Energy Department moves forward with application for new disposal cell in Nye County

The U.S. Department of Energy is moving forward with plans to construct a new cell for mixed low-level waste at Area 5 of the Nevada National Security Site.

The Energy Department submitted a permit modification request to the state of Nevada for the construction of a new mixed low-level waste disposal cell in 2016 and received six public comments during its December meeting in Pahrump.

Scott Wade, the assistant manager for environmental management at the Nevada National Security Site field office, said that the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection is currently requesting public comment on a proposed permit modification. The public comment ends today .

“Only if we are issued a modification of a permit, will we be able to start the dirt work and proceed with construction,” Wade said.

The existing cell is going to reach its capacity in mid-2018. It was opened in 2011 after it was permitted by the state of Nevada for 900,000 cubic feet of waste.

In Nye County, the proposed cell will be double-lined and have an approximate design capacity of 1.3 million cubic feet. According to the documents, approximately 83,000 cubic feet of waste is expected each year, a volume that would fill about 70, 20-foot cargo containers.

A closer look

Area 5 is on the site’s southeast corner, outside Mercury near the Clark County and Nye County line. The proposed cell would be located near the existing cell on the eastern side of the Nevada National Security Site in Area 5 at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex.

The disposal of low-level waste from the Energy and Defense departments sites at the security site has been going on for more than 50 years. No commercial waste has been disposed of at the security site, formerly known as the Nevada Test Site.

Wade said even if granted permission to construct the cell, the Energy Department will have to follow a strict set of rules.

“If they issue us a construction authorization, that doesn’t just turn us loose, we have to build it according to the design, we have to come back and inspect it again and then authorize to operate it. … There will be multiple opportunities to make sure that we remain accountable for waste disposal after,” Wade said.

The proposed permit modification has an administrative record that contains the documents and information the Division of Environmental Protection uses in deciding to approve or deny the proposed permit modification.

If the permit is approved and no written appeal received within 10 days, then permit becomes effective immediately and DOE may commence with construction.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77