Nuclear waste shift may aid PFS

Of the four remaining companies invested in PFS, only Genoa Fuel Tech, a subsidiary of Dairyland Power Cooperative with 11.8 percent interest in PFS, is the only original investor left that has not made any changes to its plans. It has a non-operating nuclear power plant along the Mississippi River that it wants to decommission, but it has no place to put the waste.

Parkyn, who worked at Dairyland's decommissioned plant, said dry cask storage does not help him because it still keeps the waste sitting there as it has been for almost 19 years. Parkyn would not provide a specific breakdown of the companies interest in PFS, but Hatch's office did.

First Energy, based in Akron, Ohio, has a 6.9 percent share. It will remain on through the licensing phase, and no decision has been made on whether it will still honor its pledge not to move on to construction.

American Electric Power has a 10.5 percent share but is not contributing any more money at this point, Cook Nuclear plan spokesman Bill Schalk said. He said he was not aware of any letters going to Hatch at this point, but there are no plans to contribute toward construction.

"We don't believe Private Fuel Storage will be available to meet storage needs for Cook Plant," Schalk said. AEP owns Cook Plant in southwestern Michigan. He said the plant has space in the fuel pool until 2012 and that dry cask storage is its best option. Southern California Edison, which has just a 3 percent share in PFS does not have any immediate plans to store waste at PFS, according to spokesman Ray Golden. The company has not made any financial contributions to PFS since 1999. It has developed its own on-site storage, so the need for an interim site is not as great.

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