News Release 5/22/03
Contact: Sue Martin
801-532-5322 or
801-209-3062
Licensing Board Agrees - PFS
Facility Will Withstand Earthquakes
SALT LAKE CITY (May 22, 2003)
- Today Private Fuel Storage (PFS) received a vote of confidence
from the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, which issued a 372-page
decision that the proposed facility for temporarily storing spent
nuclear fuel in Skull Valley, Utah, is properly designed to withstand
earthquakes that might occur there.
The ruling stated "[W]e
find that the Applicant has met its burden of proof on all .
. . seismic-related issues. Although the State presented thoughtful,
valuable evidence that tested many aspects of the Applicant's
presentation, the Applicant's position essentially withstood
that scrutiny. "The Board's decision went on to note that
the "extensive exploration of those questions in the hearing
should provide reassurance to the State's citizens that the merits
of the Applicant's proposal have been thoroughly scrutinized."
"We are very pleased with
this decision," said PFS Chairman John Parkyn. "We
were able to show through our detailed studies of the geology
of the area and testimony about the robust design of the facility
that a likely earthquake would cause little damage, and the consequences
would be well within federal health and safety standards. In
fact, we believe that if a major earthquake were to occur in
the area, our facility would be far safer than interstate highway
bridges and other important buildings and structures in Salt
Lake City."
Today's ruling is the second
of four decisions the ASLB must make before it can recommend
that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issue a license for PFS
to build and operate the temporary storage facility. Its first
ruling, issued on March 10, 2003, expressed concerns about the
probability of a military airplane crash at the site and offered
PFS options for addressing those concerns or appealing the ruling.
PFS announced on March 31, 2003, that it will pursue all options
- an appeal to the NRC Commissioners, hearings to address ASLB
concerns, and a request to the ASLB to consider a license conditioned
on a smaller site size.
"I'm glad that we are getting
these issues resolved," said Leon Bear, Chairman of the
Skull Valley Band of Goshutes Indians, which is leasing reservation
land for the proposed facility. "This decision brings us
one step closer to the approval of a license and an opportunity
for our people who will be able to participate in the construction
and operation of the facility."
Private Fuel Storage is a consortium
of nuclear utility companies that pooled resources to license,
construct, and operate a centralized temporary facility to store
spent nuclear fuel for up to 20-40 years, until the proposed
permanent federal repository at Yucca Mountain, NV, is ready
to accept the spent fuel stored at the facility. PFS signed a
lease with the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians in 1997 to
use 820 acres of its reservation for the 100-acre facility. In
June 1997, PFS submitted its application to the NRC.
The spent fuel is now stored
in pools or dry storage containers at each power plant, many
of which will run out of on-site storage capacity before Yucca
Mountain is completed. To keep their plants operating at levels
that meet growing electricity needs, the utilities must have
other interim storage options. In addition, many utilities are
currently spending millions each year to maintain storage pools
at plants that are no longer operating but cannot fully decommission
until they can move their spent fuel off site.
For further information about
the PFS facility and its history, visit www.privatefuelstorage.com.
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