Despite troubles, SC nuclear fuel plant gets new 40-year operating license

A South Carolina nuclear fuel factory, which supplies many of the nation’s atomic power plants, gained approval Monday from the federal government to operate another 40 years, despite a legacy of environmental and safety problems.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted Westinghouse Nuclear a long-anticipated license to continue operating during the next four decades at the site it has occupied since 1969 southeast of Columbia

Critics of the plant had argued that the license should either be turned down or, at the very least, not be extended for a full 40 years because of the trouble Westinghouse has had following pollution and nuclear safety rules.

Groundwater on the property is tainted by a variety of compounds, including radioactive material, and the site is near a largely African American community that depends on wells for drinking water.

None of the pollution has left the site, officials say, but neighbors have said they remain worried. Meanwhile the plant has in recent years failed to properly manage nuclear material, at times, to ensure workers are not exposed to bursts of radiation.

While problems have been a source of discussion, the license renewal was expected since the NRC signed off on an environmental study recently that recommended approval. The study said only small to moderate impacts to the environment could be expected by keeping the plant operating.

In addition, the NRC said Monday that a separate safety review concluded that the company’s programs ensure safe operation of the factory during the next four decades.

“The staff did not identify safety risks or new processes or technologies that might introduce new safety concerns,’’ the agency said in a late afternoon news release. “The staff also considered the company’s safety performance and efforts to mitigate onsite contamination, with oversight by South Carolina (regulators), before renewing the license.’’

A Westinghouse news release said the company is glad about the NRC’s decision. The new license will be good until 2062. The company says it is working to address issues at the factory.

“We are very pleased with NRC’s renewal of our license for an additional 40 years,” said Patrick Fragman, president and chief executive officer at Westinghouse. “The Columbia fuel fabrication facility plays a vital role in fueling the global operating nuclear fleet while also assuring United States energy independence.

“Looking to the future, we are proud to continue generating safe, clean and sustainable energy in South Carolina as a flagship facility in our global nuclear fuel portfolio.”

Tom Clements, a nuclear safety watchdog who has tracked the licensing process, expressed disappointment. Clements said that, even though two separate environmental studies were conducted, he has the sense the approval was planned by the NRC all along.

“It’s no surprise,’’ he said. “They have totally ignored public concerns about a 40-year operating license and all the events that have taken place over the last years. It makes it look like this was a done deal.’’

The Sierra Club issued a statement Monday night also condemning the decision. The club called it “pure speculation’’ that the impacts of a license renewal would be small to moderate.

Environmentalists favored a shorter licensing period. A 20-year license was considered by the NRC but ultimately not chosen.

Since 1980, more than 40 environmental and safety problems have been linked to the plant, The State reported last month.

Among those were leaks of nuclear material through the plant floor and the buildup of uranium in an air pollution control device, a major concern that could have exposed workers to radiation. Some of the site’s groundwater pollution had existed for years, unknown to state and federal regulators.

The Westinghouse plant is vital to supplying the nation’s fleet of nuclear power plants. The company makes atomic fuel rods at the Bluff Road facility. It is one of only three nuclear fuel plants of its kind in the country. It also is a major economic player in the Columbia area, employing nearly 1,000 people.

Nuclear fuel produced at Westinghouse supplies about 10% of the country’s electricity, the company says.

The plant is located on Bluff Road, just a few miles from Congaree National Park and the Congaree River.

Dave Gasperson, a spokesman for the NRC, said in an email the agency has done all it can to assess the environmental impacts of continuing to operate the plant. Gasperson said Westinghouse must add new procedures to clean up and assess contamination. The NRC also will require Westinghouse to provide environmental and monitoring data to the federal agency for review after state regulators, the email said.

“The NRC determined that there is reasonable assurance that the activities authorized by the license can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public,’’ the email said.

This story has been updated with more information from the NRC and a statement from the Sierra Club