Press Release-10-219, NRC Renews Operating License for Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant for an Additional 20 Years

Press Release-10-219: NRC Renews Operating License for Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant for an Additional 20 Years

ML103500408
Person / Time
Site:	Duane Arnold
Issue date:	12/16/2010
From:	Office of Public Affairs
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Press Release-10-219
Download: ML103500408 (1)

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NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: http://www.nrc.gov No.10-219 December 16, 2010 NRC RENEWS OPERATING LICENSE FOR DUANE ARNOLD NUCLEAR POWER PLANT FOR AN ADDITIONAL 20 YEARS The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating license for the Duane Arnold Energy Center, located in Palo, Iowa, for an additional 20 years. The new license will expire on Feb. 21, 2034.

The decision to renew the license comes after thorough safety and environmental reviews of the application submitted Oct. 1, 2008, by the plants operator, FPL Energy Duane Arnold. The Duane Arnold Energy Center is a boiling-water reactor, located about eight miles northwest of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The NRC held public meetings near the plant on March 24, 2009, April 22, 2009, and March 31, 2010, to discuss Duane Arnolds environmental review. In October, NRC staff concluded there were no environmental impacts that would preclude renewal of the license for environmental reasons.

After careful review of the plants safety systems and specifications, the staff concluded that there were no safety concerns that would preclude license renewal and that the applicant had effectively demonstrated the capability to manage the effects of plant aging. In addition, NRC conducted inspections of the plant to verify information submitted by the applicant. On Oct. 7, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards - an independent body of technical experts that advises the Commission - issued its recommendation that license renewal for Duane Arnold should be approved.

The safety and environmental review reports, application and letters relating to the Duane Arnold license renewal are available on the NRC website at:

http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/duane-arnold-energy-center.html.

The Duane Arnold license represents the 61st reactor license renewed by the NRC. A complete listing of renewal applications can be found on the NRC website at:

http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html.

News releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address:

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's website.