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| MoneyTuesday, November 7, 2006 5:22 PM CST |
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Second reactor at Clinton looms closer
DECATUR -- The prospect of a second nuclear power plant in Clinton loomed a little closer on Tuesday. A hearing by a panel of legal and scientific experts appointed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission met in Decatur to hear evidence about why the present Clinton Nuclear Power Plant site is both safe and environmentally suitable enough to house a second reactor. Exelon Nuclear, which runs the present plant through its AmerGen subsidiary, hasn’t said it will build a new reactor, even if it gets the permission. But site approval, with a final NRC decision now expected in May, would give Exelon a 20-year window to make up its mind and see whether it’s worth sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into making Clinton go nuclear again. Bruce Paulsen, a spokesman for the Clinton plant, said the Exelon decision-makers were not being influenced by the current row over Illinois electric power costs, with some bills expected to jump by more than 40 percent when a rate freeze ends Jan. 1. Paulsen said the company has to take a long-term view of what power demands might be far into the future and choose the best means to meet those power needs: fossil fuel or nuclear? Exelon, which operates 10 nuclear power plants and 17 reactors nationwide, clearly has a positive view of atomic energy. “We are very committed to nuclear and we know that it is a safe, clean, viable energy source,” added Paulsen. He also said Clinton families supported power plant expansion because of the boost to local taxes and the good-paying jobs that would be generated. “I think if you ask the majority of people around Clinton, they would definitely like another nuclear reactor,” said Paulsen. The NRC will find out for itself Wednesday night when, after a second day of taking expert testimony at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel, the focus shifts to Clinton and a public comment session starting at 6 p.m. at Clinton Junior High School, 701 Illini Drive. The session will last until 10 p.m., if necessary, to give everybody who wants to a chance to speak. The three-member expert panel will then consider the evidence before making a recommendation to the NRC for or against the Clinton site’s suitability to house a second reactor. Few members of the public turned up to watch the opening of the official hearing Tuesday, with the proceedings conducted like a court session. The panel was chaired by Judge Paul Abramson and was faced by ranks of lawyers and expert witnesses from both Exelon and the NRC’s staff, who have recommended approval of the site permit. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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