The National Nuclear Fuel Cycle Summit on April 2-5, 2012 in Carlsbad, NM Provides Information, Free Registration for Members of the Media

    CARLSBAD, NM, March 28, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In the 1950's, nuclear energy was hailed as a savior to a country with growing energy needs. That is still true today to many nations. Nuclear energy produces no carbon or volatile emissions, it is fairly cheap to produce, and its fuel is fairly abundant around the world.

However, it may seem to some that the American nuclear industry is in serious trouble. The uranium mining industry in the United States faces significant regulatory and legislative challenges to access our nation's large reserves. The United States produces more nuclear power than any other nation in the world, but has not built a new power plant in over three decades. The U.S. nuclear power industry is still responding to the political fallout created by the Fukushima disaster. With the shutdown of the Yucca Mountain project in Nevada, the nation must turn elsewhere to deal with its nuclear waste created by nuclear weapons production and by the commercial production of nuclear power.

Meanwhile other nations like China and France are moving forward with cutting-edge, aggressive nuclear power production programs. France gets 80% of their power from nuclear and has been recycling their spent fuel for the last decade with more expansion on the way. China plans over 60 new nuclear plants in the next twenty years to meet its population's growing demand.

To this end, President Obama created the non-partisan, Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future to study our problems in the above mentioned areas and come up with recommendations to address each issue. It became apparent that one of the largest issues facing the industry revolved around the end of the fuel cycle- the waste. In February, the BRC issued their final recommendations to Congress and the President. The BRC's first recommendation is that the government use a consent-based approach toward the siting of all future nuclear waste locations.

Highlighted throughout the recommendations were references to a little-known federal site near Carlsbad, New Mexico, called the Waste Isolation Pilot Project or WIPP. WIPP is the western hemisphere's only permitted and operating permanent nuclear waste underground repository. Originally designed and built for high level waste and spent nuclear fuel, WIPP was designated the nation's repository for intermediate level defense-generated radioactive waste called Transuranic (TRU) waste in the late 1980's. WIPP has been safely and uneventfully operating for 13 years. WIPP transports TRU waste from across the country to be permanently interred in the thick salt beds almost half a mile underground in the desert near Carlsbad. The project is doing so well that it is on an accelerated timetable hoping to finish cleanup of 90 percent of the nation's legacy TRU waste by 2015 - years ahead of schedule.

WIPP not only enjoys great success in safely and promptly disposing of nuclear waste, it also enjoys great support from both the local population and state government. Through a process of transparency and cooperation, the State of New Mexico and the US Department of Energy have built a lasting relationship of trust and consent. It is this relationship that uses a science-based approach to make decisions and come to consensus. As the cleanup of the TRU waste finishes up around the nation, a new and related problem has become apparent around the nation. The nation needs a repository for high level defense waste and commercial nuclear waste. While the National Academy of Science found in 1957 that salt was the best of the geologic media to dispose of all nuclear waste in, some studies still need to be done to confirm those findings with respect to the commercial nuclear waste. WIPP presents the opportunity to perform those final studies. In addition, the large amount of salt surrounding the WIPP site offers a perfect place for a new high level waste and spent nuclear fuel repository should those studies confirm the recommendations of the NAS.

It is in this historic time in the nuclear industry that the first annual National Nuclear Fuel Cycle Summit (NNFCS 2012) is being held at the home of WIPP- Carlsbad, NM. NNFCS 2012 features presentations from two of the prominent members of the BRC: Former US Senator Pete V. Domenici and University of California- Berkley Professor Dr. Per Peterson. In addition to the BRC members, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce and U.S. Senator Tom Udall will be speaking. Other prominent speakers include the renowned nuclear expert Dr. James Conca, TEPCO Fuel Services Manager Mr. Takeshi Ota of Fukushima, and Washington TRU Solutions manager Farok Sharif who manages the DOE WIPP operation. NM Cabinet Secretaries David Martin and John Bemis will also participate in the discussions about the state's role in permitting, oversight, and the mining industry. Panelists include the top academic, industry and government experts from all phases of the nuclear fuel cycle including mining, fuel manufacturing, power production, interim storage, regulation & licensing, recycling, and waste handling & disposition. In addition to the informative discussions and presentations, limited spots on a rare tour of the WIPP site are being offered with registration. There will also be tours offered for the URS Engineered Products Division facility in Carlsbad, where waste shipping containers are manufactured and maintained. Carlsbad and WIPP have been mentioned numerous times by members of the Senate and Congress in recent televised Energy and Commerce hearings. Come to Carlsbad and see what all the excitement is about. Come discover the solution for America's nuclear waste problem.

Press passes include free registration for the plenary session and access to the tours of WIPP (limited availability) and URS EPD. If interested, an evening meals ticket is $50 for the entire conference and includes the Wednesday Night Keynote Dinner with Dr. Peterson.

To register as a member of the press, please call Karen at 575-887-6562. You must have proper identification from your news agency identifying you as a journalist or photographer with that agency to pick up your materials at the registration desk. For more information on the NNFCS, please see our website at www.NuclearFuelCycleSummit.org. There you can find a current summit agenda and additional information on WIPP, our conference and Carlsbad.

The Carlsbad Department of Development promotes the economic and general welfare of the citizens of the City of Carlsbad and South Eddy County, New Mexico.

Website: http://www.developcarlsbad.org

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