Source: NRC
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating license for the Duane Arnold Energy Center, located in Palo, Iowa, for an additional 20 years. The new license will expire on Feb. 21, 2034.
The decision to renew the license comes after thorough safety and environmental reviews of the application submitted Oct. 1, 2008, by the plant’s operator, FPL Energy Duane Arnold. The Duane Arnold Energy Center is a boiling-water reactor, located about eight miles northwest of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The NRC held public meetings near the plant on March 24, 2009, April 22, 2009, and March 31, 2010, to discuss Duane Arnold’s environmental review. In October, NRC staff concluded there were no environmental impacts that would preclude renewal of the license for environmental reasons.
After careful review of the plant’s 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. 7, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards – an independent body of technical experts that advises the Commission – issued its recommendation that license renewal for Duane Arnold should be approved.
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