Exelon, which is planning to shut down its Three Mile Island nuclear plant in 2019, is seeking to extend the license for its Peach Bottom nuclear plant by another 20 years.
Exelon, which has the nation’s largest fleet of nuclear plants, has applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to allow the York County plant to operate for 80 years, which is double its original license.
In 2003, Exelon was granted permission to extend the life of the plant’s two operating units for 20 years beyond the original 40-year license. It was the first commercial plant in the United States to get a license extension.
Currently, the operating license expires in 2033 for Unit 2 and in 2034 for Unit 3. If the latest license extension is granted, Unit 2 could operate until 2053 and Unit 3 until 2054.
The review by the NRC is expected to take up to 18 months.
The NRC said it recently drew up new guidance documents for nuclear plant owners. They include “aging management programs” that will be required of all nuclear plants operating 20 to 40 years beyond their original licenses.
The mandatory programs “focus on the effects of extended operation and high radiation exposure on reactor parts, concrete containment structures, piping and electrical cables, among other things.”
Peach Bottom has received high marks from the NRC for years. But it also was the site of infamous incidents, such as control room operators sleeping on the job in the 1980s and several drug arrests by employees. The plant was ordered to shut down for a time during the investigation into the sleeping operators.
Ab Crable – LNP – July 28, 2018.
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