La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor
Encyclopedia
La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor (LACBWR) is a decommissioned Boiling Water Reactor
(BWR) nuclear power plant
located near La Crosse, Wisconsin
in the small village of Genoa, Wisconsin
, in Vernon County, Wisconsin
, approximately 17 miles south of La Crosse along the Mississippi River
. The site is owned and was operated by the Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC).
LACBWR was built in 1967 as part of a federal project to demonstrate the viability of peacetime nuclear power. It was funded in part by the Atomic Energy Commission
(AEC) in cooperation with Dairyland Power Cooperative. LACBWR had a 50 MW electrical output from a forced-circulation, direct-cycle boiling water reactor
as its heat source. In 1973 the reactor and fuel was transferred in full to Dairyland Power.
In April 1987, LACBWR was shut down because the small size of the plant made it no longer economically viable. It was placed in SAFSTOR
August 7, 1991. Limited and gradual dismantlement is currently underway, with plans to store spent fuel onsite in dry casks until federal storage is available. The reactor pressure vessel was removed in May 2007 and shipped to Chem-Nuclear's Barnwell, South Carolina
Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) disposal facility. The shipment weighed approximately 310 tons and required a specially designed rail car.
Boiling water reactor
The boiling water reactor is a type of light water nuclear reactor used for the generation of electrical power. It is the second most common type of electricity-generating nuclear reactor after the pressurized water reactor , also a type of light water nuclear reactor...
(BWR) nuclear power plant
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
located near La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
in the small village of Genoa, Wisconsin
Genoa, Wisconsin
Genoa is a village in Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 263 at the 2000 census. The village is within the Town of Genoa. There is also a village named Genoa City, Wisconsin.-Economy:...
, in Vernon County, Wisconsin
Vernon County, Wisconsin
Vernon County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 29,324. Its county seat is Viroqua.-History:...
, approximately 17 miles south of La Crosse along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The site is owned and was operated by the Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC).
LACBWR was built in 1967 as part of a federal project to demonstrate the viability of peacetime nuclear power. It was funded in part by the Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
(AEC) in cooperation with Dairyland Power Cooperative. LACBWR had a 50 MW electrical output from a forced-circulation, direct-cycle boiling water reactor
Boiling water reactor
The boiling water reactor is a type of light water nuclear reactor used for the generation of electrical power. It is the second most common type of electricity-generating nuclear reactor after the pressurized water reactor , also a type of light water nuclear reactor...
as its heat source. In 1973 the reactor and fuel was transferred in full to Dairyland Power.
In April 1987, LACBWR was shut down because the small size of the plant made it no longer economically viable. It was placed in SAFSTOR
SAFSTOR
For nuclear power plants governed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, SAFSTOR is one of the options for nuclear decommissioning of a shut down plant. During SAFSTOR the de-fuelled plant is monitored for up to sixty years before complete decontamination and dismantling of the site,...
August 7, 1991. Limited and gradual dismantlement is currently underway, with plans to store spent fuel onsite in dry casks until federal storage is available. The reactor pressure vessel was removed in May 2007 and shipped to Chem-Nuclear's Barnwell, South Carolina
Barnwell, South Carolina
Barnwell is a city in Barnwell County, South Carolina, United States, located along U.S. Route 278. The population was 5,035 at the 2000 census...
Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) disposal facility. The shipment weighed approximately 310 tons and required a specially designed rail car.