Yucca Mountain application appears unlikely to go to NRC in FY-06

Washington  (Platts)--2Dec2005

The Dept of Energy's defense of a repository license application is
not a spending priority for the civilian nuclear waste program in fiscal-year
2006, but the preparation of an application will be, a move that suggests the
department will not send an application to NRC this fiscal year, which ends
Sept 30, 2006.

     In response to questions from Platts, DOE spokesman Allen Benson
listed priorities for the program's $450-mil budget as "full investments
in science and technology, full investments in preparing a license application
[for a repository with minimal fuel handling], and full investments in
improving safety infrastructure." The allocation for FY-06, which began Oct
1, is 30% below the administration's budget request and 20% below its FY-05
level.

     "Clearly, we're not where we wanted to be...especially in terms of
not being in a license-defense mode," Benson said. The repository planned for
Yucca Mountain, Nevada, will be the disposal facility for thousands of metric
tons of utility spent nuclear fuel.

     Separately, DOE told an NRC licensing board in a Dec 1 status report
that contractor Bechtel SAIC Co has not yet completed a report detailing
program changes needed to develop and implement a new cradle-to-grave canister
system that would minimize repository fuel handling requirements.

     It added that DOE was unlikely to complete its review of that report,
once received, during first quarter of calendar year 2006. "Any time
thereafter required to revise the license application will depend on the
nature and extent of the modifications," the report stated.

                                    ---Elaine Hiruo, elaine_hiruo@platts.com

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