Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Locations and Inventory

Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Locations and Inventory

Order Code RS22001
Updated December 21, 2004
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Locations
and Inventory
Anthony Andrews
Specialist in Industrial Engineering and Infrastructure Policy
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Summary
Spent nuclear fuel is principally stored at 83 locations throughout the United States,
including reactor storage pools, independent spent fuel storage installations, national
laboratories, and defense weapons sites. Additional sites include university research and
training reactors. The104 commercial nuclear generating units1 licensed to operate in
31 states discharge over 2,000 metric tons2 of spent fuel annually. The total inventory
could approach 54,000 metric tons at the end of 2004. This report will be updated when
new statistics become available.
Commercial Spent Fuel Generation
A typical fuel rod used in commercial nuclear power reactors consists of uranium
dioxide pellets surrounded by zirconium alloy cladding. The uranium oxide pellets consist
of 3-4% fissionable3 uranium-235, and a balance of nonfissionable U-238. An individual
fuel assembly consists of arrays of fuel rods. The Energy Information Administration
(EIA) notes 131 reactor fuel assembly types on its Nuclear Fuel Data Survey Form.4 The
assemblies range in weight from ~70 kilograms uranium for a boiling water reactor5 to
~464 kilograms uranium for a pressurized water reactor.6 During the sustained chain
reaction in an operating reactor, the U-235 splits into highly radioactive fission products,
1 There are currently 69 pressurized water reactors (PWR) and 35 boiling water reactors (BWR)
licensed to operate in the United States. U.S. Nuclear Reactors, U.S. Department of Energy,
Energy Information Administration, at [http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/nuc_reactors/
reactsum.html], viewed Nov. 29, 2004.
2 A metric ton (1,000 kilograms) is approximately equivalent to 2,200 pounds.
3 The splitting of the nucleus of a heavy atom into two lighter nuclei.
4 Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy, Nuclear Fuel Data Survey Form
RW-859 (OMB No. 1901-0287).
5 Humboldt Bay Assembly Class.
6 Babcock & Wilcox 15 x 15 Assembly Class.
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CRS-2
while the U-238 is partially converted to plutonium-239 by neutron capture, some of
which also fissions. Further neutron capture creates other transuranic elements.7
Commercial nuclear power reactors are refueled on a frequency of 18 to 24 months.
During refueling, approximately one-third of the fuel (spent nuclear fuel) is replaced. The
spent fuel is moved to a storage pool adjacent to the reactor to allow for thermal cooling,
and decay of short-lived radionuclides. Due to the limited storage capacity at some
reactor pools, reactor operators may transfer cooled spent fuel to specially designed casks
licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for dry storage.
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations
The NRC has licensed 30 independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs) in 23
states.8 Most of ISFSIs use dry cask storage and are co-located at the reactor site. The
General Electric Company operates a wet pool ISFSI in Morris, Illinois (GE Morris
Operation), that stores commercial spent fuel from a number of reactors. Private Fuel
Storage, LLC (PFS), a group of eight electric utility companies that have partnered with
the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians, has applied for an NRC license to build and
operate an ISFSI on the Indian Tribe’s reservation in Skull Valley, Utah.
Federal Facilities
Federally generated spent fuel originated from nuclear weapons production, the naval
reactor program, and Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored research programs. The
spent fuel remains in interim storage at the Savannah River, Hanford, and Idaho National
Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) defense sites.9 Small quantities also
remain at the Argonne, Brookhaven, and Sandia National Laboratories, and various
university research reactors. The DOE operates the ISFSI for the former Fort St. Vrain
High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor in Colorado.
In comparison with commercial power reactor fuel, the Navy’s nuclear-powered
warships use highly enriched U-235 fuel in reactors that can operate without refueling for
their approximate 30-year life-cycles. The 103 naval reactors taken out of service are
almost equal in number to those currently operating. Approximately 65 metric tons of
spent fuel has been generated by the naval reactor program, which up until 1992 had been
reprocessed to remove highly enriched uranium, plutonium-239, or other transuranic
elements for reuse in the nuclear weapons program. Since 1992, approximately 9 metric
tons of naval spent fuel has been transferred to INEEL for interim storage.10
7 Transuranic refers to elements with atomic numbers higher than that of uranium (92 protons).
These include neptunium (93), plutonium (94), americium (95), and curium (96).
8 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2004-2005 Information Digest, Figure 42 — Licensed
Operating Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations.
9 Appendix A, Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and
High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (2002).
10 Detailed information obtained through specific request to the National Spent Nuclear Fuels
(continued...)

CRS-3
Spent Fuel Inventory at End of 2002
A total of 49,401 metric tons spent fuel had been discharged by commercial and
federal-related activities by the end of 2002, based on data compiled by the Energy
Information Administration11 and the National Spent Nuclear Fuels Program.12 (This does
not include spent fuel that had been reprocessed to remove plutonium for weapons
programs.) Commercial reactor storage pools separately accounted for 41,564 metric tons,
and ISFSIs (mostly co-located at reactor sites) accounted for another 5,363 metric tons.
Federal and other sites (national laboratories, defense sites, university research reactor and
industrial reactors) made up the balance of 2,474 metric tons (reported at 2003’s year
end). The data are displayed geographically in Figure 1 and summarized in Table 1. An
additional ~20 metric tons of foreign research reactor fuel is scheduled to be eventually
added to the overall inventory.13 University research reactor spent fuel is discussed in the
final section of this report.
Projected Inventory at End of 2004
No authoritative estimate of the spent fuel inventory exists for the end of 2004. EIA
reported 38,418 metric tons14 of commercial spent fuel discharged at 1998’s year-end, and
47,023 metric tons at 2002’s year-end. Averaging that difference over the four-year
period, commercial reactor facilities annually discharged 2,152 metric tons of spent fuel.
Projected on that basis, the cumulative amount of spent fuel from commercial and federal
activities could approach 54,000 metric tons by the end of 2004. The operation and
performance of individual reactors would affect this projection.
10 (...continued)
Program at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, available at [http://
nsnfp.inel.gov/snfData.asp], viewed Nov. 30, 2004.
11 Energy Information Administration Form RW-859, “Nuclear Fuel Data” (2002). Note that the
EIA reports an aggregate total of 47,023.4 metric tons spent fuel discharged from commercial
reactors over the period of 1968 to 2002; 46,268 metric tons stored at commercial reactor sites,
and 755.4 metric tons stored away from reactor sites. EIA does not distinguish between reactor
pool and ISFSI dry storage, or publish data on individual reactors. Refer to EIA Spent Nuclear
Fuel Data, Detailed United States as of December 31, 2002, at [http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/
nuclear/spent_fuel/ussnfdata.html], viewed Dec. 8, 2004.
12 National Spent Nuclear Fuels Program (see footnote 10).
13 The Record of Decision on a Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning Foreign
Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel was issued by the Department of Energy on May 13, 1996.
Implementing this policy will involve acceptance of up to approximately 140 cubic meters or 19.8
metric tons heavy metal of spent fuel and target material from foreign research reactors. The
acceptance duration is 13 years from May 13, 1996.
14 Energy Information Administration EIA, Prior Years 1998 Table, at [http://www.eia.doe.gov/
cneaf/nuclear/spent_fuel/ussnfdata.html], viewed Nov. 24, 2004.

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Figure 1. Reactor Storage Pools, Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations, Federal, and Other Sites
(numbered labels refer to facilities in Table 1)

CRS-5
Table 1. Reactor Storage Pools, Independent Spent Fuel Storage
Installations, Federal, and Other Sites (2002)
Facility
Assemblies
MT
Facility
Assemblies
MT
1. Arkansas Nuclear One
AK P
1,517
666.7 46. Shearon Harris Nuc Pwr Plnt
NC P
3,814
964.5
I
552
241.4 47. Cooper Nuclear Station
NE P
1,537
278.6
2. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant
AL P
6,696 1,230.2 48. Fort Calhoun Station
NE P
839
305.0
3. J M Farley Nuclear Plant
AL P
2,011
903.8 49. Seabrook Nuclear Station
NH P
624
287.2
4. Palo Verde Nuc Gen Station
AZ P
2,747 1,157.8 50. Hope Creek Gen Station
NJ
P
2,376
431.5
5. Diablo Canyon Power Plant
CA P
1,736
760.9 51. Oyster Creek Generating Sta
NJ
P
2,556
455.9
6. GE Vallecitos Nuc Center
CA I fragments
0.2
I
244
47.6
7. Humboldt Bay Power Plant
CA P
390
28.9 52. Salem Nuc Generating Sta
NJ
P
1,804
832.7
8. Rancho Seco Nuc Gen Station
CA I
493
228.4 53. Sandia National Laboratory
NM F
503
0.3
9. San Onofre Nuc Gen Station
CA P
2,490 1,013.3 54. Brookhaven National Lab
NY F
40
<0.1
10. Fort St. Vrain Power Station
CO F
1,464
14.7 55. JA Fitzpatrick Nuc Pwr Plant
NY P
2,460
446.5
11. Connecticut Yankee Atom Pwr CT P
1,019
412.3
I
204
37.2
12. Millstone Nuc Power Station
CT P
4,558 1,227.9 56. Indian Point Energy Center
NY P
2,073
903.6
13. Crystal River Nuc Power Plant FL P
824
382.3 57. Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station NY P
4,456
801.6
14. St. Lucie Nuc Power Plant
FL P
2,278
870.7 58. R E Ginna Nuclear Power Plant NY P
967
357.4
15. Turkey Point Station
FL P
1,862
851.7 59. Davis-Besse Nuclear Pwr Sta
OH P
749
351.3
16. AW Vogtle Electric Gen Plant GA P
1,639
720.8
I
72
33.9
17. EL Hatch Nuclear Plant
GA P
5,019
909.3 60. Perry Nuclear Power Plant
OH P
2,088
378.4
I
816
151.2 61. Trojan Nuclear Power Plant
OR P
780
358.9
18. D Arnold Energy Center
IA
P
1,912
347.9 62. Beaver Valley Power Station
PA P
1,456
672.9
19. Idaho National Eng & Env
ID
F
93522
299.3 63. Limerick Generating Station
PA P
4,601
824.0
Lab
20. Argonne National Lab East
IL
F
78
0.1 64. Peach Bottom Atm Pwr Sta
PA P
5,905 1,062.7
21. Braidwood Generating Sta
IL
P
1,485
628.7
I
1,020
190.3
22. Byron Generating Station
IL
P
1,786
756.4 65. Susquehanna Steam Elec Sta
PA P
4,240
738.4
23. Clinton Power Station
IL
P
1,580
288.8
I
1,300
238.5
24. Dresden Generating Station
IL
P
5,698 1,009.2 66. Three Mile Island Nuc Station
PA P
898
416.1
I
1,155
146.9 67. Catawba Nuclear Station
SC P
1,780
782.4
25. GE Morris Operation
IL
I
3,217
674.3 68. HB Robinson Steam Elec Plt
SC P
344
147.9
26. LaSalle County Gen Sta
IL
P
4,106
744.6
I
56
24.1
27. Quad Cities Gen Station
IL
P
6,116 1,106.5 69. Oconee Nuclear Station
SC P
1,419
665.8
28. Zion Generating Station
IL
P
2,226 1,019.4
I
1,726
800.4
29. Wolf Creek Gen Station
KS P
925
427.3 70. Savannah River Defense Site
SC F
9,657
28.9
30. River Bend Station
LA P
2,148
383.9 71. VC Summer Nuclear Station
SC P
812
353.9
31. Waterford Gen Sta
LA P
960
396.4 72. Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant
TN P
1,699
782.6
32. Pilgrim Nuclear Station
MA P
2,274
413.9 73. Watts Bar Nuclear Plant
TN P
297
136.6
33. Yankee Rowe Nuc Power Sta
MA I
533
127.1 74. Comanche Peak Steam Elec Sta TX P
1,273
540.7
34. Calvert Cliffs Nuc Pwr Plt
MD P
1,348
518.0 75. South Texas Project
TX P
1,254
677.8
I
960
368.1 76. North Anna Power Station
VA P
1,410
652.7
35. Maine Yankee Atomic Pwr Plt ME I
1,434
542.3
I
480
220.8
36. Big Rock Point Nuc Plt
MI I
441
57.9 77. Surry Power Station
VA P
794
365.4
37. D C Cook Nuclear Plant
MI P
2,198
969.0
I
1,150
524.2
38. Enrico Fermi Atomic Pwr Plt
MI P
1,708
304.6 78. Vermont Yankee Gen Station
VT P
2,671
488.4
39. Palisades Nuclear Pwr Sta
MI P
649
260.7 79. Columbia Generating Station
WA P
1,904
333.7
I
432
172.4
I
340
61.0
40. Monticello Nuclear Gen Plant MN P
1,342
236.1 80. Hanford Defense Site
WA F
110,140 2,128.9
41. Prairie Isl. Nuc Gen Plt
MN P
1,135
410.3 81. Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant WI P
904
347.6
I
680
262.3 82. La Crosse Nuclear Gen Station
WI P
333
38.0
42. Callaway Nuclear Plant
MO P
1,118
479.0 83. Point Beach Nuclear Plant
WI P
1,353
507.4
43. Grand Gulf Nuclear Station
MS P
3,160
560.2
I
360
144.1
44. Brunswick Stm Elec Plt
NC P
2,227
477.4 Other: University & Industry
F
4,834
1.7
45. W B McGuire Nuc Sta
NC P
2,232 1,001.1
I
160
68.6
Combined Total
383,653 49,401.2
Reactor Pool
P
145,589 41,564.1 Sources: Energy Information Administration, and DOE
ISFSI
I
17,826 5,363.2 National Spent Nuclear Fuels Program
Federal and Other
F
220,238 2,473.9
MT: metric ton (1,000 kg)

CRS-6
The planned nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, NV, has been scheduled
to receive 63,000 metric tons commercial spent nuclear fuel and 2,333 metric tons DOE
spent-fuel.15 The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 10101) prohibits disposal of more
than the equivalent of 70,000 metric tons in the Yucca Mountain repository until a second
repository is constructed. The balance of the 70,000 metric tons would be made up of the
high-level waste equivalent of defense-related reprocessed spent fuel.
University Research and Industry Spent Fuel
University research reactors, in aggregate, reported approximately 1.5 metric tons
of spent fuel. A few domestic reactors used for industrial purposes reported another 0.2
metric tons. Depending upon the facility, the spent fuel may either be pool or dry stored.
The fuel elements in the generic General Atomics TRIGA16 research reactor are initially
enriched to 20% uranium-235 as compared to 3%-4% in commercial PWR and BWR
fuel elements. Unlike conventional fuel, the fission rate of TRIGA fuel decreases with
rising temperature (an inherent design safety feature). Twenty universities use this type
of reactor. Other research reactors may use fuel with even higher uranium-235
enrichment. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) registers research reactors
throughout the world that are either operating, operationally shut down, or
decommissioned (decontaminated and dismantled).17 Of the 65 U.S. university reactors
registered with IAEA, 26 are operating, 12 are shut down, and 27 are decommissioned.
The 24 U.S. university reactors reported to the National Spent Nuclear Fuels Program are
listed in Table 2. Shut down reactors intended for decommissioning could increase the
spent fuel total.
Table 2. University Research Reactors Reporting Spent Fuel
University of ArizonaO
AZ
North Carolina State UniversityO
NC
University of California (Irvine)O
CA
State University of New York (Buffalo)S
NY
University of California (Davis)O
CA
Cornell UniversityO
NY
University of FloridaO
FL
Ohio State UniversityO
OH
University of Illinois (Urbana)D S
IL
Oregon State UniversityO D
OR
Purdue UniversityO
IN
Reed CollegeO
OR
Kansas State UniversityD
KS
Pennsylvania State UniversityO PA
Massachusetts Institute of
TechnologyO
MA
Rhode Island Nuclear Science CenterO RI
University of Massachusetts (Lowell)O
MA
University of Texas (Austin)D
TX
Worcester Polytechnic Institute*
MA
Texas A&MO
TX
University of Michigan*
MI
University of UtahO D
UT
University of MissouriS
MO
University of WisconsinO
WI
Source: National Spent Nuclear Fuels Program
O: operating D: decommissioned S: shut *: unknown status
15 Appendix A — Inventory and Characteristics of Spent-fuel, High Level Radioactive Waste, and
Other Materials; Final Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the
Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye
County, Nevada, DOE/EIS-0250 (February 2002).
16 Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics.
17 International Atomic Energy Administration, Nuclear Research Reactors in the World, at
[http://www.iaea.org/worldatom/rrdb/], viewed Dec. 8, 2004.