Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

NRC Delays Diablo Canyon Relicensing at PG&E's Request

NRC Delays Diablo Canyon Relicensing at PG&E's Request

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission agreed Tuesday to delay its relicensing process for California's Diablo Canyon nuclear plant as PG&E conducts further seismic studies.

Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. Source: NRCLike the San Onofre plant in San Diego County, Diablo Canyon 180 miles northwest of Los Angeles has commissioned extensive 3D modeling of faults near the plant, efforts that have intensified in the months following the earthquake-triggered crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. In April, PG&E asked the NRC to delay the relicensing process for Diablo Canyon's two reactors until the utility completes its research, expected to be finished in 2015.

Reuters quoted an NRC spokesman as saying that, although the agency granted the delay, it has already completed the Safety Evaluation Report for the relicensing, which will be issued soon. He said that report may be supplemented with additional information from PG&E.

It is now unclear when the NRC will issue its supplemental EIS for the relicensing, which had been scheduled for next year.

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