Plans for sale, dismantling of nuclear plant outlined for legislators, residents.
PLYMOUTH — The state has no role in the transfer of ownership of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station from Entergy Corp. to Holtec International, which is expected to take place in 2020 after the reactor is permanently shut down and defueled, according to an Entergy official.
“The only approval we need to seek or obtain is from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” said Michael Twomey, Entergy’s vice president of external affairs.
Details of a plan to sell Pilgrim to Holtec for the plant’s decommissioning were outlined at a meeting Wednesday night for the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel, the region’s legislators and area residents.
Entergy Corp. had on hand top officials from Holtec International and SNC Lavalin, which have jointly formed a company called Comprehensive Decommissioning International to handle decommissioning of nuclear reactors, management of spent nuclear fuel and site cleanup.
Holtec will be the plant owner, contracting with CDI.
“Holtec is the largest player in the United States, managing spent fuel for two-thirds of the country’s nuclear fleet,” Twomey said. “Entergy is not in the business of decommissioning. We’re in the business of operating power plants.”
Pilgrim’s sale will include the reactor and the 1,600-acre site, radioactive spent fuel assemblies and more than $1 billion in a decommissioning trust fund. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversees the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and requires owners to set aside money for the work.
Holtec expects to move all 4,000 of the radioactive spent fuel assemblies into heavy concrete and steel dry casks within three years — a measure plant watchdogs and legislators have been lobbying for — and to complete all major decommissioning work within eight years.
Under federal regulations, reactors may remain mothballed and not fully decommissioned for up to 60 years, under an option called SAFSTOR.
“To hear about prompt decommissioning is something I’m interested in, but is that going to be in writing,” said state Sen. Viriato “Vinny” deMacedo, R-Plymouth, who represented the region’s legislative delegation. “We can talk about prompt decommissioning, but how will we know that will actually happen?”
Former Sen. Daniel Wolf, who is a member of the decommissioning advisory panel, voiced concern over the growth being projected by Holtec. Senior Vice President Pierre Oneid said the company would be adding 900 workers to its current staff of 1,400 within the next year.
“To bring on 900 employees, I get concerned about training and safety,” Wolf said. “The growth makes me nervous, and the joint venture nature makes me nervous. Two companies coming together to take on something of this complexity and importance is a huge, huge commitment.”
Oneid said the 900 total comprises existing employees at plants that Holtec plans to buy and decommission.
Entergy has said its Palisades reactor in Michigan would be sold to Holtec under a similar arrangement, once it permanently shuts down in 2022, as well as the site of the decommissioned Big Rock Point Nuclear Power plant, also in Michigan, where all that remains is the spent fuel from the reactor’s 30-year operation.
Exelon Generation also recently announced its sale of the Oyster Creek reactor in New Jersey to Holtec. The plant shuts down later this year.
Citizens panel members were concerned about decommissioning all of those sites simultaneously.
“It’s manageable, and we’ve done it before,” said Mark Morant, president of U.S. Nuclear, SNC-Lavalin. “It’s not our first rodeo.”
Morant, who has been involved in several nuclear cleanup endeavors, including the decommissioning of three U.S. plants, some international plants and Fukushima Dai-ichi, has been appointed CEO of Comprehensive Decommissioning International.
“It might be a new company, but it’s got decades of experience in it,” Morant said.
When discussion turned to employment of regional workers, Morant said the company initially would extend jobs of existing workers at Pilgrim and bring in new workers, but when decommissioning is complete in eight years, the jobs will not be there anymore.
Citizens panel Chairman Sean Mullin asked whether the new owners would be willing to sign a written memorandum of understanding with the state on issues such as emergency response and radiation monitoring.
Twomey said present owners and the new owners, if the deal goes through, are willing to work out agreements, but it would be with a number of different parties, such as Plymouth, area towns and state agencies.
There was some concern over who would be responsible should the $1 billion in Pilgrim’s trust fund be inadequate for the job. Oneid said Holtec could pick up the cost but added if the business model the company developed proves to be wrong, Holtec might consider putting the plant temporarily in SAFSTOR.
“What we want to do is safely and promptly decommission the plant and move the spent fuel off site,” Oneid said.
Holtec currently has a proposal for a Consolidated Interim Nuclear Storage Site in New Mexico under review by the NRC. If approved, it could take the spent fuel from the Pilgrim site.
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