NRC renews operating licenses of Illinois nuclear power plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has renewed the operating licenses of the LaSalle County Station nuclear power plant, authorizing operation of Units 1 and 2 for another 20 years.
Located in Marseilles, Illinois, the LaSalle nuclear power plant uses two boiling-water reactors. Exelon Generation Co. is responsible for operating the plant and had initially filled for renewed authorization in 2014. Unit 1 will now operate through 2042 and Unit 2 until 2043.
The NRC review of the application included two elements. A safety evaluation report was issued June 2 and a supplemental environmental impact statement was issued Aug. 26. The environmental impact statement considers the effects of application renewal compared to alternatives of the proposal.
The NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards also reviewed the license renewal application. It said in its recommendation for approval that Exelon’s programs to manage age-related degradation provided assurances that the plant could be operated for an extended period without risking public safety.
After renewal of the LaSalle nuclear power plant operating licenses, a total of 85 commercial nuclear power reactors now have renewed licenses, although two have since been permanently decommissioned. An additional 10 authorization renewals for various nuclear plants are currently under NRC review.
