Groups say design approval can’t legally be finalized until Fukushima lessons are incorporated, and that NRC plans to shove costly design corrections onto Georgia, South Carolina customers.
See the Fairewinds report
See the legal motion
See the Fairewinds video “Fukushima and the AP1000”
Listen to the audio from the press conference
Problems with New Reactors
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Insider alleges shortcuts with Westinghouse reactor as delays mount – News Release by NC WARN, Friends of the Earth
Alleged flaws in turbine building design could cost customers dearly and compromise safety, groups say in legal filing with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state utility commissions.
View the legal brief on turbine building allegations here
View the NRC Inspection Letter and Notice of Violation here
Letter from NRC to Westinghouse re: projected schedule for the AP1000 design certification amendment rule, August 5, 2011
Very Good News: TWO Sets of Delays for Westinghouse Reactor Approval – A News Release by NC WARN
After 13 months of trying, company’s analysis “failed to effectively demonstrate the ability of the shield building to withstand an aircraft impact” says NRC.
Former Insider: Nuclear Design Ignores Sun’s Impacts – News Release by NC WARN, Friends of the Earth
Former Insider Says Westinghouse and NRC are Ignoring the Sun’s Heat Impacts on Nuclear Systems Despite U.S. Concrete Failures this Summer
See the legal motion and related documents
Toshiba Reactor Advances as Fukushima Proves No Obstacle at NRC – Bloomberg
Critics such as the North Carolina Waste Awareness & Reduction Network say action on nuclear plants, including the AP1000 design, should be delayed until the NRC learns the safety lessons of Fukushima and puts changes in place.
Fukushima triggers challenges of nuclear licensing by 25 groups
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is legally required to slow down reactor licensing and relicensing in order to address major changes urged by the agency’s own experts who have reviewed the Fukushima accident, according to 19 separate legal challenges filed today by a total of 25 public interest groups.
Also see this article about the legal challenges:
Groups step up call for NRC delay after Fukushima – Reuters, August 11, 2011
Legal Motion on AP1000 – Press Release by Friends of the Earth, NC WARN, others
Citing more design mistakes and omissions, public interest groups call for nuclear regulators to halt the AP1000 reactor approval process; watchdogs press NRC chairman to release damning internal dissent
New Reactor Design Faces Further Scrutiny in U.S. – Scientific American
The AP1000, which is leading the charge for any nuclear renaissance in the U.S., has made some mistakes in its application for certification.
U.S. Pushes, but Reactors Are Lagging – The New York Times
Recent setbacks in a hoped-for “nuclear renaissance” raise questions about how much of a role nuclear power can play.
Georgia reactor design still drawing criticism – Chattanooga Times Free Press
Arnold Gundersen, a former nuclear industry executive, said the proposed Westinghouse reactor design — known as the AP1000 — is more susceptible than today’s reactors to cracks and holes which have shown up in at least 40 currently operating plants.