- 3 -
temperature control facilities designed to meet the requirements
of the Maine Board of Environmental Protection, which were
completed in 1975. The plant began commercial operation in
December 1972 under Facility Operating License No. DPR-36 dated
September 15, 1972 (operating license). The plant was closed for
economic reasons in August 1997.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) oversees the safety
of all U.S. nuclear power plants. NRC reviews the initial plans
before issuing a construction permit and reviews the plant as
built before issuing an operating license. The NRC assumed the
regulatory responsibilities of AEC, its predecessor organization,
in a 1975 reorganization.
Petitioner’s nuclear power facility used fuel assemblies,
which contained fuel rods, in the reactor core to generate
energy. The reactor core consisted of 217 fuel assemblies.
Before new fuel assemblies could be placed in the reactor core,
petitioner submitted an application to the NRC for an amendment
to its operating license.
For purposes of this case, a fuel cycle (Cycle) begins upon
the shutdown of the prior cycle, continues through refueling,
followed by an operating cycle, and ends upon shutdown. During
shutdown, the plant is taken offline for refueling, maintenance,
and planned construction activities. The first 12 reloads,
designated Cycle 1A through Cycle 12, occurred one each in 1974,
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011