Exelon promises jobs as Zion nuclear plant comes down

Dismantling of the closed Zion Nuclear Power Station is expected to ramp up this fall.

The $1 billion project is expected to generate between 200 and 400 jobs over 10 years, according to Exelon Corp.

The work should begin this fall but it's contingent on the official transferral of Exelon's decommissioning license for the Zion plant to Energy Solutions, a nuclear service company based in Salt Lake City, officials with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said.

The power plant closed in 1998. In 2008, Exelon sought to transfer its license to Energy Solutions but later sought extensions related to the impact of the weak economy on a decommissioning fund set up to pay for the project, said Viktoria Mitlyng, spokeswoman for the NRC's Midwest office.

Now, however, the license transfer is expect to occur next month. Decommissioning is a detailed process that involves taking apart the nuclear reactors, demolishing the buildings, pulling out foundations, testing for and fixing any contamination on the property and removing rubble and other materials, Mitlyng said.

The spent nuclear fuel remains the responsibility of Exelon and will remain on the property, which belongs to the utility company. It's up to Exelon to decide what to do with the remainder of the 200-acre site once it's decommissioned.

The NRC will inspect throughout the decommissioning process and also will supervise the safe storage of the spent fuel.

The rubble and other materials from the plant will be taken from Zion to an Energy Solutions' site in Utah. Mitlyng did not have details of how it will be transported but said the NRC and U.S. Department of Transportation will require Energy Solutions to use special vehicles and ensure radiation levels are below safety thresholds before anything leaves the site.

"We have very prescriptive requirements for that type of transportation so it doesn't present any risk to members of the public," Mitlyng said. "The packing and transportation has to be done in a way so that even if an accident occurs, it will not cause harm to members of the community."