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  1. Another comment on this article after reading further into Dr. Patterson’s letter.
    It appears the American Power Act removes the biggest obstacle to new nuclear power.
    The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 required all operational tests and inspections be completed before issuing a combined license and a combined license is required for to connect to the grid. APA Section 11108 removes that requriement by allowing the NRC to issue the combined license before all operational testing has been completed based on my quick read of the verbiage in the bill thanks to Google.
    In other words APA Secton 1108 removes the risk of having another Shoreham which appears to be sending the ant-nuke groups such as Physicians for Social Responsibility onto the propaganda warpath.

    1. It has been the NRC’s policy for several years to issue the Combined Operating License (COL) even before construction starts. Once built, the plants will need to perform certain tests. I believe the first plants of the new generation (AP1000, EPR, etc.) will require some extra testing to verify the design and plant response. This seems only prudent, but it shouldn’t unduly impede the path to commercial operation.
      http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/licensing-process-bg.html

      1. Pete,
        Thanks for the clarification.
        I was looking at the info from PRS and others after reading Rod’s post. They are all hammering on the change to Section 1108 saying that will lower the safety standards for nuclear power plant start-up and trying to spread FU&D instead of looking at the entire process of licensing and start-up testing.

        1. From the short description here of section 1108:
          http://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/american-power-act.html
          I don’t see any difference between this and existing NRC requirements. Perhaps there was a mistake in that the 1954 act wasn’t changed when the 10CFR50.52 changes were made. The American Power Act might correct this oversight. Just guessing. Whatever the reason, I don’t see any reduction in safety. The NRC will always have oversight of the facility and they are going to make sure the required start up tests are performed.
          A long time ago, I was a start-up test engineer at a new nuclear power plant. It was very challenging work, but also one of the most satisfying jobs I ever had.

          1. Pete
            Here is what the American Power Act says about changing Section 1108 (pulled the text from Sen. Kerry’s website which has a link to the full text of the bill):
            Section 185 b. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2235 b.) is amended by striking the third sentence and inserting the following:

  2. Ted and Rod are really, really, really wrong.
    The nuclear industry has know from the beginning that the consequences of a severe accident are not acceptable. This kind of thinking is not welcome nuclear industry.

    1. Kit P, you are misinterpreting what Rod and Ted have said in an attempt to score some easy points in your unending propaganda war against Rod’s paradigm of fossil fuel intersts being the driving force behind the anti-nuclear movement. Once again, no sale.

  3. In the political resistance to liability limitation law for US nuclear imports, Bhopal gas tragedy 25 years back has been used as an anti-American argument. Deepwater horizon is a current issue.

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