see short video clip linked from the Augusta Chronicle article on the left
Suzanne Rhodes of the South Carolina League of Women Voters expresses concern about import of German high-level nuclear waste to the Savannah River Site. (Export of such high-level nuclear waste is illegal under German law so a scheme is being devised to get around that big problem by redefining the reactors from which spent fuel would be shipped as “research” reactors – see SRS Watch testimony below.)
About 17 people spoke against the proposal and 13 in favor. Most of those in favor had a connection to SRS or contractors that would profit from the lucrative deal. That’s the way it goes at these meetings – the general public with no financial connection expresses concern about questionable proposals while those who would make money (or who are connected to those who would make money) support the proposal no matter how bad it is for the environment, budget or public health. The deal in questions could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars so there were a lot of DOE officials and contractors at the meeting. This was noted by many of those attending, who were aware that many in the crowd were financially motivated by the German dumping scheme and were there to follow the money $$$$$. A draft “Environmental Assessment” (EA) on the proposal will be out in several months, with a public meeting to follow, but that EA will likely dodge the overarching policy questions driving this dodgy deal for the unprecedented import of commercial spent fuel into the United States.
To comment, by July 21, and for more information, see DOE’s Federal Register notice of June 4: “Environmental Assessment for the Acceptance and Disposition of Used Nuclear Fuel Containing U.S.-Origin Highly Enriched Uranium From the Federal Republic of Germany”
June 24 “Scoping Comments” on the US Department of Energy’s “Environmental Assessment for the Acceptance and Disposition of Used Nuclear Fuel Containing U.S.-Origin Highly Enriched Uranium From the Federal Republic of Germany” – in Support of the “No Action” Alternative (No Import of the Commercial Spent Fuel)
list of 25 attachments that DOE must address, with some additional comments – click here
by Tom Clements
Director, Savannah River Site Watch (www.srswatch.org)
Columbia, South Carolina
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DOE to webcast June 24 meeting on the proposal to dump German commercial spent fuel on SRS – WEBCAST HAD TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES BUT AUDIO MAY HAVE WORKED
DOE is preparing to web cast the scoping meeting on the German HEU Fuel Environmental Assessment. We intend to begin the broadcast at approximately 7:00 pm, June 24. At that time, please go to http://sro.srs.gov/ and follow the link posted there. Please feel free to distribute this information to anyone who may be interested.
Andrew R. Grainger, NEPA Compliance Officer
Office of the Assistant Manager
for Infrastructure & Environmental Stewardship
Department of Energy, Savannah River
drew.grainger@srs.gov
tel. 803.952.8001
DOE paid advertisement on the environmental meeting, in The State, Columbia, SC, June 23
Please attend the June 24 meeting in N. Augusta, SC and Speak Out Against Illegal Spent Fuel Dumping by Germany!
Germany Must Halt Plans for the Unprecedented Export of German Commercial Spent Fuel, via Charleston, South Carolina, for Dumping at SRS; Violates German Law, European Commission Directive on Nuclear waste Management
Details on meeting and about the proposed scheme in Federal Register Notice of June 4: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-06-04/pdf/2014-12933.pdf