DOE could keep Three Mile Island debris in Idaho

摘要

The partially melted reactor core from the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history could remain in Idaho for another 20 years if regulators finalize a license extension sought by the Energy Department, officials said yesterday. The core from Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania partially melted in 1979, an event that changed the way Americans view nuclear technology. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined there would be no significant impact from extending the license to store the core at the 890-square-mile site that includes the Idaho National Laboratory. "No significant radiological or non-radiological impacts are expected from continued normal operations," the commission said about its finding. The agency would also have to complete a safety evaluation report before renewing the license. Commission spokesman David McIntyre said that will likely happen in the next several days.