Saturday, July 26, 2014

Laser enrichment work slows down: Tell NRC: No to license!

 

 

Comments:  I hope the whole industry dies, not needed and not needed, no to nukes!

Published: Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 4:21 p.m.
Note: This is a corrected version. The original incorrectly described the effect of the suspension on contract workers.
Global Laser Enrichment is slowing its uranium enrichment efforts until market conditions improve.

Global Laser said it will consolidate development activities at GE Hitachi's Castle Hayne headquarters, suspending most contractor-based work on the laser enrichment technology licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in September 2012.

That means the assignments of two dozen contract workers in Castle Hayne will be concluded in coming weeks, spokesman Jon Allen said. About 40 will be dropped when the project facility near Oak Ridge, Tenn., is placed in a safe storage mode.

A brief statement said Global Laser "remains optimistic about the technology and will continue to negotiate with the U.S. Department of Energy on the opportunity in Paducah, Kentucky."

Just before Thanksgiving, the Energy Department said Global Laser Enrichment has been selected to negotiate the purchase of depleted uranium tails stored at Paducah.

Should the talks be successfully completed, Global Laser said at the time, it will seek a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license to build a facility to extract natural uranium from the tails.

In January, Global Laser told the NRC the company expected to submit the license application for the Paducah facility by September in hopes of approval by November 2016.

In late May, Silex said the talks have "taken a little longer than we expected."

With weeks to go until its January target, Global Laser says only the talks continue.

The company also has not described the "market conditions" that led to its decision.

AREVA, which has an NRC license to build an enrichment facility in Eagle Rock, Idaho, puts it this way:
Metro desk: 343-2384
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20140724/ARTICLES/140729783?Title=GE-slowing-down-laser-work