Humboldt Bay

1.0 Site Identification

2.0 Site Status Summary

Humboldt Bay, Unit 3 was a 65 MWe boiling water reactor plant located 4 miles southwest of Eureka, CA. The plant operated commercially from 1963 to 1976. On July 2, 1976, Humboldt Bay Power Plant (HBPP) Unit 3 was shut down for annual refueling and to conduct seismic modifications. In 1983, updated economic analyses indicated that restarting Unit 3 would probably not be cost-effective, and in June 1983, PG&E announced its intention to decommission the unit. On July 16, 1985, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Amendment No. 19 to the HBPP Unit 3 Operating License to change the status to possess-but-not-operate, and the plant was placed into a SAFSTOR status. SAFSTOR is the decommissioning method in which a nuclear facility is placed and maintained in a condition that allows the safe storage of radioactive components of the nuclear plant and subsequent decontamination to levels that permit license termination. In December 2003, PG&E formally submitted a license application to the NRC for approval of a dry-cask Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) at the Humboldt Bay site. A license and safety evaluation for the Humboldt Bay ISFSI were issued on November 17, 2005. The transfer of spent fuel from the fuel storage pool to the ISFSI was completed in December 2008, and limited decontamination and dismantlement of HBPP Unit 3 decommissioning commenced.

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

In 2010 the construction of a new power generation facility on site was completed. Radiological surveys of the area of the new plants were performed by the licensee. The NRC, with staff from ORISE, performed confirmatory surveys prior to construction. The licensee has begun decontamination and dismantlement of the non-nuclear Units 1 and 2 as well as the nuclear Unit 3.

4.0 Estimated Date For Closure

12/31/2015