The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has rejected efforts by environmental
groups and the state of Massachusetts to stop licensing activities for
more than 30 new and proposed reactors, as well as the Westinghouse
AP1000 and GE-Hitachi ESBWR reactor designs.
A memorandum and order released by the commission Friday dispensed with a
number of petitions seeking to delay decision making at the NRC until a
task force assembled to study the Fukushima Daiichi crisis completes its work. The NRC noted that a report from the task force
issued in July stated that “continued operation and continued licensing
activities do not pose an imminent risk to public health and safety.” As
such, the memo went on to state “nothing we have learned to date puts
the continued safety of our currently operating regulated facilities,
including reactors and spent fuel pools, into question. Similarly,
nothing learned to date requires immediate cessation of our review of
license applications or proposed reactor designs.”
The ruling also specifically denies a request by the Massachusetts
attorney general seeking to postpone the relicensing of Entergy's
Pilgrim nuclear plant.
The NRC said it did grant the groups' request that the agency analyze
its safety regulations in the wake of the Japanese crisis, insomuch as
its task force is continuing its work and the NRC ordered
inspections at American nuclear plants in the weeks following the
accident.