NRC: News Release - 2009-007 - NRC Suspends Reviews of River Bend, Grand Gulf New Reactor Applications; Cancels Jan. 29 Meeting


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No. 09-007

January 12, 2009

NRC SUSPENDS REVIEWS OF RIVER BEND, GRAND GULF
NEW REACTOR APPLICATIONS; CANCELS JAN. 29 MEETING
Printable Version

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has suspended the principal portions of its reviews of Combined License (COL) applications for the River Bend site near Baton Rouge, La., and the Grand Gulf site near Vicksburg, Miss., following a request from the applicant, Entergy.

The NRC has also cancelled a public meeting on the River Bend application originally planned for Thursday, Jan. 29, in St. Francisville, La.

Entergy applied to the NRC in February 2008 for Grand Gulf, and in September 2008 for River Bend, for COLs to build and operate an Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor at each site. Entergy informed the NRC in a Jan. 9 letter that the company is currently considering alternate reactor technologies for both sites, and asked the agency to halt its work on the COL applications. In honoring this request, the NRC is conducting an orderly closeout of environmental reviews done for the Grand Gulf COL. The NRC will also continue interactions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency regarding emergency preparedness issues associated with the potential of additional reactors at the sites.

Once Entergy provides updated information regarding the applications, the NRC will review the updates for completeness and determine whether full reviews can resume.

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