Arguments will be aired Thursday, July 7 in Rockville regarding a combined license (COL) application filed three years ago for construction and operation of a third reactor at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby.
An Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) panel will conduct the hearing at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) headquarters beginning at 10 a.m. The session, which is open for public observation, is expected to take two hours. Federal officials said earlier this week that participation will be limited to the parties admitted to the proceeding. Those parties include several public interest groups, the state of Maryland, NRC staff and the applicant, Unistar Nuclear Operating Services.
“Unistar submitted a COL application March 14, 2008, seeking permission to construct and operate a new nuclear reactor at the Calvert Cliffs site,” a NRC press release stated. “The ASLB granted intervener status in the proceeding to the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Beyond Nuclear, Public Citizen Energy Program and Southern Maryland Citizens Alliance for Renewable Energy Solutions. One of the interveners’ contentions or arguments against the COL application is that Unistar fails to meet NRC requirements regarding foreign ownership.”
The ASLB staff determined earlier this year that Unistar, which is 100 percent owned by Electricite de France, fails to meet the NRC’s requirements for ownership and operation of a nuclear facility. One of the panel’s options would be rule in favor of the interveners and withhold legal approval to issue the license. That could bring a halt to the ongoing licensing procedure.
Anyone planning to attend the hearing is advised to arrive early to allow for security screening. The NRC prohibits attendees from bringing signs, posters or displays into the hearing room.
For more information contact the NRC Office of Public Affairs at 301-415-8200.
