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U.S. spent fuel liability jumps to $44.5 billion
Nuclear Newswire ^ | Wed, Nov 27, 2024 | Staff

Posted on 12/01/2024 9:05:44 AM PST by Pontiac

The Department of Energy’s estimated overall liability for failing to dispose of the country’s commercial spent nuclear fuel jumped as much as 10 percent this year, from a range of $34.1 billion to $41 billion in 2023 to a range of $37.6 billion to $44.5 billion in 2024, according to a financial audit of the DOE’s Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF) for fiscal year 2024.

The estimated liability excludes $11.1 billion already paid out to nuclear power plant owners and utilities for the DOE’s breach of the standard contract for the disposal of spent fuel (10 CFR Part 961), which required the DOE to begin taking title of spent nuclear fuel for disposal by January 1998. Owners of spent fuel routinely sue the federal government for the continued cost of managing the fuel. The recovered costs are paid out from the Treasury Department’s Judgement Fund and not from the DOE.

According to the audit, conducted by the independent public accounting firm of KPMG, the liability estimate “reflects a range of possible scenarios” regarding the operating life of the current fleet of nuclear power reactors. The estimate is also based on when the DOE thinks it may begin taking spent fuel. In May, the DOE received initial approval (Critical Decision-0) for a consolidated interim storage facility for spent fuel that, if constructed, would be operational by 2046.

The Department of Energy Nuclear Waste Fund’s Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Statement Audit was released by the DOE Office of Inspector General on November 14.

The fund: The NWF, which was intended to finance the DOE’s disposal of spent fuel, had a balance of $52.2 billion as of September, according to the KPMG audit.

The NWF was funded through annual fees—initially, $0.001 for every kilowatt hour provided by a nuclear power plant—levied by the DOE on owners and generators of spent fuel. The DOE stopped collecting annual NWF fees, however, in 2014 following an order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which found that the DOE failed to justify the continued imposition of the fee following the suspension of the Yucca Mountain repository project.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: government; nuclearpower
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Please note that the article states that the Nuclear Waste Fund has $52.2 billion dollars. Another Federal Trust Fund exactly like the Social Security Trust Fund that in reality is no more than an accounting of Federal Debt. The Federal Government would need to take in more that $11 trillion dollars just to get back to good old BROKE.

Building a nuclear waste depository would be a good idea, and I am all for it, but the government needs to get back to good old broke.

If Trump is able to make BIG cuts in government maybe it can be done.

1 posted on 12/01/2024 9:05:44 AM PST by Pontiac
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To: Pontiac

Wasn’t the bald headed lipstick guy who stole all those suitcases so he could wear women’s clothing without having to pay for it the one who was in charge of the nuclear waste before he got arrested?


2 posted on 12/01/2024 9:13:10 AM PST by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: Pontiac

You had discussed the storage of nuclear waste with me earlier.

I had no idea that FedGov was now PAYING for extended storage because of failure to build a national storage site.

This sounds like a typical FedGov boondoggle, all the way around. As usual, the taxpayer, and in this case, rate payer is picking up the tab. I also don’t even want to think, with train wrecks like Ohio, how this waste was going to be shipped to a national repository.

I can’t help but notice that “too cheap to meter” isn’t even mentioned any more, either.


3 posted on 12/01/2024 9:17:55 AM PST by Empire_of_Liberty
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To: Pontiac

$50 billion? That’s probably 0.01% of what the “Green Energy” scam is costing us. And 0.1% of what the open borders are costing us.


4 posted on 12/01/2024 9:18:20 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (Republicans are the party that says ‘Government doesn’t work.’ Then they get elected and prove it.)
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To: Pontiac

They should just dump it in the Mariana Trench.


5 posted on 12/01/2024 9:29:27 AM PST by fruser1
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To: Cowgirl of Justice

Nope he was the head of the Department of Transportation (Pete Buttplug).

Jennifer Granholm is head of the DOE and responsible for Spent Fuel.


6 posted on 12/01/2024 9:32:16 AM PST by Pontiac (esse welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit.)
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To: Pontiac

Can the Nevada storage site be completed? The one Harry Reed trashed...


7 posted on 12/01/2024 9:33:59 AM PST by Texas_Jarhead
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To: Pontiac
Why doesn't the US gov just hire SpaceX to launch it off into deep space or into the sun. Why is that a problem.
8 posted on 12/01/2024 9:38:26 AM PST by Licensed-To-Carry (John 14:6 Romans 10:9 Hebrews 9:27)
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To: Pontiac

We just need to build a new reprocessing reactor for spent fuel rods and most of the problem will be solved.


9 posted on 12/01/2024 9:45:21 AM PST by ClayinVA ("Those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it")
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To: Cowgirl of Justice
Yeah....the bald guy in a dress


10 posted on 12/01/2024 9:46:32 AM PST by spokeshave (Proud Boys, Angry Dads. Grumpy Grandads & Curmudgeons)
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To: Licensed-To-Carry

Spent fuel rods can be reprocessed into new ones so they are still pretty valuable.


11 posted on 12/01/2024 9:46:46 AM PST by ClayinVA ("Those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it")
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To: Pontiac

Get rid of (Rockefeller butt boy) Jimmy Carter’s EO banning nuclear fuel reprocessing.

Problem solved.


12 posted on 12/01/2024 9:47:10 AM PST by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: Licensed-To-Carry

13 posted on 12/01/2024 9:49:40 AM PST by TexasGator (/')
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To: ClayinVA

But thanks to our greenie weenies, we can’t. France does plenty.


14 posted on 12/01/2024 9:50:02 AM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult (“History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes” - Possibly Mark Twain.)
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To: Pontiac

See the freak in post 10. He may have reported to Granholm, was in charge of spent fuel, believe it or not.


15 posted on 12/01/2024 9:52:27 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: spokeshave

I still wonder if it steals luggage as a hobby or just loves doing it.


16 posted on 12/01/2024 9:53:45 AM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult (“History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes” - Possibly Mark Twain.)
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To: Pontiac

This guy:

https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/non-binary-ex-biden-nuclear-official-who-stole-luggage-was-traveling-on-taxpayer-dime-report-says-department-of-energy-official-sam-brinton

“Brinton, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, previously served as the Biden administration’s “Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition.” “


17 posted on 12/01/2024 9:55:41 AM PST by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

It stole women’s luggage, further harming and traumatizing them.

The Bidet admin is nothing but a collection of freaks, Anti-Americans and criminals selected solely to ruin and embarrass America.


18 posted on 12/01/2024 9:57:17 AM PST by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: fruser1

“They should just dump it in the Mariana Trench.“

Do you want The Creature from the Mariana Trench?
Because that’s how you get The Creature from the Mariana Trench.


19 posted on 12/01/2024 10:18:57 AM PST by TalBlack (Time to use the Law and the Power. Good luck Mr. President.)
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To: Pontiac
Building a nuclear waste depository would be a good idea.

We already built and payed for it in Nevada where it currently sits empty.

20 posted on 12/01/2024 10:24:13 AM PST by usurper (AI was born with a birth defect.)
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