The Morris Operation in Grundy County, Illinois, United States, is the location of the only permanent (the rest are temporary) de facto high-level radioactive waste storage site in the United States and holds 772 tons of spent nuclear fuel.[1] It is owned by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and located near the city of Morris.[2] The site is located immediately southwest of Dresden Generating Station. Spent nuclear fuel assemblies are stored at this away-from-reactor, Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) in a spent fuel storage pool.[3][4][5] The storage basins at the Morris Operation store spent high-level radioactive waste from Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, Cooper Nuclear Station, Dresden Generating Station, Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, and San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.[6] The newest fuel currently in storage has been at the site since 1989, and the basins are essentially full. No new fuel will be received and storage is limited to the current inventory.[6]

Nuclear fuel reprocessing

The facility was originally constructed by General Electric to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, but was never operational in that use. Testing in 1975 revealed that the facility would not operate properly without extensive modifications, and the facility's application for a license to reprocess was withdrawn.[7] In 2007 and 2013 proposals were advanced for the completion of the reprocessing facility.[8]

References

  1. ^ Nuclear Energy Information Service. "'NUCLEAR ILLINOIS' FACTS", Nuclear Energy Information Service, 04/09
  2. ^ GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. "Application for Importation of LLRW into the Texas Waste Disposal Compact", Anthony E. McFadden, May 29, 2014
  3. ^ Energy Information Administration. "Spent Nuclear Fuel Discharges from U. S. Reactors 1993", Energy Information Administration, February 1995
  4. ^ Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "General Electric Company; Morris Operation Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Notice of Consideration of Approval of Transfer of Special Nuclear Material License and Conforming Amendment and Opportunity for a Hearing", Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 04/10/2007
  5. ^ Congressional Research Service. "Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Locations and Inventory", Anthony Andrews, December 21, 2004
  6. ^ a b "GE Nuclear Energy, Morris Operation - Technical Specifications for Safety Amendment 12" (PDF). United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  7. ^ Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage. National Academies Press. 2006. p. 102. ISBN 0-309-09647-2.
  8. ^ Themer, Robert. "GE wants fuel reprocessing facility near Morris". Daily Journal. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

41°22′51.9″N 88°16′37.1″W / 41.381083°N 88.276972°W / 41.381083; -88.276972


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