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CLINTON POWER STATION, UNIT NO. 1; DRESDEN NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3; LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2; LIMERICK GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2; OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION; PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3; AND QUAD CITIES NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENTS REGARDING ADOPTION OF TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS TASK FORCE TRAVELER, TSTF-535, "REVISE SHUTDOWN MARGIN DEFINITION TO ADDRESS ADVANCED FUEL DESIGNS" {TAC NOS. MF2533, MF2534, MF2535, MF2536, MF2537, MF2538, MF2539, MF2540, MF2541, MF2542, MF2543, AND MF2544)

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Reassignment of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Branch Chief For Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3, Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, and Limerick Generating Station, Units 2 and 3

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Ironically, the NRC announced on Groundhog Day that it was dispatching a special inspection team to Pilgrim to investigate the reasons for the initial loss of the offsite power lines and ensuing problems the operators encountered, including the failure of the HPCI system, the inability to open one safety relief valve from the control room, and the failure of the standby diesel powered compressor to start. Like Bill Murray’s character in the feature film Groundhog Day, Pilgrim seems to be reliving certain things over and over. And over. And over.

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NEWS FROM BEYOND NUCLEAR

For immediate release: Thursday, December 11, 2014

Contact: Paul Gunter, Director

Federal Nuclear Regulator Opts Not To Reconsider Critical Safety Enhancements at U.S. “Fukushima” Reactors

Decision designed to save industry money but exclude experts and public

TAKOMA PARK, MD -- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has buckled to industry pressure and will recommend that the Commission disallow independent experts and the public from participating in a process to reconsider minimal but critical safety enhancements at the nation’s Fukushima-style nuclear power plants.

The NRC staff today said that a rulemaking proposed by the NRC Commission to further analyze filtered venting for containment protection and radiation release reduction following a severe accident is “not necessary.”  The nuclear industry has vehemently opposed the installation of external filtered containment vents on the basis of cost and “unintended consequences.” 

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Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 - Letter and Non-Proprietary Safety Evaluation of Reactor Vessel Internals Inspection Plan (TAC No. MF1459)

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Issuance of Amendments Regarding the Emergency Plan Definition of Annual Training (TAC NOS. MF3003, MF30004, MF3005, MF3006, MF3007, MF3008, MF3009, and MF3010)

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Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 - Issuance of Amendment to Eliminate Certain Technical Specifications Reporting Requirements (TAC NO. MF0628)

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Nuclear Containment Risk

January 29th, 2015

During the 1960s when the American Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards debated containment structures, some members argued for the need to make stronger containments. Regrettably, a majority of the members believed that the emergency core cooling systems were adequate, so more than 50 years ago the Advisory Committee ignored its minority members and pushed ahead without rigorous failure-proof containment structures and systems. The Nuclear Regulatory Committee made the decision not to require stronger containments. Japan followed the American lead.

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Quick Backgrounder on Pilgrim’s 'first' 2015 Event

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Thursday, January 29, 2015

BREAKING NEWS: Gov. Tom Wolf reinstates moratorium on further gas leasing of public lands
Great news for Pennsylvania's state forests and state parks.

In a ceremony at Benjamin Rush State Park in Philadelphia this morning, Governor Wolf reinstated a moratorium on further gas leasing of public lands. The executive order would supersede an executive order signed by former Gov. Tom Corbett last year that overturned a previous ban on further drilling of public lands.

We are pleased to see Gov. Wolf move quickly to protect our state parks and forests from natural gas drilling. These lands are held in the public trust as provided by Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania constitution, and are places where our families gather and play. The governor has wisely chosen to protect the people of Pennsylvania over the profits of drillers.

With the help of PennFuture members and thousands of Pennsylvanians across the state, we kept the pressure on Harrisburg -- and your voices were heard.

The citizens of the Commonwealth have long valued the special places that our award-winning state parks and state forest represent. Gov. Wolf's action today will help preserve those places as it promotes public health.

Andrew Sharp is PennFuture's director of outreach and is based in Philadelphia.

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