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• US cyber security oversight clarified

  Oversight of cyber security at US nuclear power plants is to be conducted jointly by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Posted Jan 12 2010, 10:01 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, security, safety, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nerc, cyber, Oversight, North American Electric Reliability Corporation

• Licence application for US deconversion plant

  International Isotopes has submitted its licence application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its proposed depleted uranium deconversion and fluorine extraction processing facility in Hobbs, New Mexico. The NRC licence review is expected to take 18-24 months to complete. The facility will remove fluorine from depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF 6 ) left over from the uranium enrichment process - and use it to manufacture high-value fluoride gases. The company plans to select a design and construction contractor in 2010 and may also initiate some pre-licence construction activities at the Hobbs site, subject to NRC approval. Construction of the facility is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012. International Isotopes president and CEO Steve Laflin commented, "The submission of this licence application represents another significant accomplishment for the company and is the most recent milestone ion our continued progress towards construction of this unique, commercial, environmentally friendly nuclear facility. The project is on target and on schedule." Posted Jan 04 2010, 11:10 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Uranium, NRC, meeting, plant, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, de-conversion

• Susquehanna gets 20 more years

  Two reactors at the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania could operate into the 2040s after new operating licenses were granted. Posted Nov 25 2009, 11:24 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, license, plant, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, review, renewal, susquehanna nuclear

• Work paused at Three Mile Island

  Refuelling and steam generator replacement was disturbed on 21 November by the sounding of an airborne radiation alarm at Three Mile Island 1. About 150 workers went home early and some were checked for contamination after one of three detectors registered heightened levels of radioactivity. Plant owner Exelon said the levels remained below regulatory limits, while one worker was exposed to 16 mrem (0.16 mSv), less than 1% of the annual occupational dose limit of 2000 mrem (20 mSv). The alarm was one placed near a temporary opening in the containment building, made to allow the large steam generators to be moved inside, but a radiological survey showed the contamination was confined to internal surfaces only. Posted Nov 23 2009, 07:33 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, Exelon, safety, Three Mile Island, tmi, alarm, leak, limits

• Extensions for Beaver Valley

  Operating licenses for the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant have been extended for another 20 years, meaning the two reactors there may now run until 2036 and 2047. First Energy Nuclear Operating Company (Fenoc) applied for the extension from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which considered there were no environmental or safety impacts that would preclude it. Since 1999 Fenoc has spent over $500 million on maintaining and improving the plant, including the installation of new steam generators and a new reactor pressure vessel head for unit 1. Performance has been boosted by 10% to the current net output of 1815 MWe. Posted Nov 06 2009, 10:47 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, license, nuclear, beaver valley, nuclear regualotry commisssion, renewal, extension

• NRC approves North Anna uprate

  Dominion has been given permission by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to increase the generating capacity of both reactors at its North Anna nuclear power plant in Virginia by 1.6%. The power uprate will increase unit 1's gross generating capacity from about 965 MWe to some 980 MWe, while unit 2's would increase from 965 MWe to around 973 MWe. Some 60 MWe of each reactor's output is consumed by plant systems. The NRC determined that the output of the reactors could safely be increased through more accurate means of measuring feedwater flow. The uprate will be implemented in July 2010. The North Anna plant comprises two pressurized water reactors which began operating in 1978 and 1980, respectively. In March 2003, the NRC approved 20 year operating licence extensions for both units. Dominion filed an application with the NRC in November 2007 for a combined construction and operation licence for a new reactor at the North Anna site. Posted Oct 26 2009, 12:39 PM by World Nuclear News Filed under: North Anna, NRC, Virginia, uprate, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, domininon

• TMI licensed for 20 more years

  The operating licence for Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant in Philadelphia has been renewed for a further 20 years by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It is the 55 th US reactor to have its licence extended. Posted Oct 23 2009, 07:43 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, license, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Three Mile Island, pennsylvania, tmi, years, GPU

• Klein seeks early exit from NRC

  Dale Klein, a commissioner with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), has written to President Barak Obama requesting that a successor to his position is found so that he can return "to private life after ... many years of service as a presidential appointee." Whilst welcoming Obama’s recent announcement of candidates to fill two existing vacancies on the commission, he said, "I respectfully request that you consider making an additional nomination to fill the balance of my term on the commission." Klein added, "I offer my resignation effective upon my nominated successor taking office as a member of the commission." However, he added, "I will continue to serve gladly in the absence of a successor to complete my term." In May, Obama announced that Gregory Jaczko had been designated as chairman of the NRC, replacing Klein who held that position at the time. Klein was to remain as a commissioner until the end of his term in June 2011. The NRC is headed by five commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms. Posted Oct 19 2009, 09:57 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, exit, step down, klein, retire, dale klein

• More shield work on AP1000

  Westinghouse could suffer a setback in plans to deploy its AP1000 reactor after US nuclear safety regulators required more work on the shield building. Posted Oct 16 2009, 09:32 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Westinghouse, NRC, AP1000, inspection, reactor, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, shielding

• Cleanup complete at Rancho Seco

  Decommissioning of the former Rancho Seco nuclear power plant in California has been completed and most of the site released for unrestricted public use, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced. Posted Oct 08 2009, 10:22 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, decomissioning, California, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, rancho seco, site, cleanup

• UAE adopts nuclear law

  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has adopted a federal law on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, bringing its plans for a nuclear power program one step closer. Posted Oct 05 2009, 11:28 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: New Nuclear Plants, IAEA, NRC, UAE, legislation, nuclear, power, energy, international atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, united arab emirates

• Review suspended for Callaway new build

  US utility AmerenUE has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to suspend its review of the combined construction and operating licence application (COLA) for a new plant at the Callaway site in Missouri, a project it put on pause earlier this year. Posted Jun 29 2009, 12:02 PM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, amerenue, COLA

• Funding for decommissioning under review

  The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has written to the operators of 18 nuclear power plants, comprising a total of 26 reactors, requesting details of how they plan to address apparent decommissioning funding assurance shortfalls. Posted Jun 22 2009, 10:52 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, decomissioning, funding

• Moves on licensing for American leach mines

  The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has published its final Generic Environmental Impact Statement for in-situ leach uranium operations in the western USA. It has also changed its approach for environmental reviews of such facilities. Posted Jun 05 2009, 11:44 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, policy, environment

• Vogtle licensed for 20 more years

  Two nuclear reactors in Georgia can look forward to operating until the middle of the century following a decision by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to award 20-year licence renewals to Vogtle 1 and 2. Posted Jun 04 2009, 10:58 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: NRC, Vogtle, license