DOE Seeks Input on Future of Brookhaven High Flux Beam Reactor

Concern from environmentalists, local citizens and scientific users of the facility has prompted the Department of Energy to set up a public process to address the fate of the High Flux Beam Reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The department intends to solicit public input on its decision whether or not to restart the reactor, which has remained closed since the discovery of a tritium leak, apparently from its spent fuel storage pool (see FYI #74 .)

A decision by Energy Secretary Federico Pena about restarting the reactor is not scheduled to be made until early 1998. In the “DOE Action Plan for Improved Management of Brookhaven National Laboratory,” dated June 1997, the Department outlines the decision process for restarting the reactor. This section of the plan is quoted in its entirety below:

* * * * * 6.0 Involve the Local and Scientific Communities in Deciding the Future of the High Flux Beam Reactor The [April] Oversight Report did not address the future of the High Flux Beam Reactor. However, the local community and the scientific community expressed interest in a decision. As a consequence, the timeline and factors for reaching a decision are provided in this report. The High Flux Beam Reactor is a nuclear reactor built in the 1960s for use in various types of research. Today, it is still one of the best U.S. research centers for neutron scattering and a valuable tool for the study of materials, including those relevant to the Department’s missions. At the time of the discovery of a tritium plume in the groundwater south of the High Flux Beam Reactor spent fuel pool, the High Flux Beam Reactor had been shut down for refueling. Restart of the High Flux Beam Reactor will require expenditures for safety and environmental upgrades, including those to specifically ensure no future contamination of the groundwater. The Secretary [of Energy, Federico Pena] will decide the future activity of the High Flux Beam Reactor and direct the preparations for an appropriate environmental review process. A decision on whether to restart the High Flux Beam Reactor must balance (1) the value of the science information produced using the High Flux Beam Reactor, (2) the cost of required safety and environmental upgrades, and (3) any community concerns about future reactor operations. The Director of the Office of Energy Research [Martha Krebs] will make a recommendation to the Secretary taking into consideration (1) input from the public to be obtained through public hearings, (2) input from the contractor [when chosen] regarding reactor safety, and (3) the advice of the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee. The latter will consider the future of the High Flux Beam Reactor in the context of other operating neutron sources and reasonable future year budget scenarios. The Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology will assist in preparing the recommendation with respect to reactor safety considerations. Community input will be sought through a series of public fora to be held near the Brookhaven site. The views expressed by local government officials, community groups and individual citizens will be summarized for input to the Department’s decision making process. [DOE’s Proposed Timeline for Decision on the High Flux Beam Reactor:] Date Milestone Lead 7/97- Basic Energy Sciences [Office of] 10/97 Advisory Committee Energy Research Evaluation 11/97 Basic Energy Sciences [Office of] Advisory Committee Energy Research Recommendations 11/97 New contract awarded DOE Brookhaven Group 11/97- Conduct Public Meetings DOE Brookhaven 12/97 Group 12/97 Contractor Input Contractor, BNL 1/98 Recommendation [Office of ] to Secretary Energy Research * * * * * The Action Plan notes that “A detailed implementation plan will be [presented to Pena and] released on July 15, 1997 after public comments on this document have been received.” See FYI #74 for information about providing comments.