NRC deems Duke Energy’s NC William States Lee nuclear site safe
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed its final safety evaluation report for combined licenses for the development of dual reactors at Duke Energy’s William States Lee site on Wednesday, finding no major safety concerns.
The NRC staff completed its evaluation of the facility last week, finding that there were no safety aspects that would preclude issuance of the necessary licensing for the construction and operation of the reactors at the nuclear site. The William States Lee site is located near Gaffney in Cherokee County, South Carolina.
Duke Energy filed its application to build and operate two AP1000 nuclear reactors at the site on Dec. 12, 2007. The NRC certified the amended 1,100-megawatt AP1000 design in 2012. The environmental review and final impact statement was conducted in Dec. 2013, while the final site review was completed in December. The completion of the final safety and evaluation report is the final evaluation report needed before the final hearing phase.
The NRC report is available for public viewing on its website. The NRC will hold a mandatory hearing phase, during which it will examine the reviews to determine if all necessary requirements for license issuance have been made. The hearing phase is expected to take place later this year.
