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East Feliciana Parish police jury weighs resolution for nuclear project
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CLINTON — The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury worked to approve a resolution in support of a nuclear life cycle innovation campus this past week.
Part of the Department of Energy's nuclear life cycle innovation campus initiative, the $90 million project seeks to create a campus in East Feliciana Parish to help recycle waste products from nearby nuclear plants such as Riverbend.
Members of the police jury previously had the opportunity to speak to representatives from Curio Energy and the Department of Energy about the proposed project, learning that the buildout, expected to take about 10 to 20 years, would have the Nuclear Regulatory Commission involved at every phase of the process, including the purchase of land.
The project is intended to strengthen the nation's domestic nuclear energy capabilities by supporting research, advanced manufacturing, fuel cycle services, technology development, workforce training and management of used nuclear materials
The campus would create high-quality jobs, expand educational and technical training opportunities and support economic development throughout the state, jurors said. The plan is for the facility to double as a depository where casts from other nuclear plants are stored underground and usable isotopes from the nuclear waste are recovered and recycled.
"What the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus is really focusing on is not so much the disposal of the fuel; it's the recycling of the fuel," a spokesperson for the Department of Energy said. "We want to reprocess that fuel for industrial purposes, and we also want to make sure that we are bringing manufacturing jobs to the state with this campus."
Louisiana is one of five states in the running for the campus, with the federal government wanting three sites nationwide, according to the jury.
"With our existing industrial base, our proximity to the petrochem corridor, the existing nuclear footprint in our state, and our qualified workforce, Louisiana is uniquely positioned to host the next wave of our energy future,” the spokesperson said.
While the location has not officially been chosen, jurors advised that land from Thompson's Creek to East Baton Rouge Parish near U.S. 61 could be used as a possible location, as the facility will require both water and rail.
Residents in East Feliciana Parish raised concerns about the lack of information being presented, as well as potential noise and light pollution that would come along with the facility
The Department of Energy has until Sept. 30 to submit three potential sites in Louisiana.
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