Don't Waste South Carolina

Say No To Being the Nation's Nuclear Dump

Barnwell By The Numbers PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Monday, 19 March 2007
Numbers Explanation
1 Penny possible increase in consumers' bills if the utilities are charged higher disposal costs to make up the company's claimed shortfall after 2009. If Barnwell is important to SC utilities, they can assume the slight financial burden and stick to the Compact compromise.
1.2 Million cubic feet of remaining capacity remains at the site, which is not adequate for the 800,000cf guaranteed for future use by Connecticut and New Jersey plus the 1 million estimated for South Carolina's own use.

Number of low level nuclear waste disposal sites owend by Energy Solutions: Barnwell accepts A, B & C waste, while Utah allows only the lowest level A waste.
3 Total number of low level nuclear waste sites in the US. Hanford site in Washington is the third and accepts only A, B & C waste from 11 Northwest states.
3rd Time that SC has considered backing off its plan to limit waste to fewer states: 1st is 1992, 2nd in 1995, when SC pulled out of the Southeastern Compact, and now.
5 Feet separation required by DHEC between the bottom of Barnwell's disposal trenches and the historical water table. In 1993/94 and 1998, the water table has risen to the bottom of closed disposal trenches.
12 Number of nuclear power plants in the Atlantic Compact states of SC, NJ and Conn. $300,000 additonal payment per plant represents no more than .3% of each plant's operating cost and could finance the company's claimed shortfall.
12 Million dollars ($12,000,000) was paid by NJ and Conn to the Compact for an economic development fund for Barnwell County. $10.5 million of this "pay-off" has already been accepted by the County.
12+ Million dollars was paid from Barnwell revenues to the Education Endowment Fund last year, of which roughly $8 million went to K-12, a mere blip of the billions appropriated for K-12 education.
27 Million cubic feet of nuclear waste buried at Barnwell of the 30 million authorized, which leaves 3 million cf to assure space for SC's nuclear industy in the future.
29 Percent profit on allowable costs (determined by the PSC) that SC guarantees the operator of the Barnwell site.
51 Employees currently employed at the disposal site. As volumes are reduced after 2008, employees may be reduced to 25, but the company now admits that its claimed shortfall can be reduced by $1.37 million by then paying many employee salaries from the $90 million Barnwell Extended Care Fund.
95 Percent of the total waste at Barnwell from out-of state. 99% of the nation's B&C waste is buried in SC, practically on the banks of the Savannah River.
98 Percent of the nation's commercial Low Level Waste curies were buried at Barnwell in 2006.
100 Acres currently owed by the state for the Barnwell site. If the Energy Solutions does not want to contiue opeations, the state can contract with a new operator.
400 Percent increase of waste volume proposed by H3545 (from 10,000 cf projection after 2008 to 40,000 for 15 years). The current law ensures that the site will be open for at least 50 more years to enable parts from SC's decommissioned plants to be buried responsibly.
8,000 Cubic feet of out-of-compact waste advocated by Studsvic lobbyists as more "moderate" approach. In reality, this restricted quantity favors Studvic's processing faciliy in Tennessee which could reduce the volume of the nation's 40,000 cf of waste generated annually by 5 times. Radioactivity is not reduced, however, meaning that 8,000 cf would be equally as hazardous as 40,000 cf.
13,000 Cubic yards of tritium contaminated soil were removed and replaced by Chem Nulcear in 1999 from the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church adjacent to the site.
SC had done its fair share for 36 years. It's time to finally stick to the current law.
 
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