Yucca Mountain License Application
 The December 2013 monthly status report on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) activities and utilization of unobligated carryover funds appropriated from the Nuclear Waste Fund was released on January 24, 2014. This report describes the NRC actions that were taken in December 2013 to address the remand by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in In re Aiken County, regarding the licensing process for the Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain license application.
Back on August 13, 2013, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued its decision directing the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to "promptly continue with the legally mandated licensing process" for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) application to construct a geologic repository for high-level waste at Yucca Mountain. The NRC promptly began taking steps to comply with the court's direction following the issuance of the decision.
On November 18, 2013, the Commission approved a Memorandum and Order, which set a course of action for the Yucca Mountain licensing process consistent with the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in In re Aiken County, and with the resources available. The Commission also issued a related Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) on November 18, 2013.
In response to the Commission's November 18, 2013, Memorandum and Order and SRM, the NRC staff has completed a high-level project plan (click here) that outlines the process, path forward, and schedule to issue the remaining Safety Evaluation Report (SER) volumes for the DOE's construction authorization application for the Yucca Mountain geologic repository, and to address initial activities related to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) supplement. Completion of the SER is scheduled to take approximately 12 months, ending in January 2015. This schedule assumes that no unforeseen technical or process issues arise.
The best estimate for the cost of the remaining activities continues to be the information provided by the staff to the Commission in September 2013. At that time, the staff estimated the cost of completing the remaining SER volumes to be approximately $8.3 million. The staff's estimate for the review and adoption determination of an EIS supplement issued by DOE was $625,000. In addition, the agency estimated that $700,000 is needed to complete the uploading of documents into the NRC's Agency-wide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). Therefore, the total estimated cost for these remaining activities is approximately $9.6 million.
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New Nuclear Generation
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SRNS instructor Skip Johnson explains how a portable air monitoring unit functions to SRNS operator trainees Natalie Lee and Andrew Brown, Aiken Technical College graduates
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A long predicted change is taking place in the nuclear industry workforce. Recent articles like Generational Shift Approaching in SC Nuclear Power Industry tell the story. The trend toward a new generation of nuclear workers is growing at Southern Company's Plant Vogtle and SCE&G's V.C. Summer nuclear power station where new nuclear power plants are under construction. The trend is occurring at Savannah River Site as well. Recently, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) hired and began training a new class of nuclear production operators for Environmental Management operations to support new and existing missions at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site. Seventeen of the 40 new trainees graduated from local programs at Aiken Technical College and Augusta Technical College.
Organizations for young nuclear professionals are growing as well. The North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) has reached 10,000 members including local chapters associated with Savannah River Site and Plant Vogtle.
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Lenka Kollar, Founder of Nuclear Undone
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New faces in the nuclear industry are challenging the nuclear dialogue, as exemplified in Brittany Williamson's column last fall in the Aiken Standard. Lenka Kollar, is working to "undo" present thinking about nuclear through Nuclear Undone, a grassroots movement. Suzanne Hobbs Baker is part of the international nuclear discussion through The Nuclear Literacy Project.
It is happening - the nuclear industry is passing the torch to a new generation.
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America's Nuclear Future: Taking Action to Address Nuclear Waste
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In mid-January 2014, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) announced that it is undertaking a new campaign, headed by Tim Frazier, former executive director of the Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on America's Nuclear Future, aimed at finding a workable implementation strategy to dealing with the nation's nuclear waste. The campaign will conduct events, workshops, issue briefs, educational materials, and policy options in an attempt to expand the national and regional conversation on nuclear waste issues.
The project, entitled "America's Nuclear Future: Taking Action to Address Nuclear Waste," seeks to invoke the findings of the BRC as a foundation to this campaign due to the similarities in personnel and titles. The goal of this project is to expand the national and regional conversation on nuclear waste and to develop policy options that ultimately could lead to an implementable nuclear waste strategy. BPC intends to convene an advisory group, host regional workshops and publish various work products. Stay tune for more information on this initiative.
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SRSCRO Spotlight
Robert F. Bennett
Executive Director
of
Development Authority of Columbia County
Robbie Bennett is a native of the Augusta Region. He was born in Augusta, raised in Aiken County (Jackson), and is now working to grow Columbia County. Robbie has been in economic development for eight years. During his career Robbie has worked for the South Carolina Department of Commerce, Greenwood Partnership Alliance, Augusta Economic Development Authority, and now he is with the Development Authority of Columbia County. He has worked with numerous companies to help create an environment conducive for job creation and capital investment. Some of the companies he has supported include Starbucks, Rural Sourcing Inc, Rockwood Pigments, Fuji Film Manufacturing, and Pfizer to name a few. To date Robbie has helped to announce more $700 million in capital investment and more than 3,500 jobs. Robbie holds a Bachelor Degree in Political Science from Lander University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Carolina. He is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). Robbie believes in the value of community involvement. He is the Vice President/Public Art Chair for the Greater Augusta Arts Council, 2012 graduate of Leadership Augusta, a member of the Contemporaries, and a member of the Young Professionals of Augusta. Robbie was also recognized as a 2012 recipient of Augusta Region's Top Ten in Ten Young Professionals to Watch. He is married to Trenney Bennett and they have a beautiful daughter, Carolina. Robbie was appointed to the SRSCRO Board of Directors by the Development Authority as of January 2014. He also serves on the NWI�, SRSCRO Program Funding, SRS Revitalization and Reuse, and the Community Strategy for SRS Task Forces . |
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