Editor’s note: This article has been modified from its original version.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Petition Review Board on Friday announced the decision to dismiss portions of a petition tied to containment vent modifications at the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant.
The NRC required that American nuclear plant operators implement a series of design improvements following the 2011 triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, which occurred after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggered a 15-meter tsunami.
Paul Gunter, of Beyond Nuclear, submitted a petition against Entergy’s compliance plan for a hardened containment venting system (HCVS) for FitzPatrick’s reactor containment buildings. The NRC board’s decision states that portions of Gunther’s petition, specifically items that question whether the existing hardened vent complies with the new requirements, do not meet the criteria required for such a request. Entergy has since requested an a timeline extension for installing a compliant hardened vent, and the NRC is currently reviewing that request.
