Federal study supports 40-year license for Columbia nuclear plant, despite issues
A study by federal nuclear regulators recommends a new 40-year operating license for an atomic fuel factory near Columbia that is considered vital to electric utilities but unwanted by neighbors worried about pollution from the aging facility.
The Westinghouse fuel rod plant presents mostly small environmental threats in the future, meaning it should be allowed to operate another 40 years, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission report.
Keeping the plant running also could be better for the economy than denying the license and closing the plant, while also protecting a facility that makes nuclear fuel for the nation’s atomic power plants, the study said.
If the plant closed, the country would need a new nuclear fuel factory elsewhere in the U.S. that would likely cost more to build than keeping the Columbia facility running, the study said.
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