86, Number 149 (Friday, August 6, 2021) p. 43276-43277 (download full text )
> Federal Register Volume 86, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 28, 2021) p. 53694-53695 (download full text )
> Access Docket ID NRC-2015-0039
> Download: Environmental Impact Statement for the License Renewal of the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility in Richland County, South Carolina, Draft Report for Comment , U.S. NRC, NUREG-2248, July 2021 (12.6MB PDF)
The Final EIS was released on July 29, 2022:
> Download: Environmental Impact Statement for the License Renewal of the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility in Richland County, South Carolina, Final Report , U.S. NRC, NUREG-2248, July 2022 (9.8MB PDF)
NRC releases EIS Scoping Process Summary Report for 40-year license renewal of WEC Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
> Download: Scoping Process Summary Report , Feb. 19, 2021
Westinghouse submits revised 40-year license renewal application for Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
On Jan. 28, 2021, WEC submitted to NRC a revised application for a 40-year license renewal for its Columbia nuclear fuel plant.
> Download: Cover Letter [typo in date] · SNM-1107 License Renewal Application , Jan. 22, 2021 (PDF)
Westinghouse submits revised 40-year license renewal application for Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
On Jan. 26, 2021, WEC submitted to NRC a revised application for a 40-year license renewal for its Columbia nuclear fuel plant.
> Download: Cover Letter · SNM-1107 License Renewal Application , Jan. 21, 2021 (PDF)
NRC invites comment on scope of Environmental Impact Statement for 40-year license renewal of Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
Comments must be filed by August 31, 2020.
> Federal Register Volume 85, Number 148 (Friday, July 31, 2020) p. 46193-46194 (download full text )
> Access Docket ID NRC-2015-0039
NRC announces unprecedented decision to prepare full EIS rather than Environmental Assessment on 40-year license renewal for Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
Following state concerns about previously unknown pollution at an atomic fuel plant near Columbia, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Friday (June 5) that it will conduct an extensive environmental study of the Westinghouse fuel factory.
The detailed study is expected to delay by a year any decision on a new license for the plant while the agency looks into problems that have surfaced in recent years.
Westnghouse's plant has polluted groundwater, and some of that contamination has only been discovered since 2018. Neighbors have raised concerns about safety and well water contamination.
Friday's NRC decision marks the first time the agency has ever conducted a full environmental impact statement before deciding if a nuclear fuel fabrication plant should be relicensed, NRC spokesman Roger Hannah said. The plant's owner, Westinghouse, wants a new 40-year-operating license for the plant, built in 1969.
"In March 2020, the NRC received new data collected by Westinghouse during ongoing site investigations," the agency said in a news release Friday afternoon. "Based on the NRC's independent evaluation of the new data .... the NRC decided it could no longer conclude that renewal of the license would result in a finding of no significant impact" to the environment.
(The State June 5, 2020)
> Download: NRC news release June 5, 2020 (PDF)
> Download: NRC letter to WEC Columbia plant , June 5, 2020 (PDF)
> Download: Frequently Asked Questions about U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Decision to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Westinghouse Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility License Renewal Review , June 10, 2020 (PDF)
State regulators request full EIS rather than Environmental Assessment on 40-year license renewal for Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
State regulators are pressing the federal government to look more carefully at an atomic fuel plant's potential threat to Lower Richland before giving the factory a new 40 year license to operate.
In a letter last week to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, South Carolina officials raised concerns about earthquakes, as well as previously unknown pollution they have found, at the 51-year-old Westinghouse plant southeast of Columbia.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control wants the NRC to conduct a full environmental impact statement, which could delay a decision on a new operating permit for the fuel plant for a year or more. The current license expires in 2027 but the NRC, which must approve a new permit, is weighing whether to issue one sooner, perhaps as early as this year.
(The State May 5, 2020)
> Download: SC Department of Health and Environmental Control Comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Westinghouse Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) , Apr. 27, 2020 (306kB PDF)
State regulators concerned about rising pollution in pond near Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
State regulators, citing rising pollution in two ponds near an atomic fuel factory, say the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is moving too quickly to approve a new 40-year operating license for the Westinghouse plant on Bluff Road.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is asking the NRC to suspend a final decision on the permit or extend a public comment period while the department reviews new pollution data, according to a Nov. 26 letter from the agency's Ken Taylor to the federal agency.
However, a spokesman for the NRC said the comment period, which closed Nov. 27, would not be reopened and the review is scheduled to be completed by April .
"The answer is no," spokesman Roger Hannah said of delaying the process. [...]
Taylor's letter says uranium levels "not previously identified" are showing up in the mud of upper and lower Sunset lakes, which are between the Westinghouse plant and the Congaree River in eastern Richland County.
Westinghouse has indicated the pollution may be tied to a 1.5-million gallon [5,678 m3] wastewater spill in 1971, but Taylor's letter said the NRC's draft environmental study on whether to approve a new license does not discuss the wastewater spill. The S.C. department wants more information on the spill.
The letter also says that while 40 new groundwater wells have been installed to monitor for pollution, the agency won't receive the data until early January.
(The State Dec. 27, 2019)
> Download: SC Department of Health and Environmental Control Comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Westinghouse Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) , Nov. 26, 2019 (744kB PDF)
NRC invites comment on new draft Environmental Assessment for 40-year license renewal of Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is withdrawing its June 2018 final environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) concerning the license renewal request from Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC's (WEC) Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF). Because of its withdrawal, the NRC is issuing for public comment a new draft EA and draft FONSI concerning WEC's CFFF.
Comments must be filed no later than November 27, 2019.
> Download: NRC release Nov. 5, 2019 (PDF)
> Federal Register Volume 84, Number 208 (Monday, October 28, 2019) p. 57777-57778 (download full text )
> Access Docket ID NRC-2015-0039
> Download: Draft Environmental Assessment , Oct. 21, 2019 (30.6MB PDF)
Westinghouse submits revised 40-year license renewal application for Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
On Aug. 22, 2019, WEC submitted to NRC a revised application for a 40-year license renewal for its Columbia nuclear fuel plant.
> Download: SNM-1107 License Renewal Application , Aug. 22, 2019 (PDF)
Westinghouse submits revised 40-year license renewal application for Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
On July 11, 2019, WEC submitted to NRC a revised application for a 40-year license renewal for its Columbia nuclear fuel plant.
> Download: SNM-1107 License Renewal Application , July 11, 2019
Westinghouse submits revised Environmental Report for 40-year license renewal application of Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
On March 28, 2019, WEC submitted responses to NRC's request for additional information regarding the Environmental Review for the 40-year license renewal application. This includes a revised Environmental Report:
> Access: Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC Transmittal of Responses to Request for Additional Information Regarding the Environmental Review for Renewal of the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility License
NRC to reopen Environmental Assessment prepared for license renewal of Westinghouse Columbia nuclear fuel plant after disclosure of further leaks:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will take a closer look at a troubled nuclear fuel factory on Bluff Road as information surfaces about leaks that date back at least a decade, federal officials said Thursday (Aug. 30) night.
NRC officials said they have learned about leaks going back to 2008 that were not reported to the agency by Westinghouse, the owner and operator of the 49-year-old atomic fuel assembly plant. The NRC said it should have been told about the pollution leaks, even though notice was not always legally required.
To learn more, the NRC will reopen an environmental study of whether the Westinghouse facility poses a danger to Richland County if the company receives a new operating license, agency officials said at a community meeting Thursday night in Hopkins.
(The State Aug. 30, 2018)
On June 8, 2018, NRC issued a Final Environmental Assessment in favour of Westinghouse Electric Co.'s request for a 40-year license renewal for its Columbia nuclear fuel plant.
> Download: Final Environmental Assessment for the Renewal of SNM-1107, Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility , June 2018 (12.5MB PDF)
On March 28, 2018, WEC submitted responses to NRC's request for additional information and a revised 40-year license renewal application:
> Download: Westinghouse Consolidated Responses to Request for Additional Information with Revised SNM-1107 License Renewal Application , Mar. 28, 2018
On Feb. 27, 2015, the NRC announced an opportunity to request a hearing and to petition for leave to intervene on WEC's application for a 40-year license renewal.
A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene must be filed by April 28, 2015.
> Federal Register Volume 80, Number 39 (Friday, February 27, 2015) p. 10727-10730 (download full text )
> Access Docket ID NRC-2015-0039
On Nov. 30, 2012, - only three months after NRC granted a 15-year license renewal (!) - Westinghouse Electric Co requested a 40-year license renewal for its Columbia nuclear fuel plant.
On Feb. 7, 2013, NRC notified Westinghouse that it plans to defer the review of the
application until January 2014.
NRC proposes $17,500 fine against Westinghouse for violations at Columbia nuclear fuel plant:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $17,500 civil penalty
against Westinghouse Electric Company for violations of nuclear safety requirements at its
commercial nuclear fuel plant in Columbia, S.C.
NRC officials said the proposed civil penalty is based on violations identified during an
NRC review of a Jan. 24, 2010 event involving a spill inside the plant of about 200 gallons of
wastewater containing ammonia and low levels of uranium.
> Download NRC release Nov. 4, 2010 (PDF)
, Oct. 15, 2010
)
On April 19, 2007, the NRC staff issued an Environmental Assessment concluding that the renewal of the license will not result in a significant impact to the environment.
> View NRC release Jul 30, 2004
> Download NRC INSPECTION REPORT NO. 70-1151/2004-001 (May 13, 2004) (PDF)
> Download IR 07001151-04-001, Corrected page 18 (June 1, 2004) (PDF)
> Download June 3, 2004, Predecisional Enforcement Conference presentation slides (PDF)
> Download Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty, EA-04-096 (July 28, 2004) (PDF)
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