The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to hold an informational meeting on April 29 on nuclear waste containment in light of the pending closure of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant.

There are now about 7,560 metric tons of high-level radioactive waste fuel stored at Pennsylvania’s nuclear power plants that would be dealt with if one or more nuclear power plants closed. 

Exelon filed a required decommissioning plan with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on April 5 saying it would not begin dismantling Three Mile Island if it did close for 55 years.  Spent radioactive fuel would be moved to a new dry cask storage facility onsite by the end of 2022.

A federal bankruptcy judge recently rejected FirstEnergy’s bankruptcy plan in part because it would have allowed the company to walk away from its responsibilities for its coal and nuclear power plants, including Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania.

Providing for long-term care of high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants is a federal government responsibility at public expense, but so far no strategy is in place.

Nuclear power plants have contributed about $40 billion to the federal government over the years to develop the long-term, security storage strategy for high-level waste.

This issue has come up in Senate and House hearings on legislation to add nuclear power to the state's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Program.

The meeting will be held in Room 60 East Wing of the Main Capitol starting at 9:00 a.m..  Click Here to watch the meeting online.

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-783-1707 or sending email to: dmetcalf@pahousegop.com. Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net.

(Photo: Dry cask storage system for spent radioactive fuel at decommissioned Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, Nuclear Regulatory Commission.)

NewsClips:

Thompson: TMI Nuclear Plant Closure Would Take Plant Off-Line In Fall; But Decommissioning Would Continue For Decades

Maykuth: Where Will Nuclear Waste Go After Three Mile Island Shuts Down?

Maykuth: Company Will Acquire NY Nuclear Power Plant Just To Demolish It

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DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee Meets April 23 On PA Greenhouse Gas Inventory; Final Climate Action Plan Update Due Any Time

Senate Democratic Policy Committee Holds April 23 Hearing On Methane Emissions, Climate Change In Pittsburgh

House Democratic Policy Committee Holds April 22 Montgomery County Hearing On Future Of Nuclear Energy

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Presenters At Senate Nuclear Power Hearing Agree: Putting A Price On Carbon Would Solve Nuclear’s Issues; PA Has Most Expensive Proposal To Support Nuclear Power

Supporters, Opponents Of Nuclear Power Bill Get Their Talking Points On Record At First House Hearing

Lawmakers Supporting Bipartisan Expanded Renewable Energy Standards Announce Senate, House Bills

Sen. DiSanto To Introduce Bill Aiding Communities Impacted By Power Plant Closures

[Posted: April 15, 2019]

4/22/2019