Idaho and the U.S. Department of Energy have agreed to waive a 1995 nuclear agreement to allow research on spent nuclear fuel in East Idaho. The waiver will allow radioactive waste generated in another state to be sent to the Idaho National Lab, or INL, for study.
“We have 94 operating nuclear plants in the U.S. that generate about 20% of the electricity for this country,” said Josh Jarrell, the Director of Fuel Cycle Science and Technology at INL.
The sample headed to the INL will come from the North Anna Power Station, a commercial plant in Virginia. It will be studied to understand how to safely store “high burnup” fuel, developed for increased efficiency.
“In order for us to safely manage that, we need to collect confirmatory data,” Jarell said.
“We have essentially the only location in the country that can actually do what needs to be done to collect that data.”
The spent fuel will be sealed in one 8 by 17 foot cask and shipped by train to Idaho in 2027.
“It’s solid material,” the director explained. “It's not a green goo, as you might see in The Simpsons. So it's actually relatively straightforward to manage.”
“Between 2027 and 2037 we have got to collect a range of data for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. So nominally ten years worth of research is guaranteed,” Jarrell said, adding he expected the project to kick off multiple decades of research for the nuclear industry.
"This research will provide data to support licensing for the extended storage of spent fuel at 54 nuclear power plants in 28 states,” a press release from the Governor’s office said. "Without this waiver, some universities risk having to shut down their research reactors due to regulatory limits on spent fuel storage. "
In a statement, the Idaho Sierra Club said nuclear cleanup was an important but costly bill for taxpayers.
“Directing more dollars towards incredibly expensive nuclear power plants is insensible and wasteful, particularly when those dollars could be directed toward the development and deployment of clean, renewable energy that we can bring online much more quickly and affordably,” Lisa young, a spokesperson for the Sierra Club said.
The INL is located west of Idaho Falls, on a 890 square mile site in the desert.
