“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”
JUL 20, 2024
A schematic of TerraPower’s proposed Natrium Nuclear Power Plant (TerraPower)
LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Saturday, (07/20/2024)
I am posting this local Wyoming story that well could become a national and even international tale of questions, doubts, conflicts, mistakes, failures, and impossible-to-achieve community and regulatory standards like those pointed out in the article, not to mention the never-before-built nature of the proposed nuclear power plant. I grew up in Wyoming, started my career in the uranium/nuclear business there, and visited the small town of Kemmerer many times over the years as well as other small rural communities in the State that have no way to handle sudden impact of human growth, some of which is mentioned in this article.
But there is are even larger issues, and one of them is that a Natrium nuclear power plant has never been built before, and yet TerraPower’s long range plans are to build these SMRs (Small Nuclear Reactors) all around the country and perhaps the world without even clearly knowing that they can find the specific kind of uranium fuel to feed the reactors — something they have already experienced from Russia (the only country who manufactures the fuel) who turned down TerraPower’s attempt to purchase fuel, causing at least a two-year delay in their construction plans, also preventing a timely demonstration of how the unique Natrium cooling system works.
The Kemmerer site was selected to allow instant accessibility to the extensive grid system for transmitting electricity that has long existed for the Naughton Power Plant that operates on natural gas, but will close in 2036, about the time TerraPower’s nuclear power plant would come online if all went as expected, absolutely unknown in the recent history of new nuclear power plants. And the more potent and dangerous (uranium fuel (HALEU) that borders on military grade nuclear bomb grade, will likely never be easy to come by unless American refineries begin to produce it, or military inventory passes their high-grade bomb fuel down to a lower-refined commercial use, and that would simply be adding to the absolute unplanned danger of nuclear proliferation.
Unforeseen, plans, mistakes, and never-ending other troubles, always glaringly obvious, in the nuclear industry, are never going to be ‘absolutely’ controlled simply because of the nature of the “elephant in the room” syndrome. In my own mind, all we humans are doing successfully in both ‘war’ and ‘peace’ is guarantying our own premature demise as well as that of most all other life on planet Earth. ~llaw
Southwest Wyoming locals pepper feds on proposed Natrium nuclear plant
The deadline for public comment on Bill Gates-backed nuclear power plant in Kemmerer is Aug. 12.
by Dustin BleizefferJuly 18, 2024
KEMMERER—Residents here have dozens of questions about the potential impacts and risks related to TerraPower’s proposed nuclear power plant slated for just outside of town.
Will the plant disrupt groundwater or domestic wells? What threats does it pose to surface waters in a watershed that drains to the Colorado River Basin? What safeguards will prevent a radioactive release? How long will spent-radioactive waste be stored on location?
Others who are eager for the potential economic boost that the $4 billion construction project might bring to the area worry that it could be stopped in its tracks if a new archeological or culturally significant site is discovered in the project area.
And some — beyond a pervasive distrust of Bill Gates, the Microsoft billionaire who founded and is using his wealth to back TerraPower — see existential threats from what would be Wyoming’s first nuclear power plant.
“I just wanted to point out that the world’s most dangerous supervolcano is four hours north and, barring any accident [happening], the consequences could be world changing,” Kemmerer resident Marshal Corwin told Nuclear Regulatory Commission staffers during a Tuesday evening public meeting regarding the project. As for the project’s billionaire backer, “I’m not comfortable doing any deals with the devil,” he added.
For now, the public has only NRC standards and procedures for reference, and TerraPower’s own construction permit application that asserts the project meets all of the safety requirements with negligible impacts to the environment and local residents. The commission will begin analyzing the company’s claims this fall. But first it wants to hear from the public, and particularly from those familiar with the region, to determine whether the project should move forward.
“It’s very important for us to solicit your impact, or your input, on what the environmental [characteristics] you believe are present in the community and how the project is going to affect you,” said Joe O’Hara of the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Division.
O’Hara was part of a team of NRC officials that hosted the public meeting here to explain the agency’s environmental review of the project and how people can participate.
The agency is accepting public comments through Aug. 12. Comments can be submitted via this federal portal.
Natrium project and permitting
TerraPower proposes to build its pilot Natrium nuclear power plant in southwest Wyoming, co-locating the facility near the Naughton natural gas- and coal-fired power plant so it can tap into existing infrastructure. If successful, the company plans to deploy dozens of Natrium plants across the globe, including several more in Wyoming, according to the company.
Natrium is a scaled-down version of currently operating nuclear reactors, generating a consistent 345 megawatts of electricity — enough energy to power about 250,000 homes. The company promotes Natrium as an “advanced” reactor design because it will use liquid sodium for cooling, which requires less water and provides more energy efficiency, it says. The plant will also use a different type of radioactive fuel referred to as high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which is more potent than traditional nuclear fuels.
The project, which is also backed by the Department of Energy to the tune of $2 billion, is being fast tracked via an expedited review process at the NRC. TerraPower commenced construction on a non-nuclear portion of the plant in June and hopes the plant will be operational by 2030, according to the company.
To get there, TerraPower must gain two separate approvals from the NRC: a construction permit (that review is underway) and an operating license (TerraPower plans to submit that application by 2027). In determining whether to grant the construction permit, the NRC will consider “the environmental impacts of construction, operation, and decommissioning of the Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1, and reasonable alternatives thereto,” according to the agency’s notice published in the Federal Register. “Possible alternatives to the proposed action include the no-action alternative and alternative sites.”
Shortly after the Aug. 12 public comment deadline, the NRC will publish a “scoping report” of the public comments received. The agency plans to publish its first round of analysis via a draft Environmental Impact Statement in July 2025, and a final EIS in May 2026.
Meantime, any member of the public can file a “petition to intervene” challenging the project, according to NRC staff. The deadline for petitions is Aug. 5.
Socioeconomic impacts
TerraPower selected Kemmerer to launch its Natrium nuclear reactor line, in part, for the existing infrastructure related to the Naughton power plant, according to the company. It has found a warm reception among state officials for its claim that doing so also provides an opportunity to backfill jobs that will be lost when Naughton closes in 2036, in addition to jobs lost if the nearby Kemmerer coal mine, which feeds Naughton, closes.
The company expects the Natrium construction workforce will peak at about 1,600 workers in 2028 and anticipates about 250 permanent jobs once operations are in full swing.
Parallel to those potential economic benefits are concerns about whether Kemmerer, Diamondville and other nearby communities are prepared to provide the services necessary to support such a large industrial project. Basic services, such as water, education, housing and health care, have been in decline for years to the point that existing needs among permanent residents are not fully met, according to some locals.
“We’re about to see rapid, explosive, exponential growth here,” one public commenter said at the Tuesday meeting. “Who is responsible for determining what is required and when [necessary public services] will be installed and what standards will be met and when … in order to ensure that this community remains a community?
“All of a sudden we need more water services,” he continued. “All of the sudden we need more infrastructure in order to deliver water, to collect the used water.”
Though the NRC does research and consider such socioeconomic impacts, according to agency officials, it’s up to state and local governments to address them. However, the NRC’s analysis, when published next year, will include a hard look at community preparedness and impacts — and those types of public concerns are particularly helpful in aiding the agency’s construction permit review, said Patricia Vokoun, senior environmental project manager in the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Division.
“Your comment is helpful, because it’s telling us those are things for us to look at,” Vokoun said.
How to submit a comment
Comments can also be submitted via regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2024-0078, via email to TerraPowerEnvironmental@nrc.gov or via mail to Office of Administration, Mail Stop TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to include the correct schematic of the Natrium power plant. — Ed
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TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Saturday, (07/20/2024)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
U.S. says Iran moving forward on key aspect of developing nuclear bomb
The Portland Press Herald
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Video: Antony Blinken says Iran has sped up it’s nuclear weapon breakout time | CNN
CNN
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Iran’s breakout time – the amount of time needed to produce enough weapons grade material for a …
Blinken says Iran’s nuclear weapon breakout time is probably down to 1-2 weeks – CNN
CNN
“We’re in a very different world, a lot of time has elapsed, Iran has done a lot of things … All Rights Reserved. CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable …
Nuclear Power
NEWS
High hopes and security fears for next-gen nuclear reactors – The Verge
The Verge
Nuclear reactors generate electricity without producing the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change. And unlike solar and wind energy, which …
Enough water for nuclear reactors in NSW but scientists worry about wildlife – ABC
ABC
A nuclear power plant works much the same as a coal-fired station by using an energy source to boil water to make steam that spins a turbine. However, …
Southwest Wyoming locals pepper feds on proposed Natrium nuclear plant
The Sheridan Press
Residents have dozens of questions about the potential impacts and risks related to TerraPower’s proposed nuclear power plant slated for just …
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
FEMA Evaluators to take part in emergency response test at Brunswick Nuclear Plant
Fox Wilmington WSFX-TV
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – State and federal officials along with Duke Energy representatives will be at a test of emergency response plans …
Grigor Lilov: Nuclear accident in Russia? – ФАКТИ.БГ
ФАКТИ.БГ
… power units of the nuclear power plant was shut down in an emergency. The agency reported that the radiation background was normal. According to …
Nuclear War
NEWS
Iran advances in nuclear bomb development, U.S. officials warn – FOX 10 Phoenix
FOX 10 Phoenix
U.S. officials have raised alarms as Iran makes significant strides in developing key components for a nuclear bomb. Secretary of State Antony …
Iran advances in nuclear bomb development, US officials warn – FOX 7 Austin
FOX 7 Austin
Iran is increasingly vocal about its nuclear ambitions and has made progress in developing key aspects of a nuclear weapon since April, …
Pentagon inspector general to put the microscope on hypersonic defenses, CJADC2 ‘strategy’
Breaking Defense
… one covering US Cyber Command’s relationship with the NSA and how well the Pentagon would maintain C2 in the event of a nuclear attack.
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
This Week in the World: If War Is Not the Answer, What Is? | Friends Committee On National …
Friends Committee On National Legislation
… Nuclear Weapons Peacebuilding U.S. Wars and Militarism Voting and Elections … threats and promote peace in countries impacted by conflict. Next, by …
Russia’s space-based nuclear weapons threaten ‘our modern way of life’ – MSN
MSN
Russia’s potential deployment of space-based nuclear weapons would threaten ‘our entire modern way of life’ in America and Europe, top US generals …
US says Iran moving forward on a key aspect of developing a nuclear bomb – MSN
MSN
‘A very big Russia problem’ – NATO commander warns of post-Ukraine war threat to US and Europe.
Yellowstone Caldera
NEWS
Geographic and Ecological Diversity of Green Sulfur Bacteria in Hot Spring Mat Communities
the Astrobiology Web
… Volcano, Obsidian Pool, Rotorua Caldera, thermophile, Travel Lodge Spring, Yellowstone National Park. Geographic and Ecological Diversity of Green …
The Massive Volcano Scattering Ash Thousands of Miles Over America – MSN
MSN
… Yellowstone’s historical eruptions. Finally, the puzzle pieces clicked into place. <p>It turns out, Yellowstone’s explosive <a href=”https:.