As Plans For Long-Term Storage Of Spent Nuclear Fuel Get Rejuvenated, Courtney Shares Support For Consent-Based Process From Eastern CT Towns And Stakeholders

Statement

Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) shared letters written to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) by the Town of Waterford, the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SSCOG), and the Decommissioning Plant Coalition in support of DOE's rejuvenated effort to establish a consent-based process for long-term spent nuclear fuel storage. The letters come following meetings Rep. Courtney held recently with towns and elected officials about the emerging path forward on spent nuclear fuel storage in the U.S., and the DOE's December 2021 issuance of a Request for Information (RFI) from impacted communities and stakeholders on a consent-based siting process that will be used to identify new long-term storage sites for the nation's spent nuclear fuel.

This program is funded by a $20 million appropriation from the FY 2021 budget, approved in December 2020. "Consent-based siting" has been used successfully in the countries of Finland and Sweden to safely store their nuclear waste.

Rep. Courtney is a member of the bipartisan House Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus and has long advocated for the removal of spent nuclear fuel and materials from local sites, like the decommissioned Connecticut Yankee plant in Haddam, and legacy materials from the Millstone plant in Waterford. The Caucus has a briefing by the Department of Energy regarding the RFI in late January. With the designation of Yucca Mountain as the permanent repository for all spent nuclear fuel currently stalled, DOE's effort to establish an interim storage plan in concert with consenting communities will help others--like the Town of Waterford--to utilize existing storage sites for other purposes. Click here to read more from John Moritz and the CT Post.

In the Town of Waterford's letter, First Selectman Rob Brule noted that the Millstone plant is "Connecticut's best option to achieve its carbon-neutral goals by 2040," and commended DOE for exploring a consent-based process to address nuclear fuel siting while urging consideration of a few key elements. Specifically, Waterford's comment letter stated:

"Waterford commends the U.S. Department of Energy for exploring a consent-based process to address long-term siting issues for nuclear fuel storage."

"As the host community for Millstone Nuclear Station since 1970, Waterford is specially positioned to comment on both the proposed consent-based process and community issues arising from the lack of a permanent Federal disposal site. Waterford is proud to support safe, long-term, carbon neutral energy production in Southeastern Connecticut. In partnership with the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG), and at the request of Congressman Joe Courtney, Waterford is pleased to provide comments on the Department of Energy's Request for Information […]."

"Waterford recognizes the need to address interim storage options, and favors a consent-based approach. The Town previously participated in CT Siting Council reviews to permit Horizontal Storage Modules (HSMs) at Millstone in support of ongoing plant operations. Enabling on-site storage was necessary but temporary step in the absence of a permanent Federal disposal site. Moving HSMs from Millstone to a Federal site would enable productive reuse of property at Millstone to further invest in infrastructure for carbon-neutral energy projects. Millstone is a critical component of State and regional power supply, and is Connecticut's best option to achieve its carbon-neutral energy goals by 2040. Enabling materials to be removed from Waterford will provide additional capacity to support clean energy operations proximal to existing infrastructure."

Waterford's letter went on to urge consideration of several key elements moving forward--including that communities should have a final and binding opportunity to refuse siting facilities within their jurisdictions, and that they be afforded opportunities to participate in the refining program beyond the March 4 RFI deadline.

To read the Town of Waterford's full letter, click here.

SCCOG also submitted a letter in response to DOE's RFI. Executive Director James Butler noted that SCCOG--which represents twenty-two municipalities--supports the position of the Town of Waterford, and that use of a consent-based process will enable existing local storage sites to be utilized more efficiently, while also providing for social equity and environmental justice.

"The Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG), representing 22 member municipalities, wishes to go on record in support of the position on this subject submitted to the Department of Energy by SCCOG member Town of Waterford First Selectman Rob Brule."

"The use of a consent-based siting process to establish interim storage sites, and hopefully an eventual final disposal site, will allow the relocation of spent nuclear fuel from reactor sites like Millstone, enabling property at nuclear reactor plants to be more efficiently utilized toward the generation and provision of this clean energy source. The use of a such a process will also allow for a well-planned and considered system of interim sites, which have been vetted by the host communities, and for which serious consideration of society equity and environmental justice issues has been made."

"The SCCOG furthermore agrees with and wishes to endorse recommendations made by its member Waterford, especially its position that under the proposed process, communities be provided a final right of refusal as to where these interim storage sites are located if on non-Federal land. The SCCOG also concurs with Waterford's concern that a permanent location of the nation's spent nuclear fuel could be further delayed due to issues similar to those encountered at Yucca Mountain, and therefore the selected and community-approved interim sites should be conceived and constructed for the long term."

To read SCCOG's full letter, click here.

The Decommissioning Plant Coalition (DPC), which represents members like Connecticut Yankee, also submitted a response to DOE's RFI, and expressed support for the Department's newly rejuvenated effort:

"[…] the DPC has long been supportive of efforts to develop public or private centralized interim storage (CIS) capacity as a critical component of an integrated spent nuclear fuel(SNF) and high-level nuclear waste (HLW) management program."

"The need for a successful consent-based siting process has become increasingly evident over the past two decades […]. Although our companies safely manage this material and will continue to do so as long as SNF remains on our site, it is not without additional and in some cases unnecessary burden. This failure has not only exacerbated the government's liability for its partial breach of contract but has imposed a burden on the communities in which our plants formerly operated, a burden for which their consent was never requested or granted."

"[…] Given our expectation that this effort will result in the continued storage of SNF/HLW at our sties for a decade or more, we reiterate our belief that the DOE should exercise authority under existing contracts to prioritize the removal of the material indefinitely stranded at our sites."

To read the DPC's full letter, click here.

Courtney has worked across the aisle to develop alternate strategies for addressing the pressing problem of removing spent nuclear fuel from local communities. For example, in 2018 Courtney helped pass bipartisan legislation which, for the first time, authorized a consolidated interim storage program that will allow stranded nuclear waste stored in local communities to be moved to a remote location before a permanent repository is completed. 

In 2020, he helped lead a request to the House Appropriations Committee requesting funding for developing interim storage plans in the FY 2021 budget. The program was ultimately funded at $20 million in the final FY 2021 spending package passed in December 2020, and is now being used to initiate this process.

Courtney also shared an information paper with local towns and stakeholders outlining the latest developments on the issue and the process underway. Click here to read that information paper.

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