NRC Clears Limerick Power Plant Waste Shipments

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved a request by Exelon Nuclear to begin transporting "low level" radioactive waste from the to the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in York County, the company confirmed this afternoon. Exelon owns both power plants.

The "low level" radioactive waste materials consist mostly of rags, tools, disposable scrubs and similar materials that have potentially been contaminated with radiation, according to April Schilpp, a spokesperson for Exelon Nuclear. The material will be stored at the Peach Bottom site for an indefinite period of time prior to its disposal.

The company previously transported the materials to a site in South Carolina. In 2008, the company that owns that facility was ordered by that state's government to refuse radioactive waste shipments not originating in South Carolina, New Jersey or Connecticut. Since then, the material has been stored on-site at the Limerick plant.

Both the Limerick and Peach Bottom sites have storage capacity for this type of radioactive waste, but the Peach Bottom facility has more, Schilpp said.

Until the NRC's approval of Exelon's request, the Peach Bottom facility was not licensed to accept waste originating from any other site.

The material will be transported in sealed containers via truck, Schilpp said.

According to a report in the York Daily Record, the Limerick facility will retain responsibility for the waste transferred to Peach Bottom, and the company must ultimately transfer all the material at Peach Bottom to a disposal facility.