DOE still trying to dump contaminated nickel - - Funny howbenefi cial reuse is referred to as "dump" by critics

["Miller, Mark L" <mmiller@SANDIA.GOV>]

Nickel disposal meeting called

U.S. Department of Energy officials wants to recycle 6 1/2 tons of slightly

radioactive metal but wants suggestions how to do it.



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By Bill Bartleman bbartleman@paducahsun.com--270.575.8650

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Representatives of at least five firms will meet with U.S. Department of

Energy officials Thursday to discuss proposals for recycling more than

13,000 tons of scrap nickel, most of which is stored at the Paducah Gaseous

Diffusion Plant.

It is DOE's latest effort to find a use for the nickel that was once used in

production equipment at enrichment plants in Paducah; Piketon, Ohio; and Oak

Ridge, Tenn. The nickel, which has a low level of radioactive contamination,

has a potential value of more than $10 million.



The proposals will be limited to use in government or commercial nuclear

industry because of a 1999 ban imposed by the Clinton administration

prohibiting the metal's use in consumer products.



The ban was imposed after environmental and health groups expressed concern

that recycling the nickel for use in consumer products would cause a health

risk. Supporters of recycling, however, say the contamination levels are

below federal standards and don't pose a health threat.



"If the ideas we receive on Thursday look promising, we'll draft a request

for proposals and invite firms to submit formal bids for the recycling,"

said Rich Meehan, team leader of DOE's facility reuse operation in Oak

Ridge. He said the request should be out by February.



The firms were not identified.



In the request for solicitations, DOE said it is "particularly interested in

concepts that would result in beneficial impacts to local communities at

Paducah, Portsmouth and Oak Ridge."



The benefit would be in the form of jobs created at a recycling facility.



Meehan said it is too early to predict whether recycling plants would be

built at all three sites, one site or at another location. "We'll have to

wait and see what is in the proposals we receive," Meehan said.



Paducah has 9,600 tons of nickel ingots in storage, and Oak Ridge has 3,600

tons of shredded nickel. There is none stored in Piketon.



DOE officials estimate that 21,000 more tons of scrap nickel will be

generated as plants are decommissioned at the three sites during the next 25

years.



A recycling plant could employ 50 or more people, according to previous

estimates.







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