Nuclear Issues at Western New York Nuclear Service Center

During the 6 years of its operation, the Western New York Nuclear Service Center at West Valley, New York, generated about 600,000 gallons of high-level liquid nuclear waste. This waste, spent fuel, and solid low-level nuclear waste are safely maintained at the site along with the equipment and structures contaminated during reprocessing. Because solid wastes are safer to store, a program to convert these wastes to a final solid form should begin now. Currently, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are conducting programs to allow the wastes at West Valley to be converted to solid form, but none are completed. DOE estimated costs for site clean-up ranged from $41.6 million to $1.1 billion. The most acceptable cleanup option, estimated to cost $180 million, would convert the high-level liquid waste to a solid form and place it in a repository, keep the emptied high-level liquid waste tanks on the site, dismantle the plant and other facilities, and provide extended care for the NRC- and State-licensed burial areas. Selecting the most practical clean-up option can only be accomplished after the State and Federal Government reach an agreement on who is responsible for West Valley. GAO believes the Federal Government should pay part of the cleanup costs, because it encouraged the initial development of the site, took steps to increase its operating cost through increased safety requirements, and then indefinitely deferred commercial reprocessing through a national policy decision. The State could agree to reopen the spent-fuel storage facility and the low-level waste burial ground. Such a joint agreement would allow DOE and NRC to provide technical resources as well as help the State assess the safety of its low-level waste and spent-fuel storage facilities and the feasibility of bringing those facilities back into use. The State, DOE, and Nuclear Fuel Services, the firm which had operated the plant, oppose this proposed solution because they believe each issue should be considered on its own merits. The issues involved at West Valley provide an opportunity for an innovative solution with national, regional, and State benefits.