Beyond Nuclear - NUCLEAR POWER - Concerns about reactor and radioactive waste safety amidst the coronavirus pandemic

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Mar192020

Concerns about reactor and radioactive waste safety amidst the coronavirus pandemic

As usual, nuclear power plant public relations spokespeople are expressing complete confidence, in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Take this example from southwest Michigan: "Area nuclear plants say the power will keep flowing," as reported in the company town newspaper, the Benton Harbor-St. Joe Herald-Palladium.

But skeptics have some questions...

Up until March 18th, this had been the only Coronavirus pandemic/Covid-19-related press statement posted at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's website: "NRC Cancels Regulatory Information Conference," a three-sentence press statement by the Office of Public Affairs on March 5th.

But many questions were and are begged...

Re: radioactive waste, will NRC stick to its current schedule of holding three public comment meetings in southern New Mexico, and two more public comment meetings in northern NM, in mid-April, and early May, respectively, re: the NRC DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) for Holtec's proposed CISF (Consolidated Interim Storage Facility for irradiated nuclear fuel)?

Not likely. The State of New Mexico has banned public or private gatherings of more than 10 people, amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. It simply would not be legal for NRC to hold such public comment meetings in NM, at the current time.

So, will NRC try to ram through a short 60-day public comment period amidst a national emergency? Will it stick by its just announced May 22nd deadline for public comments, even though NRC's Federal Register Notice hasn't even appeared yet, even though the text of the DEIS has been out for a couple weeks already? Why is NRC releasing all this DEIS-related information in dribs and drabs on its Byzantine ADAMS online system?

(This is the link to the DEIS:

https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20069G420

And this is the link to NRC's OPA press release re: this DEIS and public comment period:

https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2020/20-014.pdf)

Will NRC behave similarly, re: the ISP/WCS (Interim Storage Partners/Waste Control Specialists) CISF DEIS?

This DEIS is to be expected from NRC in about six weeks, given the parallel nature of the two schemes. They are separate and distinct proceedings, even though the two proposed CIS facilities are only 39 miles apart, and are so very similar in nature.

[Beyond Nuclear has just learned that NRC staff are indicating that the mid-April public comment meetings will likely be held via teleconference call-in and/or webinar, instead of in-person in southern NM. Also, there is a recognition by NRC staff that the in-person NM meetings will still have to take place at some point in the future, due to demands by the NM congressional delegation. Therefore, the May 22nd public comment deadline will likely see an extension of some sort. However, we will all have to watch developments closely, and remain vigilant.]

Bigger picture, all kinds of questions are begged, re: reactor and radioactive waste safety, security, public health, and environment amidst the Coronavirus pandemic.

If the Trump administration urges Americans to not gather in groups larger than 10 individuals, how does that compare to the control room operations staff in a typical commercial nuclear power plant? Or to a turbine hall staff at a commercial nuclear power plant? Or even the executives and support staff in a nuclear power plant administration building?

What happens if and when workers at nuclear power plants test positive for coronavirus? What if essential employees are unable to perform their duties? How much of a "bench" do nuclear utilities have, in terms of other employees covering for missing employees? Aren't ranks already thin? Aren't nuclear power workforces already strained, even before the coronavirus crisis struck? And aren't they disproportionately advanced in age, as well? Thus, even more vulnerable to severe illness due to coronavirus than younger workers would be? (Although, initial belief that younger folks were someone more immune to the worst effects of Coronavirus now seem questionable, as well. See this related article in the Washington Post.)

Many similar questions could be asked of NRC itself. Can the emergency operations center be staffed by less than 10 individuals, if an emergency developed? But, hasn't an emergency already been declared by President Trump at the national level? Is the NRC emergency operations center activated then?

But what about normal day to day activities at NRC HQ in Rockville, and at regional NRC HQs, as at Region III in Lisle, IL, which oversees the Cook Unit 1 and 2, and Palisasades, nuclear power plants in southwest Michigan, whose P.R. spokespeople were so confident that nothing could possible go wrong, above?

(We have also just learned that many NRC staffers are working from home.)

NRC's almost complete radio silence may have now ended somewhat. A public meeting has been called for Friday, March 20th. Beyond Nuclear encourages concerned citizens and organizations to call in, and ask probing questions to NRC staff. (Thank you to Tom Clements of SRS Watch for alerting us to this NRC meeting announcement, which was announced on very short prior notice.)

It should be noted that very similar questions are swirlilng amongst watch-dogs on the U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration/National Nuclear Labs nuclear weapons complex, as well.

Update on March 20, 2020 by