1956 |
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) - Provides inducements and invites proposals from private industry to operate nuclear fuel reprocessing plants |
1961 |
NYS Office of Atomic Development - Acquires 3,345 acres in Western New York through eminent domain |
1962 |
Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) is selected to reprocess fuel at West Valley and begins construction of the facility |
1963 |
State-Licensed Disposal Area (SDA)
- Opens as second commercial venture by NFS
- Receives radioactive wastes from around the nation
- Is regulated by New York State
|
1963-1975 |
SDA Waste
- 2.4 million cubic feet is disposed in 14 disposal trenches on 15 acres
|
1966 |
NRC-Licensed Disposal Area (NDA)
- NFS buries waste on site from its nuclear fuel reprocessing operations
- Licensed by AEC/NRC as part of fuel reprocessing license
- Received radioactive wastes from fuel reprocessing plant
|
1966-1986 |
NDA Waste
- 360,000 cubic feet of waste disposed of in 239 holes and 12 trenches in 5.5 acres
|
1966 |
Fuel Reprocessing License Issued by AEC to NFS as operator |
1966-1972 |
Fuel Reprocessing Operations
- Recovered uranium and plutonium from 640 metric tons of spent fuel (60 percent of spent fuel came from U.S. Government nuclear weapons reactor)
- Experienced many operational problems
- Discharged more radioactivity than expected
- Produced 600,000 gallons of liquid high-level waste
- Contaminated fuel reprocessing buildings, soil, groundwater and surface water
|
1972 |
NFS "Temporarily" Shuts down reprocessing plan to modify and expand operations |
1973-1976 |
AEC Adopts Significant New Regulatory Criteria for Seismic and Tornado Safety, Waste Disposal and Radiation Safety |
1976 |
NFS decides to withdraw from nuclear fuel reprocessing business |
1977 |
President Carter announces end of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing |
1977-1978 |
Congress directs DOE to study options for cleanup of West Valley and allocation of responsibilities |
1980 |
WVDP Act is signed by President Carter: Federal Government pays 90% of Project costs, NYSERDA pays 10% |
