Issues Related to the Closing of the Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., Reprocessing Plant at West Valley, New York

The West Valley, New York, nuclear reprocessing plant operated by Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., was the only commercial reprocessing facility operating in the United States. The plant was closed in 1972. While the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) believes that the waste tanks at West Valley are in good condition, estimating tank life is unpredictable. The waste tanks may not meet current NRC seismic criteria. Physicial and chemical characteristics of the high-level waste sludge contained in the tanks are not completely known, and removal of the sludge presents a large problem. Technology is being developed for solidifying and disposing of nuclear waste, but such information will not be available for several years. It is unlikely that the West Valley plant will ever operate again because of: (1) substantial costs ($615 million) needed to expand plant capacity and to meet NRC standards; and (2) the plant design may not be susceptible to modifications to lower radiation exposure to workers. No plans have been developed to decommission the West Valley Site; the State of New York is ultimately responsible for managing and disposing of radioactive waste.