Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Project »
Radioactive Waste Transportation
Proposed federal legislation calls for nuclear waste from shutdown plants to have new home
by 2021
by Lisa Janairo ~ May 2013 ~ Stateline Midwest »
Proposed legislation released on April 25 could pave the way toward solving a lingering problem for the nation’s nuclear energy industry — what to do with the waste. More »
Court ruling on spent nuclear fuel forces U.S. to reassess storage rules, environmental impact
by Ilene Grossman ~ October 2012 ~ Stateline Midwest »
In the Prairie Island Indian Community, some residents live as close as 600 yards from a facility storing highly radioactive spent fuel from a nearly 40-year-old nuclear power plant. The southeast Minnesota community has unwillingly become what state Public Utilities Commissioner David Boyd calls a “de facto storage site” for nuclear waste. And it is not alone. More »
Blue Ribbon Commission sets new path for nuclear waste policy
by Lisa Janairo ~ March 2012 ~ Stateline Midwest »
After two years of study, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear
Future has issued its final
recommendations for a new strategy for managing the nation’s high-level
radioactive waste.
Progress on the study had been closely monitored by two
CSG Midwest committees, both of which have worked to provide state officials in
the region with a voice on the future direction of U.S. policy. More »
CSG Midwest gives region's lawmakers change to voice views on future of nation's nuclear waste policy
by Ilene Grossman ~ November 2011 ~ Stateline Midwest
The Midwest has a big stake in America’s nuclear energy future. Eight of the region’s 11 states rely on this power source for electrical generation, nuclear waste is currently being stored at reactors across the Midwest, and the region will be in the middle of any plans to transport the nation’s spent fuel to facilities for storage or permanent disposal. More »
Nuclear energy: Disaster in Japan, new federal recommendations put renewed focus on key source of energy for region
by Lisa Janairo ~ MLC Annual Meeting Edition 2011 ~ Stateline Midwest
After a “methodical and systematic review” lasting nearly four months, a special task force of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has concluded that the nation’s nuclear plants “do not pose an imminent risk to public health and safety.”
The NRC organized the task force in the
aftermath of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan.
The work
of the task force was watched closely by state policymakers and regulators in
the Midwest, home to 30 operating nuclear power plants located in eight
different states. More »
Plan to boost states’ role in spent-fuel shipments is welcome, but more involvement still sought
by Lisa Janairo ~ July/August 2011 ~ Stateline Midwest
Proposed rules by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) would place more emphasis on the role of states in ensuring the security of shipments of spent nuclear fuel. More »
7 Midwestern states charge fees for radioactive waste and materials shipments
December 2010 ~ PDF of Flyer on State Fees »
By virtue of their location in the center of the U.S., the Midwestern states are frequently traversed by shipments of radioactive waste and materials. The state governments in the Midwest bear the responsibility for protecting the health and safety of the public and the environment within their borders. Training emergency response personnel, monitoring shipments, conducting inspections, and providing escorts are some of the ways states carry out this responsibility. To cover the costs of these and other activities, seven states in the Midwestern region have enacted fees on shipments of radioactive waste and materials. More »
CSG addresses presidential commission evaluating future of nuclear waste
by Lisa Janairo ~ December 2010 ~ Stateline Midwest
Last month, a U.S. presidential commission heard from Midwestern experts about radioactive-waste facility siting and transportation.
The Transportation and Storage Subcommittee of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future gathered in Chicago last month to learn about storing and transporting highly radioactive spent fuel from the nation’s nuclear power plants. More »
Latest planning guide for shippers now available
September 2010 ~ PDF of Planning Guide »
The "Planning Guide for Shipments of Radioactive Material through the Midwestern States" outlines the expectations of the Midwestern states for all shippers that transport spent nuclear fuel, high-level radioactive waste, transuranic waste, or highway route-controlled quantities of radioactive material through the region.