Public weighs in on North Anna reactors

NRC wants more time to review environmental impact of North Anna reactor plan

Date published: 8/18/2005

By RUSTY DENNEN

The federal agency responsible for reviewing environmental aspects of Dominion power's plan for up to two new nuclear reactors at North Anna Power Station wants more time.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will take an additional four months to review a final environmental impact statement, because of public response to the plan.

"Public participation is an important part of the NRC's licensing process and we want to ensure these comments are appropriately addressed," David Matthews, director of the Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs in NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, said yesterday.

Dominion is one of three utilities around the country that have applied for early site permits for new reactors--the first to test a new licensing protocol. Utilities in Mississippi and Illinois also have filed applications for early site permits, but Dominion is furthest along in the process.

Dominion wants the option to build up to two advanced nuclear reactors at the Louisa County plant on Lake Anna. The permit would allow Dominion to resolve site and environmental issues prior to submitting a construction plan, and to "bank" a site for 20 years.

Dominion's application has generated a lot of interest--from the industry, which is watching carefully to see how it fares in the process, and from the public.

During a February public hearing on the environmental impact statement, several hundred people crowded into Louisa Middle School. Many expressed concerns about how more reactors would affect the lake, its wildlife and, potentially, residents.

Dominion also had its share of supporters at the hearing, who argued that there would be minimal impacts on the lake and surrounding community. Compared with other fuels, nuclear power is the most environmentally friendly means of generating power, supporters said.

NRC spokesman Scott Burnell said the agency has received about 5,000 comments to date on the environmental aspects of Dominion's plan. That was more than the number received concerning the two other utilities' applications.

He said the NRC staff had looked at reactor license renewal applications to anticipate the kind of response it would get to the early site permit applications.

"It was far more than we expected, but given that this is the first time out for the process, it was a learning experience for us," Burnell said.

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Date published: 8/18/2005