i-Nuclear Update: US NRC orders reactor owners to prohibit foreign ownership controlling safety decisions

i-NUCLEAR

US NRC orders reactor owners to prohibit foreign ownership controlling safety decisions by I-Nuclear The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has required the owners of Maine Yankee, Connecticut Yankee and Yankee Rowe nuclear plants in the northeastern US to guard against foreign control, domination or influence over the companies' decision-making on matters relating to public health and safety, security, or access to classified information. The NRC action came in the form of “confirmatory orders” issued to the owners of the three nuclear power stations June 5. During an NRC review of the merger between Northeast Utilities and NSTAR, NRC discovered that the three Yankee companies – subsidiaries of NSTAR and NU – had significant foreign ownership. The previous changes in ownership occurred incrementally over time through transactions that did not affect the NRC licenses or require NRC approval. The companies hold licenses under Title 10 of the US Code of Federal Regulations Part 50 for decommissioned nuclear power plants that maintain onsite spent nuclear fuel storage facilities. Because the licenses are under Part 50, they are subject to NRC restrictions on foreign ownership, control and domination of nuclear power facilities. Those former nuclear plants were Connecticut Yankee in Haddam Neck, Conn., Yankee Rowe in Rowe, Mass. (operated by Yankee Atomic Power Co.), and Maine Yankee in Wiscasset, Maine. The NRC review of the NU/NSTAR merger found that three foreign corporations – Iberdrola of Spain, National Grid of the United Kingdom, and Emera of Canada – share ownership interests through their subsidiaries in the Yankee companies. The combined foreign ownership interest is 74 percent of Maine Yankee, 25.5 percent of Connecticut Yankee, and 44 percent of Yankee Atomic, with the largest percentage of ownership of one foreign corporation being Iberdrola owning 38 percent of Maine Yankee. NRC issued separate violations to the Yankee companies in January, citing them for non- compliance with the foreign ownership and control regulations. The violations were severity level IV, the least serious level. There have been no safety or security consequences identified, the regulator said. The confirmatory orders require the companies to ensure that the partial foreign ownership of the companies does not lead to foreign control, domination or influence over the companies' decision-making on matters relating to public health and safety, security, or access to classified information. I-Nuclear | June 6, 2012 at 7:05 pm | Categories: NRC, US | URL: http://wp.me/p22dAl-ho