Decommissioned Nuke Plant Still Holds Radioactive Material

HERALD, Calif. (CBS13) -- The decommissioned nuclear power plant in south Sacramento County is still the home to highly radioactive fuel rods, but is not susceptible to a disaster like the nuclear crisis unfolding in Japan, officials say.

The Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Plant, located about 25 miles south of Sacramento, ceased operation in 1989 and was officially decommissioned in 2009.

The 150-foot-tall concrete towers still stand, but the containment units are empty of nuclear fuel and power equipment, according to Rancho Seco superintendent Einar Ronningen.

"We're here in a custodial sense," Ronningen said.

Interest in the safety of American nuclear plants has spiked in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which knocked out safety measures and cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi power plants. The reactors have been venting increasing amounts of radiation as the threat of a catastrophic meltdown looms.

The Rancho Seco facility still houses 493 used uranium fuel rods from its 14 operational years. The fuel is inactive but still highly radioactive, officials say.

The uranium is closely guarded inside specially designed stainless steel canisters, surrounded by inert helium and stored inside a concrete bunker with walls 5 feet thick. Heavy security will remain until a permanent home is designated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

"We're ready for them to come on site, take into their transportation canister and take it away," Ronningen said.