Fort Calhoun, Nebraska Nuclear Plant, Should Remain Closed: Enviros

"OMAHA, Neb. -- A Nebraska environmental group wants federal regulators to keep the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant shut down because it would be inundated by floodwaters in the unlikely event of a dam failing upstream."

"The Clean Nebraska group said Wednesday that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's own assessment of the flood threat at the plant about 20 miles north of Omaha predicts all major equipment at Fort Calhoun would be flooded if the Oahe dam on the Missouri River failed.

The NRC said in its memo that this flooding issue at Fort Calhoun did not represent an immediate safety concern. Regulators said the problem could be addressed later as part of the agency's long-term effort to improve the safety of all nuclear plants in the wake of Japan's nuclear crisis last year.

The Clean Nebraska group argues that the flood threat is more pressing because the NRC estimates that dam failure could create floodwaters 46 feet higher than Fort Calhoun is prepared to handle."

Josh Funk reports for the Associated Press September 26, 2012.

SEE ALSO:

"Nuclear Energy Capacity Growth Slowing After Fukushima: IAEA" (Reuters)