The decision to renew the licenses comes after thorough safety and environmental reviews of the application submitted September 2006
- By Mark McFadden -
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating licenses for the The decision to renew the licenses comes after thorough safety and environmental reviews of the application submitted September 2006 Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, in Salem Township, Pa., for an additional 20 years. The new licenses will expire on July 17, 2042, and March 23, 2044, respectively.
The decision to renew the licenses comes after thorough safety and environmental reviews of the application submitted September 2006, by the plant’s operator, PPL Susquehanna, LLC. The Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Units 1 and 2 are boiling-water nuclear reactors located five miles northeast of Berwick, Pa. The NRC held public meetings near the plant on Nov. 15, 2006, and May 28, 2008, to discuss Susquehanna’s environmental review. In March, NRC staff concluded there were no environmental impacts that would preclude renewal of the licenses for environmental reasons.
In August, after careful review of the plants’ safety systems and specifications, the staff concluded that there were no safety concerns that would preclude license renewal and that the applicant had effectively demonstrated the capability to manage the effects of plant aging. In addition, NRC conducted inspections of the plant to verify information submitted by the applicant. On Oct. 23, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards – an independent body of technical experts that advises the Commission – issued its recommendation that license renewal for Susquehanna should be approved. The safety and environmental review reports, application and letters relating to the Susquehanna license renewal are available on the NRC Web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/susquehanna.html.
The Susquehanna licenses represent the 58th and 59th reactor licenses renewed by the NRC.
A complete listing of renewal applications can be found on the NRC Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html.