The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans through fall to hold 11 public meetings in communities near nuclear power plants that have closed or are nearing the end of the service life.
The purpose of the meetings is to discuss best practices for community boards that would provide advice on decommissioning of the facilities, as required under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act signed into law in January. Input from the meetings will be incorporated into an NRC report on the topic.
The 11 power plants are: Crystal River in Florida, which permanently closed in 2013 and is scheduled for decommissioning starting next year; Diablo Canyon in California, scheduled to close by 2025; Humboldt Bay in California, which has largely been decommissioned after shutting down in 1976; Indian Point in New York, due for closure by April 2021; Kewaunee in Wisconsin, shuttered since 2013; Oyster Creek in New Jersey, which shut down in September 2018; Palisades in Michigan, scheduled to continue operating into 2022; Pilgrim in Massachusetts, closed on May 31 of this year; San Onofre in California, shut down permanently in 2013; Vermont Yankee, now being decommissioned after its 2014 retirement; and Zion in Illinois, which is nearing the conclusion of decommissioning following its 1998 closure.
Community advisory boards have already been established for some of these facilities, such as San Onofre and Diablo Canyon.
The meetings are expected to be held from August to October, with exact locations and schedules to be announced later, the NRC said Friday in a press release.
The resulting report, also featuring additional data from the federal regulator, is due to Congress by July 14, 2020. It will address issues including: subjects that a community advisory board might address; how input from a board could be incorporated into decommissioning decision-making; board interaction with federal organizations including the NRC “to promote dialogue between the licensee and affected stakeholders; and the board’s role in promoting public involvement in decommissioning.
