The company now expects that it will commence collecting environmental data in the first quarter 2011 in preparation for submitting a construction and operating application (COLA) to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The company said that the decision by Payette County Planning and Zoning Commissioners is nationally significant as being the first decision of its kind regarding a green field nuclear site in 33 years.
A green field site is one that has not been earlier developed or approved for a nuclear power plant.
AEHI CEO Don Gillispie said that this approval allows the company to take the next step, which involves potential final rezone approval with the Payette County Board of Commissioners as early as January 2011.
