On March 22, 1999, the U.S. Dept. of Energy contracted with Duke Engineering & Services, COGEMA, Inc., and Stone & Webster to provide mixed oxide fuel fabrication and reactor irradiation services in support of the department's mission to dispose of surplus weapons plutonium. The team, known as DUKE COGEMA STONE & WEBSTER or DCS, has its corporate headquarters in Charlotte, NC. Subcontractors to DCS include Duke Power Company, Charlotte, NC and Virginia Power Company, Richmond, VA, who will provide the reactor facilities in which mixed oxide fuel will be used upon receipt of Nuclear Regulatory Commission license amendments.

The DCS team will also modify six existing U.S. commercial light water reactors at three sites to irradiate mixed oxide fuel assemblies. These reactors sites are Catawba in York, SC; McGuire in Huntersville, NC; and North Anna in Mineral, VA. The consortium will be responsible for obtaining a license to operate the fuel fabrication facility and the license modifications for the reactors from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

``We will be asking for full public involvement at every point,'' said Janet Zeller of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, ``DOE needs to hold hearings now, at the first phase."

"The DOE is proceeding hastily and without due caution in a matter that has serious implications for security, public safety, and the environment," charged Dr. Arjun Makhijani, President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER). Action Alert , DOE Press Release , IEER Press Release , Synergy Article

On April 6, 1999, the DOE announced its intent to prepare a supplement to the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SPD EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The SPD Draft EIS (DOE/EIS-0283D) was issued for public comment in July 1998. The Supplement will update the SPD Draft EIS by examining the potential environmental impacts of using mixed oxide (MOX) fuel in six specific commercial nuclear reactors at three sites for the disposition of surplus weapons-grade plutonium. The Department is planning to issue the Supplement to the SPD Draft EIS in April 1999. DOE will publish a separate Notice of Availability in the Federal Register at that time.

The purpose of the Supplement to the SPD Draft EIS is to update the Draft by including specific information available as a result of the award of the DCS contract. The Supplement to the SPD Draft EIS will contain background information on the SPD Draft EIS; changes made to the SPD Draft EIS (Section 1.7.2); a description of the reactor sites (Section 3.7); impacts of irradiating mixed oxide fuel in existing light water reactors (Section 4.28); Facility Accidents (Appendix K); Analysis of Environmental Justice (Appendix M); and the Environmental Synopsis (Appendix O). DOE anticipates that the Supplement to the SPD Draft EIS will be available in April. DOE intends to hold an interactive hearing in Washington, DC in May 1999 to discuss issues and receive oral and written comments on the Supplement to the Draft SPD EIS.