April 10, 2019, recording of Holtec and NRC Joint Public Relations event

Is the NRC embarrassed, or just secretive? 

Every lowered canister containing nuclear waste at San Onofre has been gouged during the loading process. This is a problem, because even small scratches can create a toe-hold for stress corrosion cracking, which has the potential to destroy the integrity of a canister in a matter of years. The NRC has refused to publish a transcript, or this audio, of its public “licensing” meeting with Holtec International’s CEO, Krishna Sing.  Singh and Holtec are  under fire for designing a nuclear waste storage system that, Public Watchdogs believes, is incurably defective. Get the Public Watchdogs Audio Recording Here Get the Holtec Companion PowerPoint Here.

On April 10, 2019, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) agreed to participate in a Public Relations Event, on behalf of Holtec International. Holtec is under fire for its defective spent nuclear fuel storage system. Holtec specializes in providing bargain-basement solutions to the costly problems of storing deadly nuclear waste. After the meeting, the NRC refused to publish the transcript or audio.

In this audio, one of Holtec’s engineers is joined by the Holtec CEO, Kris Singh, to defend the company’s failed design for its multi-purpose nuclear waste canisters.

The canisters, branded as a “Hi Storm Umax  MPC,” or “Multi-Purpose Canister” are made of 5/8″ stainless steel.  These remarkably thin-walled canisters have a 25-year warranty, but the radioactive waste inside them is deadly for millions of years. The problem being discussed is that, as these giant canisters — with payloads of 100,000 pounds — are being “downloaded” into their beachfront silos, they become gouged during the descent.

The canisters are made of stainless steel.  While stainless steel does not rust, it can crack when under stress or exposed to salt. This phenomenon is known as “stress corrosion cracking,” and it may be occurring at San Onofre.

We are publishing this audio and the accompanying power points, because the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who sponsored this public relations event at Holtec’s request, has refused to post a legal transcript, audio, or video of the proceedings.

We post this audio as a public service, because the “public has a right to know …”

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