1. 3 Yankee Companies and National Spent Nuclear Fuel Issue Update
NEHLRWT Taskforce Presentation
June 8, 2017, Pittsburgh, PA
Eric Howes, Director Public & Government Affairs, Maine Yankee

2. ISFSI-Only Sites For More Than 10 Years
Connecticut Yankee, Yankee Rowe, and Maine Yankee: Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation sites. Plant decommissionings completed by 2007; SNF/GTCC waste moved to dry cask storage by Stored in NAC canisters licensed for Storage & Transport.
As NRC licensees, companies are: required to stay in business; responsible for storing material in accordance with all regulatory requirements; average cost per company of $10 m/year.
When DOE removes the SNF/GTCC waste: the ISFSIs will be decommissioned; NRC licenses terminated; companies will go out of business; sites will be available for other purposes.

3. Connecticut Yankee
Yankee Rowe
Maine Yankee

4. The 3 Yankee Company ISFSIs
Connecticut Yankee
Maine Yankee
15 Spent Fuel Dry Casks
1 GTCC Dry Cask
NAC canister system
Yankee Rowe
40 Spent Fuel Dry Casks
3 GTCC Dry Casks
NAC canister system
60 Spent Fuel Dry Casks
4 GTCC Dry Casks
NAC canister system

5. Vertical Concrete Cask and Cutaway Canister Model

6. DOE Prepares for SNF Transportation
In preparation for SNF shipments DOE is designing rail cars to meet the Association of American Railroad Standard for SNF rail shipments.
DOE continues to update “Preliminary Evaluation of Removing Used Nuclear Fuel from Shutdown Sites” (September 30, 2016).
March DOE issued Initial Site-Specific De-Inventory Report for MY “This is a technical report which reflects concepts which could support future decision-making by DOE.” CY report in progress.
When DOE begins meeting its obligation equipment will have to be mobilized to transfer SNF & GTCC canisters to transportation casks (which DOE has yet to procure).
Rail, barge and truck were all used during plant decommissioning to ship large radioactive components from the 3 Yankee sites.

7. Large Radioactive Components Shipped During Decommissioning

8. (https://curie.ornl.gov/content/initial-site-specific-de-inventory-report-maine-yankee)

9. Transfer Cask lift, Transfer to VCC, and Transfer to the ISFSI Pad
Transfer from pool to pad at MY

10. FIGURE 2-12: NAC-STC PACKAGE (https://curie. ornl

11. National Status Spent Nuclear Issue
Administration/DOE
DOE’s FY 2018 budget request “Provides $120 million to restart licensing activities for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository and initiate a robust interim storage program…”
$90.4 million for YM Licensing; $6.6 million to initiate a CIS program; and $23 million in Program Direction ($19.6 M for Yucca and $3.4 M for interim storage).
(The 3 Yankee companies support both completion of the YM LA and a pilot CIS project with an initial focus on removing SNF stored at sites without an operating reactor.)
On March 27 DOE Secretary Perry visited YM and then met with NV Gov Sandoval to discuss the Status of YM. Gov Sandoval and the NV congressional delegation remain opposed to the YM project.

12. National Status Spent Nuclear Fuel Issue cont.
Yucca Mountain License Application, NRC review
No funds appropriated for YM LA since 2010: (1987 YM designated only site to be considered for a repository; 2002 DOE recommended YM as a suitable repository site; 2008 DOE submitted YM LA to NRC; 2009 the Administration declared YM "not a workable option”; DOE terminated YM project. )
NRC completed the YM LA Safety Evaluation Report in Jan 2015 (using previously appropriated funds). The staff found the million year post closure requirements could be met. Staff also concluded NRC shouldn’t authorize construction because DOE has not acquired jurisdiction over the land where the repository would be located and that water rights needed to be obtained.

13. National Status Spent Nuclear Fuel Issue cont.
Yucca Mountain License Application, NRC review
May NRC issued “Final Supplement to the Yucca Mountain Environmental Impact Statement." “The NRC staff finds that each of the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts on the resources evaluated in this supplement would be ‘small’."
Next step in a revived YM LA review process would be for NRC’s ASLB (s) to adjudicate the nearly 300 contentions that have been filed.
NRC has requested $30 m in FY ‘18 budget for YM and other high-level waste activity.

14. Yucca Mountain

15. National Status Spent Nuclear Fuel Issue cont.
Congress
In May Congress approved and the president signed into law a bill to fund the govt through the end of FY ’17, Sept 30. No funding for YM LA or CIS.
SNF related bills introduced to date in 115th Congress:
Interim Consolidated Storage Act; Sensible Nuclear Waste Disposition Act; Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act.
Discussion Draft of the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act introduced by House Energy Subcommittee Chair Shimkus April 19 with hearing April 26. Focus: move YM licensing forward by resolving land withdrawal, water access, and infrastructure issues; move CIS forward by updating NWPA monitored retrievable storage provisions to, among other things, authorize DOE to contract with a privately-owned facility; links DOE’s ability to restart NWF fees to progress; and sets a schedule for providing access to the NWF without reliance on annual appropriations.

16. National Status Spent Nuclear Fuel Issue cont.
Congress continued
Senate Legislation: Senate Energy Committee and Energy & Water Subcommittee leaders are expected to re-introduce bi-partisan comprehensive nuclear waste reform bill that would largely implement the Blue Ribbon Commission recommendations included establishing a pilot CIS facility.
Over the last several years House Appropriations Energy & Water bills have typically included funds for YM with no mention of CIS. The Senate E&W Approps bills the last few years have included the pilot CIS program for shutdown reactor sites with no mention of YM.

17. CIS License Applications, TX and NM
Texas Proposal: Waste Control Specialists in Andrews submitted a LA to the NRC April NRC docketed the application Jan 26, WCS’ partners in the project are Areva & NAC. April 19 WCS requested NRC temporarily suspend its LA review pending completion of the sale of WCS to Energy Solutions which is the subject of a federal court proceeding.
New Mexico Proposal: In April 2015, Holtec International and the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance announced plans to site a CIS facility near Carlsbad. Holtec submitted its LA to the NRC March 31, FMI:

18. DOE Litigation
Courts have awarded the three Yankee companies $471.8 m in damages through 2012 resulting from the govt’s failure to fulfill its contractual obligations to remove the SNF & GTCC waste from the sites beginning in The 3 companies recently filed a fourth round case to address damages for the timeframe.
In the Phase III case completed in 2016, U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Merow awarded damages to CY, YR, and MY in the amount of $76.8 million for the years
The government chose not to appeal the spring 2016 decision and the funds were transferred to the three Yankee Companies in mid-October These funds were subsequently disbursed in December 2016 in accordance with a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission filing agreed to between the 3 Yankee companies and the state utility regulators in Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

19. Summary
Since 2010 the SNF management issue has been in a stalemate with no funds appropriated for the YM license application or a CIS program.
NRC has made progress on the YM LA review with previously appropriated funds that are now largely expended. DOE has made progress on transportation planning within its existing authority. But substantive progress awaits policy direction and funding.
The Trump Administration has indicated its desire to move ahead in FY’ 18 with the YM LA and a “robust” CIS program.
Will Congress and the Administration reach agreement?
Meanwhile, until the DOE meets its obligations SNF & GTCC Waste remains stranded at the three Yankee sites at an annual cost of approximately $10 m per site, and the 3 companies continue to seek reimbursement of ISFSI costs in the courts.