SRS Watch news, July 30, 2021: Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Plant in Columbia, South Carolina Quietly Released by Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Groundwater Contamination Issues and Ever-Present Accident Threat Don’t Justify 40-Year License Extension
Draft EIS Glosses Over Current Contamination and Ignores Future Impacts; Brushes Aside Environmental Justice Concerns & Totally Avoids Review of Role in Nuclear Weapons
Public Encouraged to Comment on Draft EIS, Attend Public Comment Session
Columbia, SC – The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission today released a flawed draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on operation of the Westinghouse nuclear fuel plant located near Columbia, South Carolina. The draft EIS, prepared as part of an overly long 40-year license extension request by Westinghouse, essentially sweeps environmental impacts and threats from the plant under the rug. The document, related to the production of uranium fuel rods for nuclear power reactors, will now be subject to public evaluation and comment.
“More accidents and releases at the fuel plant are unavoidable and the NRC has simply ignored that fact in the flawed environmental document,” said Tom Clements, director of SRS Watch. “This draft EIS does not make the case for a 40-year license extension but rather demonstrates the chronic nature of environmental impacts from the operation of the facility and thus weakly supports a license renewal for a maximum period of 10 years,” added Clements.
Full SRS Watch news release of July 30, 2021 linked here: SRS Watch news on Draft EIS release July 30 2021
Article in The State newspaper, Columbia, South Carolina, July 31, 2021, by Sammy Fretwell: Federal study supports 40-year license for Columbia nuclear plant, despite issues – https://www.thestate.com/news/local/environment/article253150383.html