Lawmakers express concerns over plans to approve Seabrook amendment before scheduled hearing

Washington (January 18, 2019) – Massachusetts Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Seth Moulton (MA-09) today urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to reevaluate and abandon its plan to approve the license amendment and license renewal for the Seabrook Nuclear Plant without waiting for a planned hearing on the license amendment, set to take place this summer. The lawmakers also express their concerns with how the Seabrook plant operator plans to monitor, assess, and address structural degradation at the plant caused by the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). According to the NRC, the license amendment is set to be approved on or around January 22, and the license renewal will be approved on or around January 30. The license renewal will extend Seabrook’s operating license from 2030-2050.

“This timeline will effectively silence local stakeholders and minimize their critical role in the amendment review process,” write Senators Markey and Warren and Representative Moulton. “Structural degradation linked to the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) has caused Seabrook to operate outside of its design basis, driving the need for a license amendment. We request that the license amendment and renewal be delayed until after the evidentiary hearing takes place, so that concerns over the plant’s safety can be properly heard and reflected.”

A copy of the letter can be found HERE.

Senator Markey has previously called on the NRC not to extend the license for Seabrook due to unaddressed safety concerns. 

###