January 2, 2019 –  Heavy loads must often be moved at power plants of all types. Air bearing-based vehicles can make the process safer, faster, and cheaper. Cask relocation at a nuclear waste facility offers one successful example of the process in action. 

Load moving in the nuclear industry comes with unique challenges, particularly when the cargo is high-level radioactive waste (HLW) stored in specially sealed canisters. The common method for moving these types of casks is with wheeled casters and rails. However, the technique is inefficient and costly due to lack of mobility and inherent risks associated with the process. When a load becomes imbalanced, the floor beneath the track can be damaged to the point of halting the entire project until the flooring can be replaced. There is literally no margin for error and certainly no quick turnaround should an incident like this occur. 

As an alternative, several facilities have turned to air bearing-based vehicles, instead of inflexible wheeled rollers or forklifts, with considerable success. One 200-acre site in New York successfully relocated nearly 24,000 tons of radioactive waste using air bearing-based vehicles. Link to article

December 28, 2018 – There was nothing but delight and applause on a simmering August day last summer when the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trailgroup announced a 49-year agreement that would allow the development of a 27-mile-long trail along an old rail line from Orchard Park to Ashford. 

But not everyone was smiling.  Link to article

December 26, 2018 –  More than 108,000 pounds of food was donated to food .pantries in the area, courtesy of the West Valley Demonstration Project. The team set a goal of donating 100,000 pounds of food in its annual Food Drive. 

“The success of our Food Drive is a direct result of the generosity and kindness of our employees, partners and subcontractors,” said Lettie Chilson, WVDP Facility Manager and Food Drive Coordinator. “It demonstrates the positive impact that kindness can have on a community. The WVDP Food Drive helps to improve the quality of life for our neighbors serviced by the local pantries.”  Link to article

December 21, 2018 –  Nuclear waste at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center in West Valley could see a new pathway for its disposal. The Ashford Town Board, at its Dec. 12 meeting, approved sending comments to the Department of Energy reinterpreting definitions for nuclear waste.  Link to article

December 14, 2018 – The Trump administration wants to reclassify radioactive waste resulting from the production of nuclear weapons, so it will be cheaper to dispose of, the Associated Press reported. 

The Department of Energy has proposed relabeling high-level nuclear waste as “low-level.” High-level radioactive waste is currently defined as the byproducts of nuclear reactors or fuel reprocessing, where fissionable material is separated from the waste. Low-level waste, which represents 90 percent of radioactive detritus, generally comes from places where radioisotopes are used, such as nuclear power stations and local hospitals. … Link to article