The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is quietly moving toward licensing a Centrus facility in Piketon, Ohio to produce “high-assay low- enriched uranium” (HALEU). Why the secrecy?
HALEU is 5% to 20% enriched in uranium-235, which can be just below the level called highly enriched (or more proliferation concern). A claim exists that the HALEU will be for so-called “advanced reactors” but that may just be a dream. As part of the licensing of the Centrus High-Assay Low-Enriched Demonstration Project, the NRC appears to be preparing a draft Environmental Assessment in secrecy. Given the claimed importance of the HALEU issue and proliferation concerns, we believe that a redacted version of the draft EA must be released for public comment.
SRS Watch to the NRC on March 6, 2021 – no response as of March 9, 2021:
To: Jean Trefethen
Environmental Project Manager
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
From: Tom Clements, Savannah River Site Watch
I hereby request that the public be allowed to comment on the draft Environmental Assessment on the Centrus High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) Demonstration Project in Piketon, Ohio.
The matter of HALEU production and use of HALEU is of such near-term and long-term importance that comments from the public must be solicited in developing HALEU-related projects.
As it appears that the drat EA has been prepared in secrecy, I also request that the NRC now make a statement as to the status of preparation of the draft EA on the Centrus High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Demonstration Project and explain why the document is being prepared, it appears, without public participation or knowledge.
If the draft document contains any form of proprietary or classified information, I request that a version without such information be released for comment.
If the document will not be released for public comment I request an explanation as to why that might be the case.
I further request that this request be made part of the draft EA record for the Centrus High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Demonstration Project.
—–
NRC email posted in the NRC’s digital library (ADAMS) on March 5, 2021, confirming the draft EA is being prepared. Is DOE a cooperating agency in preparation of the EA?
https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML21057A257
From: Trefethen, Jean <Jean.Trefethen@nrc.gov>
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2021 11:12 AM
To: Poole, Elizabeth <Poole.Elizabeth@epa.gov>
Cc: Westlake, Kenneth <westlake.kenneth@epa.gov>; Coflin, Monika <Monika.Coflin@nrc.gov>
Subject: Draft EA for Centrus HALEU Demonstration
Hello Elizabeth,
Attached please find the draft EA for the Centrus High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium
(HALEU) Demonstration Project, located in the Piketon Ohio. Please submit any comments
you may have within 30 days of receipt by responding to Ms. Jessie Quintero via email at
Jessie.Quintero@nrc.gov, and cc me. If you have any questions or concerns please call
(301-415-0867) or respond to this email.
The draft EA is not publicly available and is limited for use by the staff of the EPA Region V
and should not be disclosed without prior NRC permission. The attached document is
encrypted and will require a password to open. I will send you a separate email with the
required password. Thank you in advance for your review.
Kind regards,
Jean Trefethen
Environmental Project Manager
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
301-415-0867
——
See DOE factsheet, but take it with a grain of salt: “What is High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU)?” – https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/what-high-assay-low-enriched-uranium-haleu
Recalling the November 5, 2019 Centrus news release “Centrus Finalizes Three Year Contract to Demonstrate HALEU Production,” with quote by CEO Dan Poneman, the June 23, 2020 news release of Centrus – “NRC Accepts Centrus Energy Application for License Expansion” – and the DOE’s August 4, 2020 post “Department of Energy Preps to Fuel Advanced Reactors” on preparation of HALEU for “advanced reactors,” it’s not surprising that the NRC is preparing an Environmental Assessment to go with the license application for HALEU production at Piketon (by Centrus & TerraPower, for the “Natrium Power Storage System”. (Natrium as in sodium, for sodium-cooled…)
Why the secrecy by the NRC? Scrub out the confidential stuff and release the draft EA for public comment!