Energy Solutions, Inc.
Updated 9/30/06

The Department of Justice has approved the merger of EnergySolutions with Duratek. Early in April it was revealed that Duratek was one of the firms bidding for a federal grant to develop waste reprocessing technologies. EnergySolutions asserts that the site will not be in Utah, but has declined to name the proposed site.

Envirocare merged with Scientech and BNG, the American subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuel in February, forming Energy Solutions. In June, the acquisition of Duratek was finalized. Energy Solutions is now pushing for a piece of the re-processing pie. It has bid for a contract to operate a pilot plant. but is tight-lipped about where such a plant may be located. It acquired re-processing expertise with its purchase of Duratek. It is also expressing the opinion that reprocessing technology will make the PFS site obsolete. The merger/acquisition of BNG America has made it difficult to track the activities of the company, as press coverage is not always specific about whether BNG means the American nuclear waste branch, or the portion still owned by British Nuclear Fuels.

In June we learned that a train bound for the Clive, Utah facility with a load of radioactive material derailed in Michigan. Disturbingly, neither personnel from the decommissioned facility, rail personnel or emergency response personnel seemed to know what the contents were (compare the accounts in the three articles we posted). The emergency response personnel also seemed unprepared for dealing with a toxic or radioactive accident, and didn' t even attempt to check for elevated radiation levels. We are very concerned at the lack of training, or funding for it, even as experts point to railways as a favored target of terrorists and saboteurs.

March 2006 - The Utah legislative session ended on March 1. During the final weeks of the session the bill proposed by the legislature giving itself override power over dissent by the governor to passed both chambers. The governor, as expected, vetoed the measure, and although the Senate successfully overrode the veto, the session ended without the House bringing the measure to a vote. Regulation of nuclear and hazardous waste in Utah will continue to be handled by a process of consensus of the county, regulatory, legislative and executive bodies. The measure had been controversial because of the involvement the bill' s sponsor had with the nuclear waste giant Envirocare. The giant became a behemoth earlier this month, when it purchased BNG America, changed its name to EnergySolutions, and then purchased Duratek of Maryland. These acquisitions give the new EnergySolutions expertise in all classes of nuclear waste, as well as reprocessing capabilities. Recently another company, Clean Harbors, sought to expand its hazardous waste operations in Tooele County to include nuclear waste.

April 2006 - The Department of Justice has approved the merger of EnergySolutions with Duratek. Early in April it was revealed that Duratek was one of the firms bidding for a federal grant to develop waste reprocessing technologies. EnergySolutions asserts that the site will not be in Utah, but has declined to name the proposed site.