The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) had an arrangement with the U.S. Department of Energy to take two shipments of spent nuclear fuel that would be tested at the Laboratory. The research would focus on "high-burnup" fuel which is currently accumulating at nuclear power plants all over the U.S. One of the shipments would be used to carry out research on spent nuclear fuel recycling. The other shipment of fuel would be used to research what happens when spent nuclear fuel is placed in storages casks for years or decades. This project is important to the reputation and economic survival of the INL. Unfortunately, a dispute between the Idaho State government and the DoE, may result in the cancellation of the project.
In 1995, a Settlement Agreement was signed between the State government and the DoE regarding the cleanup of nuclear waste in Idaho. The Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) was supposed to be constructed and put into operation by the DoE. The IWTU has been plagued by problems and the State government now claims that the DoE is out of compliance with the Settlement Agreement. The State government is reluctant to grant permission for the shipments of spent nuclear fuel to the INL unless and until the DoE makes good on its promises with respect to the IWTU which is still not operational.
At a meeting on July 13th of this year, a DoE official said that they would give Idaho two months to grant permission for the shipments. If the State does not grant permission for the shipments, the INL contract for spent fuel testing could be cancelled.
The Idaho governor created a commission called the Leadership in Nuclear Energy Commission (LINE) to deal with nuclear issues in Idaho. The head of LINE sent out a letter on August 10 of this year to State officials recently pointing out that the DoE had set a two month deadline for approval of the spent nuclear fuel shipments and that if the shipments were not approved, the DoE might send them to another state. This could cost the INL between ten and twenty million dollars per year every year until 2020. In addition, failing to deliver on the testing contract could injure the reputation of the INL and hurt prospects for obtaining future federal contracts.
The Idaho Attorney General received a copy of the letter and said that he was concerned that the LINE commission never came to him to discuss the DoE and the shipment approval although he considered it a matter involving his office. He stated that his office will not approve the spent fuel shipments to INL until the IWTU is operational.
Staff at the IWTU said in May that the facility could be operating by September and that the shipments of spent fuel could make the two month deadline if the State acts swiftly. On the other hand, State officials point out that the IWTU is starting a second round of tests that will take months and it can't be operating by September. It is possible that the IWTU will not even start treating nine hundred thousand gallons of liquid waste until sometime in 2016.
Idaho officials and the DoE have about one month to sort out this situation before the DoE deadline is passed. Both parties have valid concerns and needs. Hopefully, a mutually acceptable compromise can be worked out.
