Westinghouse Reactor Takes a Step Forward via The New York Times

August 10, 2011, 6:00 am

By MATTHEW L. WALD

The reactor at the leading edge of what has been cast as a “nuclear renaissance” has taken a step forward.

The staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said on Tuesday that it had finished its evaluation of the safety of the proposed Vogtle 3 and 4 reactors, a Southern Company project near Augusta, Ga. The staff has also completed work on Southern’s application for a license to build and run the reactors.

Final approval is still months away; the five commissioners will have to hold a hearing and then vote to confirm both approvals. At the moment, that is expected by year’s end.

Scott Burnell, a commission spokesman, said that the basic question facing the commission is whether it is satisfied with its staff’s work on safety and environmental evaluations related to the reactor, the new Westinghouse AP-1000. If the commission votes yes, “then things are good,’’ he said.

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