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A long term agreement with the U.S. Navy will keep them anchored on the Idaho desert beyond 2035
A new agreement between the State of Idaho and the U.S. Navy settles a long-term issue for both parties, which is what happens after the current agreement is done in 2035. The answer is life goes on with the Navy continuing its operations at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).
In 1995 a settlement between the Department of Energy, the Navy, and the State of Idaho laid out terms for how much spent nuclear fuel could be kept at the Naval Reactor Facility (NRF) located about 50 miles west of Idaho Falls. The limit was 65 metric tons. The new limit is just under 10 metric tons after 2035.
History of prior agreements included controversy
Prior to 1995 the issue of spent nuclear fuel from navy ships and submarines produced significant controversy with then Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus threatening to block shipments at the state line.
Mr. Andrus (right) said the 1993 compromise set a precedent for the rights of states to gain more authority to decide how military nuclear wastes are managed within their borders. Idaho Governor Phil Batt played a significant role in setting up the current agreement signed in 1995.
Idaho Governor C. L. "Butch" Otter (below) praised the new agreement.
“With appreciation for those who held this office before me, worked out the 1995 agreement with Navy officials and recognized the need to look to the future, this addendum renews Idaho’s critical role in supporting nuclear energy and the Navy’s national security mission.”
“It ensures Idaho will help the Navy continue important research for its nuclear fleet while protecting Idaho from becoming a spent fuel repository by default.”
The new agreement was also endorsed by the U.S. Navy. Admiral Kirkland Donald issued a statement at the same time as the governor.
“The Navy appreciates Idaho’s important contributions to keeping our nuclear fleet operating safely and effectively as we perform our missions around the globe. We look forward to our continued partnership with Idaho.”
Not everyone is in touch with political reality
The Snake River Alliance (SRA), which describes itself as a "watchdog group," argued that the reduction in stored spent nuclear fuel of 55 metric tons by 2035 wasn't sufficient to please them. SRA director Andrea Shipley told the news media Idaho was "still being used as a nuclear waste dump."
The SRA seems to have lost touch with political reality. The new agreement between the State of Idaho and the U.S. Navy recognizes the role of the NRF and the rights of the state. Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said of the new relationship between the state and the military,
“This agreement is an extension of Idaho’s 1995 court settlement with the federal government. It maintains Idaho’s productive relationship with the Navy and keeps enforceable limits on spent fuel shipments, inventory and storage conditions.”
Also, most people in the nuclear industry, including the navy, just roll their eyes at the use of the word "dump" since the energy value in spent nuclear fuel hardly the kind of thing you would want to throw away. However, navy fuel is different than the fuel used in commercial nuclear reactors, which is why the military wants to use NRF to receive, examine, and prepare it for disposal at a location outside of Idaho.
The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program also issued a statement that as a result of the new agreement it plans to refurbish its facilities in Idaho for long-term operations.
History of NRF in Idaho
Naval Reactors Facility (NRF) was established in 1950 to support development of the U.S. Navy nuclear propulsion program. From the early 1950's to the mid 1990's, NRF built and operated prototype nuclear propulsion plants for submarines and aircraft carriers. At the time the Idaho National Laboratory was called the National Reactor Testing Station.
For over 50 years, NRF has supported the navy's nuclear powered fleet by testing reactor designs, receiving nuclear fuel for examination and storage, and training sailors to operate shipboard nuclear power plants.
The combined efforts of the program’s research, development, and support labs have led to tremendous advances in naval reactor technology. For example, the first submarine core endurance was about 62,000 miles; today, submarine and aircraft carrier cores have an endurance of over 1 million miles.
Over the course of its history, nearly 40,000 navy personnel received training at NRF in Idaho.
The U.S. Navy's nuclear program made possible the construction and deployment of the USS Nautilus which reached the North Pole on April 3, 1958. The submarine was first underway using nuclear power in January 1955.
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On the net
Idaho Samizdat is a blog about the political and economic aspects of nuclear energy and nonproliferation issues. It covers the nuclear energy industry globally. Additionally, the blog has regional coverage on uranium mining in the western U.S. Link to original post
