Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regional administrator Elmo Collins was quoted by The Associated Press as saying that it’s not yet clear if the restart plan submitted by Southern California Edison will require an amendment to the plant’s operating license.
Such reviews could involve a thicket of hearings, appeals and other steps that are likely to take as long as 24 months to complete.
Collins said the operator does not think such a review is not needed, but the NRC considers it an ‘open question’.
The company is planning to repair one of the two damaged reactors and run it at reduced power to cut down vibration that damaged tubing which carries radioactive water.
Southern California Edison has deactivated two units in January when a leak carrying radioactive water was detected in one of the power generators.
