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Public can comment Tuesday on potential environmental impacts at Clinch River site

Posted at 9:59 am June 5, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Clinch-River-Site-Bear-Creek-Road-Entrance-March-27-2016

The small nuclear reactors that could be built along the Clinch River in west Oak Ridge could provide enough electricity to power several cities the size of Oak Ridge. The Bear Creek Road entrance to the Clinch River Site, where the reactors could be built by the Tennessee Valley Authority, is pictured above on Sunday, March 27, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will meet with the public in Kingston today (Tuesday, June 5) to discuss a draft conclusion that environmental impacts would be small enough to allow an early site permit to be issued for the Clinch River site in west Oak Ridge, where a small modular nuclear reactor could be built.

While in Kingston, the NRC staff will discuss the agency’s draft environmental impact statement on the early site permit application for the 1,200-acre Clinch River site, which is south of East Tennessee Technology Park (the former K-25 site) and east of State Route 58.

“The NRC is interested in the public’s views on the agency’s overall draft conclusion that environmental impacts would be small enough to allow the agency to issue the permit,” a press release said.

The NRC will be at Noah’s Event Venue, which is at 1200 Ladd Landing Boulevard in Kingston, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. (as needed) on Tuesday, June 5. NRC staff will describe the environmental review process and the conclusions of the draft environmental impact statement. Each meeting will conclude with a formal public comment period, the press release said. NRC open houses, which are scheduled from 1-2 p.m. and 6-7 p.m., will provide the public the opportunity to talk informally with agency staff. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government Tagged With: Clinch River Site, early site permit, early site permit application, environmental impact statement, environmental impacts, environmental review, modular nuclear reactor, Noah’s Event Venue, NRC, nuclear power plant, reactor licensing, small modular nuclear reactor, small modular reactor, SMRs, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Federal lawsuit asks for environmental review of new UPF design

Posted at 5:23 pm July 23, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

OREPA-Ralph-Hutchison-Aug-6-2016-2

Ralph Hutchison, coordinator of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, is pictured above during a rally at Alvin K. Bissell Park on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that the U.S. Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration have violated a federal environmental law, and the civil complaint asks for an environmental review of the new design for the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex, the largest federal construction project in Tennessee since World War II.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia by several public interest organizations—Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Nuclear Watch of New Mexico, and Natural Resources Defense Council of Washington, D.C.— and four people: Ed Sullivan of Oak Ridge, and Ralph Hutchison, Jack Carl Hoefer, and Linda Ewald, all of Knoxville.

The defendants are Energy Secretary James Richard “Rick” Perry and NNSA Administrator Frank G. Klotz.

The complaint alleges that the NNSA is taking, but failing to consider, grave risks with safety and the potential environmental impacts of the nation’s nuclear weapons program, in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act.

It says the NNSA has refused to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement, or SEIS, to consider important new information about the serious vulnerability of the new design for UPF, which is supposed to be completed by 2025 for no more than $6.5 billion. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Administrative Procedure Act, Ed Sullivan, environmental review, Jack Carl Hoefer, James Richard “Rick” Perry, Linda Ewald, Meyer Glitzenstein & Eubanks LLP, National Environmental Policy Act, National Nuclear Security Administration, NEPA, NEPA analysis, NNSA, Nuclear Watch of New Mexico Natural Resources Defense Council, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Ralph Hutchison, record of decision, SEIS, site-wide environmental impact statement, supplemental environmental impact statement, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. District Court, UPF, uranium processing facility, William Lawton, Y-12 National Security Complex

TVA starts public process for future ash storage at Bull Run

Posted at 12:08 pm May 21, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Bull Run Fossil Plant

The Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton is pictured above in an aerial photo from August 2012.

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking for public input on its plans to expand the dry onsite storage of ash and other coal combustion products generated at Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton.

TVA is proposing to build a new dry storage area on TVA property next to the plant to provide greater capacity for managing coal combustion products at Bull Run. TVA is seeking public comments on an environmental review of the project.

Bull Run Fossil Plant, which has state-of-the-art air pollution controls, is expected to play a continuing role in TVA’s coal-fired generating fleet, a press release said.

“The Bull Run storage project is consistent with TVA’s commitment to convert all wet coal combustion product storage systems to dry systems,” the release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Anita E. Masters, ash, ash storage, Bull Run Fossil Plant, Claxton, coal combustion, coal combustion products, dry storage, environmental review, Tennessee Valley Authority

Search Oak Ridge Today

Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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