US licenses first nuclear reactors since 1978

[IDemo]

By Miguel Llanos, msnbc.com

It's been 34 years -- and several nuclear accidents later -- but a divided federal panel on Thursday licensed a utility to build nuclear reactors in the U.S. for the first time since 1978.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's chairman, Gregory Jaczko, opposed licensing the two reactors at this time even though he had earlier praised their design.

"There is still more work" to be done to ensure that lessons learned from Japan's Fukushima disaster last year are engrained in the reactor design, he told his colleagues. "I cannot support this licensing as if Fukushima never happened."

"There is no amnesia," responded Commissioner Kristine Svinick, speaking for the 4-1 majority and noting that the industry has been directed to adopt those lessons.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/09/10362722-us-licenses-first-nuclear-reactors-since-1978

[FBaggins]

1. Poor Jaczko really can't get his act together.

Didn't he just vote to certify the AP1000?

So enough work has been done to certify the design, but there's still more work to be done on the design?

[Dead_Parrot]

2. Probably got distracted by someone in a skirt. Again. nt

[FBaggins]

3. I didn't realize that had been a problem

Or perhaps just don't remember it.

Do you have a link?

[Dead_Parrot]

4. A couple to start with:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/14/us-usa-nuclear-idUSTRE7BD0VV20111214
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70427.html