US Diffusion Plant Handover Plans Approved
From World Nuclear News
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved plans by USEC to return the remainder of the Portsmouth gaseous diffusion enrichment plant to the Department of Energy (DoE). Meanwhile, the ‘standstill agreement’ for USEC’s American Centrifuge Plant has been extended by one month.
USEC is preparing to terminate the lease under which it assumed operation of the plant from the DoE in 1993. The main process buildings were transferred back to DoE control in September 2010, and USEC is preparing to transfer the remainder of the facility, including NRC-regulated material, back to the DoE. At that point, the DoE will take over regulation of the plant and NRC regulation will no longer be necessary. NRC says it will terminate the plant’s Certificate of Compliance once it has received and verified certification from USEC that all material has been transferred to DoE’s possession and proper accounting of all safeguarded nuclear material has been ensured.
