The decision to renew the license comes after thorough safety and environmental reviews of the application submitted Jan. 8, 2008
– By Stephen Heiser –
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating license for the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1), in Middletown, Pa., for an additional 20 years. The new license will expire on April 19, 2034.
The decision to renew the license comes after thorough safety and environmental reviews of the application submitted Jan. 8, 2008, by the plant’s owner and operator, Exelon Generation Group, LLC. TMI-1 is a pressurized-water nuclear reactor and is located about 10 miles southeast of Harrisburg, Pa.
The NRC held public meetings near the plant to discuss TMI-1’s environmental review on Jan. 28. In June, NRC staff concluded there were no environmental impacts that would preclude renewal of the license for environmental reasons.
In June 2009, 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 Sept. 10, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards – an independent body of technical experts that advises the Commission – issued its recommendation that license renewal for TMI-1 should be approved. The safety and environmental review reports, application and letters relating to the TMI-1 license renewal are available on the NRC Web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/three-mile-island.html.
The renewal of the TMI-1 license represents the 55th reactor license renewed by the NRC. There are 13 applications for 20 units currently under active review by the agency.
A complete listing of renewal applications can be found on the NRC Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html.