Xcel Energy 2015 Annual Report Download - page 29
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Monticello Spent Fuel Storage - Dry Shielded Canisters — In the fall of 2013, NSP-Minnesota’s Monticello nuclear generating plant
conducted a spent fuel loading campaign which resulted in five storage canisters being loaded and placed in the ISFSI and a sixth one
being loaded but remaining in the plant pending resolution of weld inspection issues. Successful pressure and leak testing has
demonstrated the safety and integrity of all six canisters involved. In December 2013, the NRC initiated an investigation to determine
whether two contractor technicians at Monticello deliberately failed to follow procedure in performing Non-Destructive Examinations
(NDE) on the six spent fuel storage canisters (Dry Shielded Canisters #11-16) in accordance with procedural requirements and to
determine whether the contractors falsified records when recording the NDE results. The investigation determined that the two NDE
contractors deliberately violated NRC requirements. NSP-Minnesota has taken several actions to assure that compliance with the
NRC’s regulations and Monticello’s storage license can be demonstrated. In October 2015, NSP-Minnesota and the NRC participated
in an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) session on this matter.
In December 2015, the NRC issued a confirmatory order formally approving a settlement reached through the ADR process in which
NSP-Minnesota agreed to a timeline for attaining compliance on all six canisters as well as additional training and communications.
As a result, the NRC will not issue a notice of violation or impose a civil penalty to NSP-Minnesota for this matter, and will consider
the terms of its order as an escalated enforcement action for a period of one year from its issued date. NSP-Minnesota has filed an
exemption request with the NRC for the completion of the final canister #16, which is anticipated to be acted upon in 2016. Costs
attributable to the six canisters achieving full regulatory compliance within five years, as agreed to in the settlement, are currently
being evaluated. No public safety issues have been raised, or are believed to exist, related to handling of spent nuclear fuel at
Monticello in regard to this matter.
LLW Disposal — LLW from NSP-Minnesota’s Monticello and PI nuclear plants is currently disposed at the Clive facility located in
Utah and Waste Control Specialists facility located in Texas. If off-site LLW disposal facilities become unavailable, NSP-Minnesota
has storage capacity available on-site at PI and Monticello that would allow both plants to continue to operate until the end of their
current licensed lives.
High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal — The federal government has the responsibility to permanently dispose of domestic spent
nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive wastes. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act requires the DOE to implement a program for
nuclear high-level waste management. This includes the siting, licensing, construction and operation of a repository for spent nuclear
fuel from civilian nuclear power reactors and other high-level radioactive wastes at a permanent federal storage or disposal facility.
Nuclear Geologic Repository - Yucca Mountain Project
In 2002, the U.S. Congress designated Yucca Mountain, Nevada as the first deep geologic repository. In 2008, the DOE submitted an
application to construct a deep geologic repository at this site to the NRC. In 2010, the DOE announced its intention to stop the Yucca
Mountain project and requested the NRC approve the withdrawal of the application. In 2010, the ASLB issued a ruling that the DOE
could not withdraw the Yucca Mountain application.
The DOE’s decision and the resulting stoppage of the NRC’s review has prompted multiple legal challenges, including the DOE’s
authority to stop the project and withdraw the application, the DOE’s authority to continue to collect the nuclear waste fund fee and
the NRC’s authority to stop their review of the DOE’s application.
In August 2013, the D.C. Court of Appeals ordered the NRC to complete their review of the DOE’s application to construct the Yucca
Mountain repository. In November 2013, the NRC complied by issuing an order to the NRC Staff to complete and publish a safety
evaluation report on the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear spent fuel and waste repository. The NRC Staff completed and published
its Safety Evaluation Report in January 2015. The NRC also requested that the DOE prepare a supplemental environmental impact
statement (EIS) so the NRC Staff can complete its review. A supplement to the DOE’s EIS was published in August 2015.
In November 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals ordered the DOE to suspend the collection of the nuclear waste fund fee from nuclear
utilities and to recommend to Congress that the nuclear waste fund fee be set to zero. In January 2014, the DOE sent its court
mandated proposal to adjust the current fee to zero, which Congress approved in May 2014.
At the time that the DOE decided to stop the Yucca Mountain project and withdraw the application, the U.S. Secretary of Energy
convened a Blue Ribbon Commission to recommend alternatives to Yucca Mountain for disposal of used nuclear fuel. In January
2012, the Blue Ribbon Commission report was issued. In January 2013, the DOE provided its report to Congress relative to their
plans to implement the Blue Ribbon Commission’s recommendations including the required legislative changes and authorizations.
The report also announced the Obama Administration’s intent to make a pilot consolidated interim storage facility available in 2021, a
larger consolidated interim storage facility available in 2025 and a deep geologic repository available in 2048.