New York House Democrats call for hearings on nuclear relicensing

By Andrew Restuccia - 03/23/11 03:11 PM ET

Two New York House Democrats are calling for congressional hearings to investigate the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) relicensing process for aging U.S. nuclear power plants.

Reps. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) raised concerns that decades-old U.S. nuclear power plants might not be able to withstand a terrorist attack or a major natural disaster like the one that hobbled nuclear reactors in Japan.
The lawmakers called on House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) to hold hearings on the issue. Upton, who has previously called for streamlining the NRC regulatory process, has said he will hold hearings on the Japan nuclear crisis. But the lawmaker has stood behind his support for nuclear power.

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