The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has restored the expiration dates of the subsequent licence renewals (SLRs) for Turkey Point Nuclear Generating units 3&4 to 19 July 2052, and 10 April 2053, respectively.
This follows completion of a supplemental environmental review to comply with a 2022 Order from the Commission. Several environmental groups requested a hearing on this environmental review. After consideration of these hearing requests, NRC’s Atomic Safety & Licensing Board terminated this adjudicatory proceeding in August, concluding that no contested matters remained before it for resolution. The Board’s decision can be appealed to the Commission until late September. NRC regulations direct the staff to take licensing actions even if an appeal is pending. The Commission retains the ability to act on any appeal and, as needed, direct additional staff action on the licenses.
The Turkey Point units are pressurised-water reactors located in Homestead, Florida, about 25 miles south of Miami. Eight US commercial nuclear power reactors, including Turkey Point, have received subsequent renewed licences (authorising operations from 60 to 80 years). Seven applications for subsequent licence renewal are currently under review.
Subsequent licence renewals cover a further 20 years of operation beyond 60 years and focus on the management of plant ageing during the 60-80 year operating period, especially the effects of extended operation and high radiation exposure on reactor parts, concrete containment structures, piping and electrical cables, among other things.
NRC’s December 2019 approval of Florida Power & Light’s application for a 20-year subsequent licence extension for the Turkey Point units was the first instance of NRC authorising reactors to operate for up to 80 years, to 2052 for unit 3 and 2053 for unit 4.
However, in February this year, NRC reversed this in a legal, procedural decision related to the specific wording of some of the documentation in the renewal process. NRC’s three commissioners considered petitions against their earlier decision brought by environmental groups Beyond Nuclear, Friends of the Earth, National Resources Defense Council, and Miami Waterkeeper. As part of that process, the regulators decided that the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licence Renewal of plants did not specifically cover the extended operation period. A memorandum of the commissioners’ decision, issued on 24 February, directed NRC staff to modify the licence expiration Turkey Point 3 and 4 back to 2032 and 2033, respectively.
Researched and written by Judith Perera
