CEP Regular Meeting – Department of Energy: High Burnup Research Cask Transportation Project

Mar 19, 2026
2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
image004
Key Takeaways

A planned cross-country shipment of commercial spent nuclear fuel by the US Department of Energy (DOE) was the focus of the 1Q 2026 SONGS CEP meeting on March 19. Dr. Erica Bickford, director for the Office of Storage & Transportation within DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, provided an overview of the High Burnup Research Cask (HBURC) transportation project through which a cask of commercial spent fuel will be shipped by rail from Virginia to Idaho in late 2027. A dry run shipment without spent fuel will take place in the spring of 2027.

The shipment will utilize the now-certified Atlas railcar which was discussed by Dr. Bickford at an October 2023 CEP meeting. Transporting the HBURC to the Idaho National Lab (INL) will provide data to support safe storage of spent fuel at DOE’s future federal staging facilities as well as to support Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing for extended onsite storage. From a macro perspective, the project will illustrate the DOE’s ability to safely transport commercial spent fuel and coordinate effectively with tribal, state, and federal partners.

The transportation project takes place against a backdrop of a DOE request for information to the states seeking interest in hosting Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses that include spent fuel storage and disposal facilities. Multiple responses are expected by the April 1 deadline.

Dr. Bickford provided a brief update on the newly established Center for Used Fuel Research that will operate out of INL that is, in part, exploring deployment of technology to monitor spent fuel canister integrity in real time with a test potentially deployed at SONGS in 2026.

SCE delivered an update on liquid batch releases. In 2025, the last of high activity water was processed and released. Dose in batch releases is sharply trending down (2023=0.0244 mrem, 2024=0.00616 mrem, 2025=0.000592 mrem). What remains for release from SONGS is rainwater and dust suppression water. Due to the low levels of radioactivity in this water, an inline radiation monitor is no longer necessary. Still, processed waste water continues to be sampled and analyzed prior to release to confirm compliance with regulatory requirements.

The 2Q CEP meeting scheduled for June 4, will focus on a January 2026 bipartisan report, The Path Forward for Nuclear Waste in the US, and related issues that merit discussion.

Shareables

SONGS CEP Regular Meeting

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026

Time 2:00 – 4:30 pm (PT)

Location: via Microsoft Teams (link provided below)

How to Join the Meeting Virtually via Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)

+1 213-297-0156,,176527864# United States, Los Angeles

Phone Conference ID: 176 527 864#

Find a local number | Reset PIN

Meetings MAY be recorded only if the presenter enables the recording feature AND initiates recording. If the meeting is being recorded, you will be warned and you may either consent to recording by staying on the call or hang up and contact meeting host.

Learn More | Help | Meeting options | Legal

New Microsoft Teams security feature is now required for external participants. When you join the meeting, you will be asked to type in the characters being displayed and then hit submit. You will then be granted access. Below is a screenshot example. Please refer to pages 6 and 7 of the “Instructions for joining Microsoft Teams” located in the meeting materials list at right for details.

TeamsValidation

How to Submit a Question/Comment

Early submittal of questions/comments before a CEP meeting increases the likelihood of a response during the hour long facilitated public dialogue portion of the meeting.

  • Questions and comments may be submitted via email to: nuccomm@songs.sce.com.
  • Questions and comments submitted in advance of the meeting and related to agenda topics will be—to the greatest extent possible—addressed in the presentation and/or discussed during facilitated public dialogue or, if necessary, responded to via email following the meeting.
  • Questions and comments received via NUCCOMM and related to agenda topics will be addressed first; questions on broader topics received during the public comment period will be addressed subsequently.

To submit questions/comments during a CEP meeting, use the CEP Comment Form link (if attending virtually) or use the hardcopy CEP Question/Comment Cards (if attending in-person) available at the registration table near the facility entrance.

  • Questions and comments will be added to the queue in order of receipt.
  • Questions and comments related to the meeting agenda topics will be —to the greatest extent possible—addressed during facilitated public dialogue or, if necessary, responded to via email following the meeting.
  • Victor Cabral and Martha McNicholas will facilitate the public dialogue portion of the meeting.

How to Sign Up to Speak

To sign up to speak:

  • Complete the CEP Comment Form (if attending virtually)
  • Complete the CEP Question/Comment card (including name) available at the registration table at the entrance of venue
  • The Chairman will call on individuals by name one at a time to speak
    • the Microsoft Teams microphone will be opened for each individual (if attending virtually)
    • each individual may speak at the microphone provided on the lectern at the facility
    • people in the room will speak first followed by those attending online

Each speaker will have three minutes to ask a question or deliver a comment.

Meeting Materials: