The Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee (MRMTC) will hold its annual Fall Meeting in Bismarck, North Dakota in October. Whilst we originally believed the meeting could be confined to a single day marathon, it is now clear that the agenda requires 1.5 days to properly discharge. Please join us in North Dakota on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 8 and October 9.

In other news, Mark Linsley of Department of Energy's Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (US DOE/TEPP) and MRMTC co-chair Tad Rumas of Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUCO) hosted a TEPP Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training (MERRTT) course at Ohio Emergency Management Agency (EMA) on August 13 and 14. The Local Fire departments, response teams, PUCO Enforcement, and Ohio EMA staff in attendance were able to take the complex topic of a radiological accident response and break it down into easily understood modules and hands-on practical exercises. The class covered topics such as radiation basics and effects, radioactive material, packages, radiological survey instruments, and decontamination techniques for handling radiologically contaminated victims. The course was a huge success, and you can visit https://teppinfo.com/ to learn more about TEPP/MERRTT and how to bring this training to your community.

Also in August, Fernando Flores-Carlos (Indiana Department of Homeland Security) attended the Transportation Security Unified Stakeholders Group (TSUSG) Annual Meeting in Buffalo, NY. This year's conference was themed "Security through Cooperation," allowing members and guests to network and share transportation security ideas. The conference offered keynote speakers from the U.S. Customs Border Protection, Canada Border Services Agency, Office of Radiological Security, and many more. Topics ranged from cyber security, emerging transportation threats, and industry cross-border carriers such as Bennett and Nordion. The conference concluded with a tour of the Customs Border Protection Operations. TSUSG is actively growing and seeking membership. For more information about TSUSG contact Melissa Shahzadeh (CSG Midwest).

Photo courtesy of TEPP/MERRTT

The National Transportation Stakeholders Forum (NTSF) hosted a webinar on August 22 focusing on the history of the Nuclear Ship (NS) Savannah, which was the first nuclear-powered merchant ship in the American fleet. She was removed from active service in 1972 and decommissioned by the Maritime Administration of the Department of Transportation. The decommissioning included the transport of the radioactive reactor vessel across the U.S. If you were unable to attend the webinar, the slide deck and the recording can be found on the NTSF website here.

On August 09, a Save the Date announcement was distributed to the NTSF email correspondence list for the 2025 Annual Meeting of NTSF. The meeting will run from May 19 - 22, 2025 and will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2025 meeting is being hosted by our partners at the Western Interstate Energy Board (WIEB). The meeting venue will be the Paris Las Vegas, located in the heart of the Las Vegas strip and yet conveniently located only 10 minutes from Nevada's Harry Reid International Airport. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us in Las Vegas in May 2025.

The Importance of Communication: The short road between frustration and outrage.

The Detroit News published an article on August 19 entitled "Evans Outraged as Wayne County Picked for Manhattan Project Low-level Radioactive Waste." Wayne County Executive Warren Evans is the "outraged" fellow mentioned in the title.

The waste that is central to this story is a result of the cleanup efforts at the Niagara Falls Storage Site in Lewiston, NY. Last August 2023, WIVB 4 News reported the Buffalo District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) "announced [that it had] awarded a $40 million contract to Enviro-Fix Solutions for the removal and off-site disposal of what it described as low-level radioactive material." According to that same source, radioactive wastes and residues from uranium ore processing begun in 1944 were stored at the site in Lewiston, and materials were consolidated at that location until 1952. Initial cleanup began in 1986. The work for Phase 1, again according to WIVB 4, involves removing contaminated soil and groundwater from the site. Phases 2 and 3 will involve "removing radioactive waste from the Interim Waste Containment Structure (IWCS), an underground vault that stores over 250,000 cubic yards of waste and residue."

On August 19 of this year, it was announced that Wayne Disposal Inc. in Van Buren Township, Michigan, will accept the "low-level radioactive soil and concrete" from Phase 1 of the cleanup of the Lewiston site. The site manager for the USACE Buffalo District, Brent LaSpada, explained: "If you're going to ship material and do it (with) the safest route possible, do it in the most concise manner. Western New York to Michigan just makes sense for this material." According to the Detroit News, this shipment was approved by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). An EGLE spokesperson said "the materials destined for Wayne Disposal are soils and rubble that contain residual radioactivity from uranium processing during World War Two. The waste destined for Wayne Disposal is exempt from federal radioactive material disposal requirements and has concentrations well below those allowed in their license."

According to the Detroit News, whilst Mr. Evans "expressed frustration about the waste," he and "other Wayne County officials and some state lawmakers representing Metro Detroit were outraged about the shipment in part because they weren't notified about it." (italics added for emphasis). Michigan's U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell stated: "This decision has raised significant concerns among residents of Southeastern Michigan, particularly in light of previous controversies surrounding hazardous waste shipments to the area. The lack of advance notice to local officials and the public has only heightened anxiety about the potential risks associated with transporting such materials through our communities."

Additionally, state Rep. Reggie Miller stated that she was in contact with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and Michigan's congressional delegation. She explained, "This is not the first time Wayne Disposal Inc. and Michigan Disposal Inc. have taken hazardous waste from other states -- like always, it is absolutely necessary to protect our community's right to safety, most certainly when it comes to the transportation of hazardous materials via our public roads and into our landfills."

This Detroit News article underscores the importance of transparency and open communication with local community leaders, if not the wider public, in advance of shipping campaigns. Community leaders are described as "frustrated" about the waste shipments due to the fact that they do not wish to see "Wayne County [become] the dumping ground for what no one else wants" -- which seems a reasonable posture for a community harboring mistrust borne of previous controversies surrounding hazardous waste shipments to the area. Those same community leaders, however, are described as "outraged" by the lack of notification. The road between "frustration" and "outrage" is short and treacherous indeed.

Melissa Shahzadeh (CSG Midwest) virtually attended a Wayne County Public Meeting held on August 27 in which county commissioners, elected officials, representatives from EGLE, and members of the public gathered to discuss these shipments. The public sentiment ranged from indignant to cautiously circumspect to deeply fearful, whilst the elected officials did indeed seem outraged that decisions had been made by the Federal government (USACE) and EGLE to transport hazardous materials into Wayne County without those officials being informed thereof. One official repeatedly indicated that he understood the State has no legal basis to refuse receipt of the shipments but that does not mean officials of the State should learn of the shipping campaign from the local media.

This issue is central to the MRMTC's work in anticipation of future shipping campaigns of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), and this is an opportunity to learn from USACE's handling of communication. USACE's representative said they will not notify communities along shipping routes "because it would be a large number of notifications." This decision has caused "outrage," where convenience has apparently been prioritized over transparency. The lesson here seems to be that people want to know what is being transported through and into their communities, and they want to know in advance. Therefore, I would like to applaud the Department of Energy (DOE), the state regional groups (SRGs), our Tribal partners, and the MRMTC on our collective efforts to ensure that communities are part of the dialogue surrounding future SNF shipments. It appears our outreach and communication efforts just became that much more essential in the state of Michigan. Read the full Detroit News article here.

Photo courtesy of Discover Down River

News of Note

Sutherland, Nebraska Identified as Prospective SMR Site

The village of Sutherland, Nebraska has been identified as one of 16 different sites that will advance to Phase 2 of the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) Next Gen Nuclear Survey. The Gerald Gentleman Station, the largest electricity generating plant in Nebraska that is owned and operated by NPPD and consists of two coal-fired generating units that entered service in 1979 and 1982, is located south of Sutherland. KNOP News 2 reported on residents' opinions about possibly hosting an SMR in future and suggested that most voices seem to be positive, as residents are keen to ensure economic growth and development for the village. NPPD will visit Sutherland during the next two years to meet with residents and answers questions about "nuclear power... and the benefits it provides." KNOP News 2 also confirmed that a decision will not be made regarding whether Sutherland will be one of the communities to advance to the next phase of nuclear deployment for at least two years, as the NPPD wants to ensure "Sutherland [residents have] plenty of time to decide if nuclear energy is right for them."

2024 World Nuclear Performance Report Released

The World Nuclear Association announced the publication of the 2024 World Nuclear Performance Report. Key highlights quoted from the article include:

• "Global nuclear electricity generation rose to 2602 TWh in 2023, up from 2544 TWh in 2022, providing 9% of the world’s electricity—second only to hydropower among clean energy sources."
• "France, this summer’s Olympics host, was powered by over 60% nuclear electricity, on average, thanks to the return to service of French reactors, contributing an additional 42 TWh."
• "The global capacity factor reached 81.5% in 2023, up 1% from 2022, reflecting the consistent strong performance over the past 20 years. Reactor performance remains high regardless of age."
• "In 2023, nuclear reactors helped avoid 2.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from equivalent coal generation— that’s more than the annual emissions of almost every individual country, with only China, the US and India having higher national CO2 emissions."
• "64 reactors in 15 countries are currently under construction, while over 20 new entrant countries, such as Ghana, Poland and the Philippines, are at various stages of developing policies to enable construction of their first nuclear plants."

The full report is available for download here.

Constellation Rezones Property Near Byron Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear Newswire reported on August 26 that the Ogle County Board approved a zoning change to the 524 acres around the Byron nuclear power plant located in northern Illinois. Whilst originally designated as agricultural, the land is now zoned as industrial. This change is likely to result in "very positive things that could happen up and around the nuclear plant," according to Board Member Dan Janes. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It will generate millions of dollars... We want to enhance economic development and generate new income." Constellation, the owner of Byron nuclear power plant, describes the rezone approval as "a win for taxpayers and a positive step for future business development in the county."

According to the article, "Byron is one of six plants in Illinois operated by Constellation, which owns the nation's largest nuclear fleet. Byron and other Illinois plants were at risk of premature retirement several years ago due to economic constraints in the energy market. In 2021, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act to overhaul the state's energy policies and aid the Byron, Braidwood, and Dresden nuclear plants. The dual units in Byron are licensed to operate until 2044 and 2046."

Photo courtesy of Bloomberg.com