nuclear-news

John Runkle, an environmental lawyer from Chapel Hill, says the AP1000 Oversight Group is prepared to go to court to attempt to block certification of the design if, as expected, the commission goes ahead with approval.

The oversight group, a coalition of several environmental groups, filed a petition Thursday with the NRC asking it to hold off on certification. Runkle says federal law requires the commission to consider safety modifications before approving the plant design……

The group relies on a new report from Arnie Gunderson, chief engineer for Fairewinds Associates, an energy engineering analysis firm founded by Gunderson’s wife.

The report contends insufficient review has been done on safety features for the AP1000 in light of the system failures following the earthquake and tsunami at the Fukushima plant. Gunderson contends the failures that led to the crippling of four reactors at Fukushima could occur without an earthquake and that the commission is on track to approve the AP1000 without determining how to repair vulnerabilities he says are in the plant.

Legal action

Runkle says the group is prepared to seek an injunction setting aside the plant certification if it comes. He contends any certification at this point would be illegal under the rules that govern the NRC.

The groups hope to prevent the NRC from issuing licenses for AP1000 reactors at theSouthern Co.    ’s Vogtle Plant in Georgia and SCANA Corp.    ’s V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in South Carolina.

Runkle concedes a lawsuit will not automatically prevent further action by the NRC. The oversight group will have to persuade a judge to delay the licensing while the case is heard.

He says any legal action would likely be filed in the federal courts in Georgia or South Carolina..

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/power_city/2011/11/environmental-group-raises-new.html