nuclear-news

NRC says new nuclear plant poses no environmental risk

The NRC still needs to complete a safety report on the project and finish a review of the proposed reactor’s design……Some members of Congress and environmental groups have called for the NRC to suspend action on new licenses until it completes its investigation of existing facilities’ safety..

New Reactors Clear Hurdle Amid Nuclear Review WSJ.com, 26 March 11 By NAUREEN MALIK And TENNILLE TRACY U.S. nuclear regulators on Friday removed a key hurdle facing Southern  Co.’s bid to build two nuclear reactors near Augusta, Ga., saying the project doesn’t pose environmental risks.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it completed an environmental review of Southern’s proposed Vogtle units and didn’t find anything that would prevent it from issuing licenses to the company, which could be the first time regulators approve the construction of a new nuclear-power reactor in the U.S. in over 30 years.

The NRC still needs to complete a safety report on the project and finish a review of the proposed reactor’s design.

The decision to move Southern’s project forward comes as the agency is launching a review of U.S. nuclear-plant safety in response to the crisis at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear-power complex, which has been leaking radiation since being damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Japanese officials have been scrambling to prevent a meltdown and contain radiation from spent nuclear fuel stored at the plant…….

Southern’s Vogtle plant is the only nuclear-power project that has received a U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantee. Valued at $8.3 billion, the guarantee eases financing by reducing the risk of default for debt investors…….

Some members of Congress and environmental groups have called for the NRC to suspend action on new licenses until it completes its investigation of existing facilities’ safety.

New Reactors Clear Hurdle Amid Nuclear Review – WSJ.com

March 26, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA