Monday, December 15, 2008
The federal government's efforts to re-process spent nuclear fuel from the nation's commercial nuclear reactors appears to be in jeopardy.
The U.S. House of Representatives energy and water development appropriations subcommittee says it's recommending against funding the Bush administration's Global Nuclear Partnership (GNEP). The Savannah River Site, near Augusta, is one of ten entities studying how to implement such a project, and therefore is in the running for the project.
In a strongly worded report, the subcommittee says that GNEP is rushed, poorly defined and expensive.
GNEP has requested about $300 million for fiscal year 2009.
The subcommittee says it still supports research on methods to re-process the fuel, though, and is recommending that about $90 million go to that.
The subcommittee also recommends about $487 million funding for a mixed oxide fuel plant, another major project currently under construction at the Savannah River Site. The plant would convert weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for nuclear reactors.
But the report questions the management of the construction.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently found problems with concrete and reinforcement bars.
The NRC will hold a meeting at 7 p.m. today at the Aiken Municipal Center in Aiken, South Carolina to discuss a recent review of the project.
As for congressional funding, the subcommittee's report is not a done deal. It still must pass muster from Congress.
http://gpbnews.blogspot.com/2008/12/congressional-subcommittee-issues.html
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