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U.S. Requires New Nuclear Reactors to Withstand Plane Crashes

U.S. Requires New Nuclear Reactors to Withstand Plane Crashes
By Tina Seeley

Feb. 17 (Bloomberg) — New nuclear power plants must be built to ensure that a strike by a commercial airplane won’t result in a radioactive release, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said.

“This is a common-sense approach to address an issue raised by the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001,” Dale Klein, chairman of the commission, said in an e-mail statement today after the final rule was passed.

Companies including Dominion Resources Inc., Exelon Corp. and Entergy Corp. have already filed applications seeking to build reactors and would be subject to the new standards.

Bloomberg.com: U.S.

February 18, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA