NRC Denies Petitions to Delay Licensing for Nuclear Plants

[FBaggins]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has rejected efforts by environmental groups and the state of Massachusetts to stop licensing activities for more than 30 new and proposed reactors, as well as the Westinghouse AP1000 and GE-Hitachi ESBWR reactor designs.

A memorandum and order released by the commission Friday dispensed with a number of petitions seeking to delay decision making at the NRC until a task force assembled to study the Fukushima Daiichi crisis completes its work. The NRC noted that a report from the task force issued in July stated that “continued operation and continued licensing activities do not pose an imminent risk to public health and safety.” As such, the memo went on to state “nothing we have learned to date puts the continued safety of our currently operating regulated facilities, including reactors and spent fuel pools, into question. Similarly, nothing learned to date requires immediate cessation of our review of license applications or proposed reactor designs.”

The ruling also specifically denies a request by the Massachusetts attorney general seeking to postpone the relicensing of Entergy's Pilgrim nuclear plant.

The NRC said it did grant the groups' request that the agency analyze its safety regulations in the wake of the Japanese crisis, insomuch as its task force is continuing its work and the NRC ordered inspections at American nuclear plants in the weeks following the accident.


http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2011/09/15/nrc-denies-petitions-to-delay-licensing-for-nuclear-plants_2c00_-ap1000-and-esbwr-reactor-designs_2c00_-pending-fukushima-studies-091502.aspx

[Cool Logic]

1. The administration appears to realize that procrastination...

can be very costly.

[kristopher]

2. Just what you'd expect from a regulator that is owned by the regulated industry

[FBaggins]

3. Yep... or coincidentally...

...one making the correct decision.