Platts - Tuesday, December 27, 2005 
http://www.platts.com

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Costs swell for MOX faciity, says DOE's IG

Washington (Platts)--23Dec2005

The cost estimate for DOE'S mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel plant has risen
significantly since the department reported to Congress in 2002 that the plant
would cost about $1-billion to design and construct, DOE Inspector General
Gregory Friedman said in a report released today. As of July 2005, the cost
estimate was about $3.5-billion, Friedman said. DOE managers agreed with the
report's recommendations for procedural reforms but disputed some points,
including the way Friedman calculated the cost increase. The MOX fuel
fabrication facility, to be built at the Savannah River Site in South
Carolina, is part of DOE's program to make reactor fuel out of surplus weapons
plutonium. The report is available on the inspector general's Web site
(http://www.ig.doe.gov/pdf/ig-0713.pdf).

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NRC renews Point Beach licenses

Washington (Platts)--22Dec2005

NRC has renewed the operating licenses for Point Beach-1 and -2, the agency
announced today. With the 20-year extensions, unit 1 can operate until 2030
and unit 2 can run until 2033. Both units are 523-MW PWRs. The plant is owned
by We Energies and operated by Nuclear Management Co. The Point Beach renewals
bring the total number of renewals to 39 units, NRC said.

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PG&E to pay fine for Humboldt Bay-3 violations

Washington (Platts)--21Dec2005

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) will pay a $96,000 fine for violations at
Humboldt Bay-3, a company spokesman said today. NRC staff proposed the civil
penalty for violations related to PG&E's 2004 disclosure that it could not
locate three 18-inch fuel rod segments removed from the reactor in 1968.
Humboldt Bay-3 was permanently shut down in 1976. The segments have not been
found. The company believes they may still be in the pool, but in fragments;
an NRC inspection team said it believes they were most likely inadvertently
shipped to a low-level radwaste disposal site. In a press release today, NRC
Region IV Administrator Bruce Mallett said the agency is confident that PG&E
has taken appropriate corrective actions to ensure it will maintain an
accurate inventory of spent fuel pool contents.

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