By Harry Keaney
Uncle Sam’s verdict on the U.S. operations of British Nuclear Fuels is still awaited — and is now not expected until the end of this month. The report had been expected in July.
Earlier this year, U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson ordered a review of British Nuclear Fuels’ work for the energy department at fiver sites in the U.S. The review is of particular interest to Irish officials because BNFL also operates the Sellafield Nuclear plant in Britain, across the Irish Sea from Ireland. The plant, which Ireland has demanded closed, has long been a source of contention between Irish and British officials.
This week, U.S. Department of Energy spokesman Tom Welch told the Echo that on-site investigations of BNFL’s operations in the U.S. had been finished in June, after which an independent review team completed a report. He said that the energy department now has to respond to that report and then, the energy department would release its findings — which he said would be its verdict on BNFL — to Congress and the public.
It is now expected that those findings will be released later this month, Welch said.
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