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NRC to discuss TVA application process for small modular reactors in Oak Ridge

Posted at 7:41 pm March 23, 2016
By John Huotari 7 Comments

TVA Clinch River Site

The Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge, where small modular reactors could be built. (Photo courtesy TVA)

 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will be in Oak Ridge in April to discuss the safety and environmental review process related to a Tennessee Valley Authority permit application for small modular reactors at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in west Oak Ridge.

TVA expects to submit what is known as an early site permit, or ESP, application by May 12.

“A key topic to be discussed is how and when the public may participate in the NRC review process, if desired,” a NRC meeting notice said. “The public is encouraged to ask questions about the NRC review process for this ESP Application.”

Two sessions are scheduled in the auditorium of the Pollard Technology Conference Center at 210 Badger Avenue in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Meetings and Events, Top Stories Tagged With: Clinch River Nuclear Site, early site permit, ESP, NRC, Oak Ridge, permit application, Pollard Technology Conference Center, review process, small modular reactors, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Centrus completes centrifuge demonstration, reducing Ohio workforce, continuing Oak Ridge work

Posted at 12:16 pm February 20, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center

The American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center in south Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy USEC/Centrus Energy Corp.)

 

A centrifuge demonstration is complete in Piketon, Ohio, and the workforce there will be reduced, but  research, engineering, and testing work will continue in Oak Ridge, Centrus Energy Corporation announced Friday.

The company, which is based in Bethesda, Maryland, said it has completed operations of its three-year demonstration cascade of American Centrifuge machines at its facility in Piketon, Ohio. Now, it will demobilize the demonstration cascade and reduce its workforce at Piketon starting with the layoff of about 60 employees during the week of February 29, Centrus said.

Centrus currently has more than 120 employees working at two dedicated facilities in the Oak Ridge area to engineer, design, and test improvements in full-size machines operating in individual test stands, a press release said. The company’s scientists and engineers will continue to improve the reliability and manufacturability of centrifuge machines for potential future applications, the release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: American Centrifuge, centrifuge demonstration, centrifuge machines, Centrus, Centrus Energy Corporation, Daniel B. Poneman, DOE, gas centrifuge, layoff, NRC, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Piketon, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, uranium enrichment

Three groups seek info on plan to bring spent nuke fuel to ORNL

Posted at 5:09 pm November 25, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Ralph Hutchison

Ralph Hutchison

Three nuclear watchdog organizations have filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission seeking information about plans to ship high burn-up commercial spent nuclear fuel from the North Anna power reactor in Virginia to Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, a press release said. The three organizations are Savannah River Site Watch in Columbia, South Carolina; Snake River Alliance Education Fund in Pocatello, Idaho; and the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance in Oak Ridge.

The groups filed the FOIA request after discovering a letter approving a shipping route from North Anna to Oak Ridge, the press release said. It said the letter provides little information about the specifics of the route or the timing of the proposed shipment.

“We asked for a map of the route two weeks ago,” said Ralph Hutchison, coordinator of OREPA. “So far, we’ve received nothing. So we are resorting to the formal—and more expensive for the government—FOIA process to get information.”

Tom Clements, director of SRS Watch, filed the FOIA on behalf of the three organizations. The Savannah River Site was initially under consideration for the research project. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: FOIA, Freedom of Information Act, North Anna power reactor, NRC, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, OREPA, ORNL, Ralph Hutchison, Savannah River Site, Savannah River Site Watch, Snake River Alliance, Snake River Alliance Education Fund, spent nuclear fuel, SRS Watch, Tom Clements, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

ORAU awarded $7 million NRC training contract

Posted at 12:18 pm April 1, 2015
By Oak Ridge Associated Universities Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100

The Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100 is pictured above.

Federal contractor to deliver both classroom and online training for agency’s health physicists

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has awarded Oak Ridge Associated Universities a five-year, $7.3 million contract to support radiation training activities for the agency. ORAU has assisted the NRC with similar training since 1992.

“We are pleased that NRC has chosen ORAU to continue supporting training for its employees as they carry out their critical mission of ensuring the safety of our nation’s nuclear facilities,” said Andy Page, ORAU president and chief executive officer. “Our team of health physicists have built in-depth knowledge of radiation sciences that extends back to our founding in 1946 as the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies. We welcome the opportunity to share our expertise through our long-standing partnership with the NRC.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Andy Page, health physicists, health physics, NRC, NRC training, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies, ORAU, radiation detection, radiation instructional lab, radiation protection, radiation sciences, radiation training, Technical Training Center

TVA: Watts Bar Unit 2 more than 90 percent complete, key milestones ahead

Posted at 3:59 pm August 12, 2014
By Tennessee Valley Authority Leave a Comment

Watts Bar Unit 2 Nuclear Reactor Vessel

The core barrel being lowered into the Watts Bar Unit 2 nuclear reactor vessel. The core barrel is over 33 feet tall and weighs 282,000 pounds and will hold 193 nuclear fuel assemblies. Once operational by the end of 2015, Watts Bar Unit 2 will produce approximately 1,150 megawatts of carbon free electricity, enough for 650,000 homes. (Photo courtesy Tennessee Valley Authority)

 

SPRING CITY—The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Nuclear Plant’s Unit 2 reactor is more than 90 percent complete and moving through key testing to become the nation’s first new nuclear generation of the 21st century.

In the eighth quarterly report since TVA revised its estimate to complete the project, TVA said Monday that Watts Bar Unit 2 continues to meet safety and quality targets and remains on schedule and within budget to become the first U.S. reactor to generate “new” power in nearly two decades, and the first since Watts Bar Unit 1 in 1996.

Watts Bar Unit 2 is projected to begin commercial operation between September 2015 and June 2016, with a most likely date by December 2015. The project has a projected completion cost between $4 billion and $4.5 billion, with a most likely target of $4.2 billion.

Testing of individual and combined plant systems is under way, TVA said in the latest quarterly update, covering February to April 2014. The first major system test, called open vessel testing, began ahead of schedule during the period and was completed earlier this summer. OVT involves pumping water into the reactor vessel through systems used when shutting down the reactor and in support of nuclear operations. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Mike Skaggs, NRC, nuclear generation, nuclear operations, nuclear plant, nuclear power, quarterly update, reactor, reactor containment, reactor vessel, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Unit 2, Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Watts Bar Unit 2

Guest column: ECA highlights local government’s role with Energy Secretary Moniz

Posted at 6:39 pm July 1, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

ECA Board and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz

From left to right are Aiken County Council Chairman Ronnie Young, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, Los Alamos County Councilor Fran Berting, Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, ECA Executive Director Seth Kirshenberg, Secretary Ernest Moniz, Aiken County Council Member Chuck Smith, Kennewick Mayor Steve Young, SRSCRO Executive Director Rick McLeod, Los Alamos County Administrator Brian Bosshardt, and ECA Deputy Executive Director Allison Finelli. (Submitted photo)

 

On June 23, the Energy Communities Alliance Executive Board met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz to highlight the importance of the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup, national security, nuclear energy, and waste management missions. The ECA Executive Board, including Chair and Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, and other elected local government officials also stressed the importance of regular communication and partnership between DOE and the local governments that are adjacent to DOE facilities. Secretary Moniz agreed that working with local governments is important to the success of DOE.

Earlier in the day, the ECA Executive Board also met with National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator Frank Klotz, Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Dave Huizenga, and other DOE and administration officials, as well as congressional staff.

Mayor Beehan stated that local governments can be DOE’s asset for gaining support for missions and for infrastructure development at the sites, but in order for that to occur, local governments must be involved in decision-making. Mayor Beehan also stressed the importance of land transfer to local communities. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Guest Columns, Oak Ridge, Opinion, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Aiken County Council, Allison Finelli, Brian Bosshardt, budget, Chuck Smith, Dave Huizenga, defense waste, DOE, ECA, ECA Executive Board, Energy Communities Alliance, environmental management, Ernest Moniz, Fran Berting, Frank Klotz, Hanford Site, Kennewick, land transfer, local government, Los Alamos, Mark Watson, National Nuclear Security Administration, NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, Oak Ridge, Rick McLeod, Ronnie Young, Savannah River CRO, Seth Kirshenberg, small modular reactor, SMR, SRSCRO, Steve Young, technology transfer, Tom Beehan, U.S. Department of Energy, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, WIPP

Rebirth of nuclear energy assessed at ORAU Council meeting

Posted at 1:39 am March 27, 2014
By Oak Ridge Associated Universities Leave a Comment

 Rebirth of nuclear energy assessed at 69th annual meeting of ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions

Leading experts discussed technology and educational challenges

Declines in new construction, evolving safety regulations, and building the next generation of nuclear engineers and researchers are among the challenges facing the future of nuclear energy, but there is hope, according to a top Nuclear Regulatory Commission official.

Speaking recently to more than 130 attendees at the annual meeting of ORAU’s Council of Sponsoring Institutions, Patrice Bubar, chief of staff for NRC Commissioner William Magwood, shared the agency’s perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing nuclear energy.

“There have been many projections and predictions about the future of nuclear power,” she said. “Nuclear power plants continue to operate safely and construction of new plants continues.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Top Stories Tagged With: Andy Page, modular reactors, NRC, Nuclear Energy, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, ORAU, ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions, Patrice Bubar, William Magwood

ORNL retiree Claud Pugh inducted into NC State Hall of Fame

Posted at 7:04 pm November 10, 2013
By Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leave a Comment

Claud Pugh

Claud Pugh

Claud Pugh, a retired program manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was scheduled to be inducted into North Carolina State University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Hall of Fame on Nov. 1.

At ORNL, Pugh served as director of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission program office, was head of the Engineering Technology Division’s pressure vessel technology section, directed the NRC-sponsored heavy-section steel technology program, and held various research and project management positions in programs sponsored by the NRC and DOE. [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Tagged With: Claud Pugh, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, engineering mechanics, Engineering Technology Division, Hall of Fame, International Atomic Energy Agency, mechanical engineering, North Carolina State University, NRC, nuclear power plants, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL

Motive unknown for Sunday shooting at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant; suspect could be male

Posted at 6:55 pm April 22, 2013
By John Huotari 4 Comments

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

A Tennessee Valley Authority spokesman declined to speculate on a motive for a Sunday morning shooting at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Rhea County, but he said the suspect could be a male wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt with a hood.

Other than that, officials have little information on the suspect, who appears to have fled in a small boat, TVA spokesman Jim Hopson said Monday.

“It was difficult to provide any kind of description,” he said.

The unidentified man was spotted by a nuclear security officer at about 2 a.m. Sunday. The guard was on a routine patrol in a pickup truck on the perimeter of the 1,700-acre plant. As the officer came around a curve, the truck’s headlights illuminated a person on the shore of the Tennessee River, on the eastern side of the plant and near its southern boundary. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, guard, Jim Hopson, NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear security officer, patrol, Rhea County, Rhea County Sheriff’s Office, shooting, shots, Tennessee River, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, TVA nuclear security, TVA Police, unusual event, Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

TVA: Suspect shoots at security officer at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, officer shoots back

Posted at 9:14 am April 21, 2013
By John Huotari 4 Comments

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

An unidentified suspect fired on a security officer at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant near Spring City early Sunday morning, and the officer fired back. No one was injured, and the suspect fled. (Photo courtesy of TVA)

An unidentified suspect fired multiple rounds at a security officer on patrol at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant early Sunday morning, and at least one round hit the security officer’s vehicle, an official said.

The Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear security officer fired back, also shooting multiple rounds.

The suspect appeared to have initially been on the ground but may have fled in a boat, TVA spokesman Jim Hopson said.

The shots were fired just after 2 a.m. this morning on the east side of the 1,700-acre plant, near the Tennessee River, toward the plant’s southern boundary, TVA said. The officer was several hundred yards outside the protected area where the reactor and power equipment are located. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: gunshots, Jim Hopson, NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear security officer, protected area, Rhea County, Spring City, Tennessee River, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, TVA Police, unusual event, Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

TVA, B&W sign agreement for small nuclear reactor at Clinch River Site

Posted at 2:16 pm February 20, 2013
By Tennessee Valley Authority Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Valley Authority and Babcock and Wilcox announced Wednesday a major step in their joint effort to build and test the nation’s first small modular reactor at TVA’s Clinch River Site in Oak Ridge.

TVA and B&W signed a contract Feb. 7 that formalizes the process toward the eventual submittal and Nuclear Regulatory Commission review of a licensing application for a B&W mPower small modular reactor, or SMR, nuclear plant at Clinch River.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, Roane County, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: B&W, Babcock and Wilcox, Clinch River Site, DOE, Joe Hoagland, licensing, mPower, NRC, nuclear plant, nuclear reactor, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, small modular nuclear reactor, SMR, SMR Licensing Technical Support Program, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Department of Energy

ORAU renews agreement with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Posted at 7:12 pm July 27, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Associated Universities has renewed a five-year agreement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to continue providing technical assistance for radiological surveys and assessments.

The $5.4 million agreement will last through 2017, an ORAU press release said.

Under the agreement, ORAU will perform laboratory analyses, document reviews, inspections, and surveys related to the decommissioning of previously contaminated reactor and materials sites.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: NRC, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, ORAU, radiological surveys, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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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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