DOE issues Finding of No Significant Impact for the
Environmental Assessment on Resumption of Transient Testing of Nuclear Fuels
and Materials at Idaho National Laboratory
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has determined that
resuming transient testing of nuclear fuels and materials at
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) will not have a significant
impact on the environment and is an important tool for
advancing safe, economical, low carbon nuclear energy.
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act,
DOE today issued its final Environmental Assessment for the
Resumption of Transient Testing of Nuclear Fuels and
Materials (EA). Based on the analysis in the environmental
assessment and after consideration of public comments
received on the draft environmental assessment, DOE has
determined that resuming transient testing of nuclear fuels
and materials at the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT)
reactor at INL will not result in significant impacts to the
environment. Accordingly, DOE also released a Finding
of No Significant Impact for the preferred alternative
outlined in the EA. DOE published the draft EA for public
comment in November 2013. The public comment period
ran through January 10, 2014. The final EA and finding
is posted at the following link:
http://www.id.energy.gov/insideNEID/PDF/Final EA DOE_EA-1954 2014-2-27.pdf
Transient testing involves placing fuel or material,
either previously irradiated or un-irradiated, contained in
a test assembly into the core of a nuclear test reactor and
subjecting it to short bursts of intense, high-power
radiation. Transient testing has been a core component
of all nuclear fuels science, development and qualification
efforts since the 1950s. Transient testing data obtained
from testing in reactors including TREAT is still used today
for the current generation of fuels used in commercial power
reactors. The information supports the design and
operations of commercial power reactors and is also used to
regulate the industry. Introduction of new fuel
designs with improved performance, economics, and enhanced
safety features requires the resumption of this type of
testing.
“Re-establishing a U.S. transient testing research and
development capability at Idaho National Laboratory will
help our nation develop new, advanced, safer and more
efficient fuels that will generate additional quantities of
clean, reliable, economical electricity using nuclear power
reactors,” said DOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy
Pete Lyons. “This is part of the Energy Department’s
commitment to strengthening nuclear energy’s continuing
important role in America’s low carbon future.”
TREAT is an existing reactor at the INL that was
specifically designed to test nuclear fuel and materials
under transient high-power conditions. It began
operating in 1959 and was a principal reactor safety testing
facility in the U.S. for 35 years, safely performing over
2,800 transient tests on thermal and fast reactor fuels.
Since 1994, the reactor has been maintained in a safe
standby status.
Following this Finding of No Significant Impact, DOE will
begin the next step in the process to resume transient
testing. Initial activities at TREAT will be focused
on detailed evaluation of major TREAT Reactor systems and
components. Following these evaluations, DOE will
commence refurbishment and replacement of these systems and
components, as needed.
Editorial Date February 28, 2014
By Tim Jackson