• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Savannah River Site

Monitors a host of energy and nuclear issues from a public interest perspective

  • Home
  • About Us
  • News
  • SRS Watch News
  • Library
    • Department of Energy
    • General Documents
    • Freedom of Information Act Documents
  • Photos
  • Show Search
Hide Search

NRC Extends MOX Construction License – Should be Terminated! And Will Soon Be…

SRSW · February 23, 2015 ·

On February 23, the NRC released feeble reasoning to extend MOX plant construction license from 2015 to 2015 – “good cause” means bad process

We think we smell a rat down the MOX hole…

At a public meeting on January 15, 2015, Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff kept saying they made a “good cause” determination to extend the MOX plant construction license, from 2015 to 2025, based on the justification presented by the holder of construction authorization (CB&I AREVA MOX Services). 

See the NRC’s February 12 document linked here

But it turns out that that there was no real justification presented and the “good cause” analysis was nothing formal and was merely cursory.  It now is seen to have been staff simply accepting what the company presented and not reviewing anything that may have shined negative light on the request, such as self-inflicted management problems and massive cost overruns and schedule delays.

SRS Watch pushed NRC staff to justify their “good cause” determination and pointed out that the staff had ignored many reasons not to extend the license, or to extend it only for a few years.  See SRS Watch comments – “Is the NRC’s 10-Year License Extension for the MOX Plant Construction a Prelude for More Delays?”  (The NRC staff seemed perturbed at the stark honesty of the title of the comment, which we insisted be posted in ADAMS).

After the January 15 meeting, as suspicions about the process had been raised, SRS Watch requested of the NRC the formal “good cause determination” and was shocked to be told that told there was no written “good cause” analysis.  Subsequently, the NRC came up with the pitiful answers linked above.

Here is a bit of the text of the NRC’s written response, posted on February 23 in ADAMS (NRC digital library), to defend their pitiful reasoning to extend the construction license based on a short list of reasons given by MOX Services:

“1. Questions asked by members of the public during discussion of CA extension and
associated administrative changes.

a.       Explain the good cause standard basis for extending the CA.

Answer provided: As outlined in the staff’s SER and confirmatory order to MOX
Services, the NRC evaluated the justification provided by MOX Services in their
request for an extension of the CA. The determination of “good cause” was based
on a combination of factors and the staff’s determination that the reasons provided
were beyond their control, are logical, and that the time requested is reasonable
based on the uncertainty of funding for construction.”

As shocking as it is, this is the best defense that the NRC can mount to defend its “good cause” determination.  The answer reveals just how poor the NRC’s regulation of the MOX plant is.

In sum, the “good cause” determination was feeble at best and reflects that the NRC will bend over backwards to accommodate MOX Services even when poor or no documentation is provided. 
The NRC’s biased and totally inadequate and incomplete process in making the bogus “good cause” determination reveals but one reason why the mismanaged and illogical MOX project is mired in deep trouble.

Filed Under: SRS Watch News

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Updates via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to updates and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • Workshop on Plutonium Pit Production PEIS & New Nuclear Weapons: May 22, 2025
  • News Flash! Lawsuit Compels Nationwide Public Review of Plutonium Bomb Core Production by DOE’s NNSA, May 9, 2025 Federal Register
  • Talk on SRS, the Nuclear Arms Race & Upcoming Meetings on Plutonium “Pit” Production – May 10, Columbia, SC & livestream archived
  • SRS & Growing Nuclear Weapons Role: Talks April 28 (Aiken, SC) – with linked presentation – and May 10 (Columbia, SC)
  • Excellent article on NNSA’s scheme to make new plutonium pits: “DOGE’s staff firing fiasco at the nuclear weapon agency means everything but efficiency,” April 16, 2025, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists

Categories

  • Events
  • Latest News
  • SRS Watch News

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014

SAVANNAH RIVER SITE WATCH
1112 Florence Street, COLUMBIA, SC 29201  | 803-834-3084  – srswatch@gmail.com

Footer

The information produced on this website is the sole property of SRS Watch unless otherwise noted and may be reproduced or quoted if credit is given to SRS Watch. Materials published on this website are for non-profit public interest purposes only. SRS Watch is a registered corporation in South Carolina and in December 2014 and has obtained non-profit 501(c)(3) public -interest organization status from the IRS. SRS Watch is responsible for all material published on this website. We strive to be accurate in all material produced. For inquiries, comments or corrections, please contact us at srswatch@gmail.com or 803-834-3084. Donations are most welcome and are tax deductible. Mailing address: Savannah River Site Watch, 1112 Florence Street, Columbia, SC 29201. This site or product includes IP2Location LITE data available from https://lite.ip2location.com.

©SRS Watch 2019  All Rights Reserved in All Media.