Crystal River plant's radioactive fuel rods will sit tight

Feb 6 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Tampa Tribune, Fla.

In the case of the Crystal River plant, you leave them right where they are, perhaps until the year 2073. -- Because the federal government has stalled on a national strategy for nuclear waste storage, highly radioactive spent fuel rods could end up being stored on the Crystal River site for between 40 and 60 years.

That's how long it will take to decommission the plant, under strict Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules governing the closure of nuclear facilities.

Progress Energy Florida said Tuesday that spent fuel will remain in existing storage pools, "where it is currently safely and securely stored." It's possible the rods could be moved into concrete casks. But for now, they will remain in the pools.

The fuel rods spark the nuclear reaction in the reactor core that heats water into steam and produces electricity. The reaction makes the rods highly radioactive when they are no longer efficient to produce electricity. Radioactive isotopes created in the reaction can take decades to tens of thousands of years to decay to the point where they no longer pose a danger.

At Crystal River, each fuel assembly is 14 feet long, nine inches wide and contains 225 fuel rods. It was unclear Tuesday how many assemblies are stored on the site. Nuclear plants also produce low-level waste, including radiated parts and equipment that can become mitigated during the 40- to 60-year time frame.

Under the Progress Energy strategy, the company will monitor the gradual reduction of the residual radioactivity until it reaches a level that is no longer harmful and that allows for the property to be used for other purposes.

Utility spokeswoman Suzanne Grant said a comprehensive decommissioning plan is being prepared. She said the utility is not yet able to provide details of a timeline or total cost for the plant's closing.

The NRC said a typical nuclear plant decommissioning costs between $300 million and $400 million. Like most plants, Crystal River has accumulated a decommissioning fund from utility bills over the 36-year life of the plant. Grant said the fund has reached $600 million. Because that is considered adequate, ratepayers haven't contributed to the pot for several years.

Nationwide, 10 nuclear power plants have completed decommissioning and another 13 are in the process.

The 13 being decommissioned are about equally divided between the strategy being used by Crystal River and a second path that involves the immediate dismantling of a plant. In that strategy, which is more costly, portions of the facility containing radioactive contaminants are removed and stored elsewhere.

There are about 600 full-time employees at the nuclear facility at Crystal River, and hundreds of contract employees. Grant said about 300 workers would remain on board for maintenance and monitoring of the idle plant.

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