Five canisters of vitrified high-level waste (HLW) from a former nuclear fuel reprocessing plant have been placed in long-term outdoor storage, in a first for US decommissioning.

Laramide Resources Ltd is to acquire a portfolio of New Mexico uranium properties including the Church Rock and Crownpoint projects from Uranium Resources Inc for a total of $12.5 million under a letter of intent signed by the two companies.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) could license a non-light water reactor under its current regulatory framework, but needs input from the nuclear industry and the US Department of Energy (DOE) to optimize its planning and resources, commission chairman Stephen Burns has told the American Nuclear Society (ANS).

A new agreement formalizing nuclear cooperation between China and the USA and establishing the terms for nuclear trade between the countries has entered into force. The agreement replaces a previous version which had been due to expire at the end of the year.

Dominion Virginia Power has become the first US utility to notify the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission of its intent to seek a second 20-year licence renewal for a nuclear power plant. If granted, the extension would see the two units at the Surry plant complete an 80-year operating lifetime.

The US Administration has underlined its vision of a strong role for nuclear in the country's clean energy strategy. It has announced actions to sustain and finance nuclear energy, including supplements to the Department of Energy's federal loan guarantee solicitation to support nuclear energy projects.

Energy Fuels has taken full ownership of the Wate high-grade uranium project in northern Arizona through the acquisition of a 50% interest in the project from Anfield Resources for cash and shares.

Entergy announced today it will close the single-unit James A FitzPatrick nuclear power station in New York state - in late 2016 or early 2017. The company cited significantly reduced plant revenues, poor market design and high operational costs as key drivers behind its decision.

The technology for the production of dry storage casks for used nuclear fuel will be transferred by Holtec International to Ukraine's Turboatom under a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies and Ukraine's nuclear power plant operator EnergoAtom.

US utility Exelon will defer any decision about the future operations of its Clinton nuclear power plant for a year after the Midcontinent Independent System Operator regional transmission organization acknowledged the need for changes to the design of the southern Illinois electricity market.

Final performance testing and post-test inspections have been successfully completed for the reactor coolant pump for the first Westinghouse AP1000 reactor, under construction in China. The first two of four such pumps for Sanmen 1 will now be shipped from the USA to China by the end of the year.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) program to analyse earthquake risk at US nuclear plants will be completed sooner than planned after the regulator found that in-depth studies are needed at fewer plants than originally thought.