The State of Idaho and the US Department of Energy (DOE), which manages the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), have agreed to a targeted waiver of a 1995 settlement agreement to allow the transfer of used fuel to INL. The agreement established milestones to remove legacy waste at INL, while allowing nuclear energy research and development at the lab.
The waiver will enable shipment to INL of a critical high burnup nuclear fuel cask from a commercial NPP in Virginia. According to a news release, nuclear reactors nationwide produce 20% of the country’s electricity. The research that comes from this shipment will “enable nuclear reactors across the country to continue to operate” and support licensing for the extended storage of spent fuel at 54 nuclear power plants in 28 states.
As part of the waiver, INL will also be allowed to safely manage small amounts of used fuel from domestic university reactors. Without the waiver, some US universities could have been forced to shut down their research reactors due to limits on used fuel storage.
Josh Jarrell, director of the INL’s Fuel Cycle Science and Technology Division, told EastIdahoNews.com that the shipment of fuel from the cask is slated for 2027. The shipment of fuel from university reactors will happen separately over the next four to six years.
Jarrell said the targeted waiver, which was months in the making, addresses a national need not envisioned when the settlement agreement was established three decades ago. The agreement resolved a lawsuit filed by the state in response to environmental and health concerns about the disposal of nuclear waste in Idaho. The lawsuit was filed in order to keep Idaho from becoming a dumping ground for US used nuclear fuel, according to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
“The collaborative effort between the State of Idaho, the US Department of Energy, and the Idaho National Laboratory showcases our commitment to advancing nuclear energy research while upholding the goals of the 1995 Settlement Agreement. We are proud to support innovation in nuclear energy that will support national security and energy independence into the future,” said Idaho Governor Brad Little in a news release.
Jarrell noted that Idaho will experience immediate and long-term benefits as a result of the targeted waiver including financial benefits. “It’s at least a 10-year cycle of research – that’s tens of millions of dollars from the federal government that will come to INL to do this work.”
INL Director John Wagner said in a news release: “As the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development, we look forward to utilizing our unique facilities and expertise to support this critical national need. We are thankful to the Department of Energy and the state of Idaho for entrusting us with the safe and secure execution of our vital mission.”
