Two public meetings have been scheduled to discuss the environmental review process for the Surplus Plutonium Disposition program, an alternative to the nixed Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site.
The first virtual meeting is set for 5-9 p.m. Monday. The second virtual meeting is set for 7-11 p.m. Tuesday. Each can be attended by phone, tablet or computer; exactly how to connect can be found on the Department of Energy’s website. Before the coronavirus pandemic, these sort of meetings were held in person.
The National Nuclear Security Administration last month announced its intent to produce an environmental impact statement for the disposition project, of which SRS is a pivotal player.
Dilute-and-dispose, sometimes referred to as downblending, is a means to dispose of plutonium. The intricate process involves converting the dangerous material into an oxide, adulterating it, and shipping the mixture to southeastern New Mexico for entombment at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a repository resembling a salt mine.
The Savannah River Site plays a central role in the equation, alongside Los Alamos National Laboratory in northern New Mexico and the Pantex Plant in northern Texas.
The point of the end-of-January meetings is to receive feedback and input to help determine the scope of the forthcoming study. Many more steps need to be taken before the review of potential environmental impacts is finalized and a decision is made.
Public comments will be accepted through Feb. 1, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration. Comments can be sent by email, to [email protected], or by mail, to Jeffrey Galan, NEPA document manager; NNSA Office of Material Management and Minimization, Savannah River Site; P.O. Box A, Bldg. 730-2B, Room 328; Aiken, S.C. 29802.
The Aiken County Council earlier this month endorsed the Surplus Plutonium Disposition program, describing the Savannah River Site and its thousands-strong workforce as “perfectly positioned” for such an undertaking.
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