--In hearing, NRC members offer differing views on safety
mandate
--Commissioners are debating requirements affecting 31
reactors
--Final vote not expected for weeks
By Ryan Tracy
WASHINGTON--The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission appeared
divided Wednesday over whether to mandate safety improvements at
U.S. nuclear power plants that could cost hundreds of millions of
dollars.
At least one commission member seemed to favor the mandate at a
public hearing Wednesday, while two others expressed reservations.
It wasn't clear how the five-member body would vote on the
proposal, and a final decision might not come for weeks.
At issue is whether the commission should require safety
upgrades at 31 U.S. nuclear plants with similar designs to Japan's
Fukushima Daiichi facility, which experienced a triple meltdown
after an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
The U.S. nuclear agency's staff has recommended that the U.S.
operators be required to upgrade emergency venting systems by
installing filters that would capture radioactive particles.
The filter requirement would be the most expensive imposed by
U.S. nuclear regulators since Fukushima, at a cost of $16 million
or more per reactor, according to the NRC staff's estimate.
Industry officials say the cost of adding the filters could be
more, depending on the layout of each plant.
"It is not an insubstantial investment that we are making," said
Maria Korsnick, chief nuclear officer with Exelon Corp. (EXC) unit
Constellation Energy, during Wednesday's hearing.
With U.S. nuclear operators already contending with competition
from power plants running on low-priced natural gas, the added
expense could be "another chip away at the viability of the nuclear
industry overall," said Julien Dumoulin-Smith, a utility industry
analyst with UBS.
The key question for the NRC commissioners is whether to make
the filter requirement mandatory.
In an emergency, pressure could build up inside a nuclear
plant's radiation containment building, potentially forcing the
operator to open vents and allow gases--and some radiation--to
escape. Without venting, the building could explode and release
even more radiation. There were explosions at four Fukushima
reactor buildings.
The new filters could help reduce the amount of radiation
released into the atmosphere if the vents opened.
The nuclear industry says it also may be able to achieve the
same goal through other methods. It isn't ruling out upgrades, but
wants the NRC to set criteria for venting systems without
explicitly requiring costly filters.
Without that flexibility, "you never have that conversation"
about what is best for each plant, said NRC Commissioner William
Magwood. "Every plant is different."
Commissioner Kristine Svinicki said one-size-fits-all
regulations "are always going to be easier to do," but it is the
agency's job to evaluate individual plans for complying with its
rules. "That is our bread and butter."
Commissioner George Apostolakis, on the other hand, seemed to
share the NRC staff's concern that evaluating separate compliance
plans from each plant could delay safety improvements. "There are
real ways that this thing can go on for 10 to 15 years," he
said.
NRC Chairman Allison Macfarlane has said she is concerned about
delays under the industry-favored option, though her questioning
remained mostly neutral on Wednesday.
Commissioner William Ostendorff, who has backed the nuclear
industry's suggestions on previous issues related to Fukushima,
offered few hints Wednesday on how he might vote.
The commissioners will spend the coming weeks working through a
complicated voting process, in which members draft statements
describing their position and the group works to reach a
consensus.
Write to Ryan Tracy at ryan.tracy@dowjones.com
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