Nuclear Reactor License Renewal Rule Draws New Legal Challenge

Environmental advocacy groups are seeking review of a US Nuclear Regulatory Commission rule that dictates environmental review standards for nuclear reactor license renewal applications.

The Sierra Club and Beyond Nuclear want the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the rule, claiming Monday that it unlawfully applies the conclusions of the commission’s August generic environmental impact statement as “mandatory requirements in NRC license renewal proceedings.”

The rule, which became effective Sept. 5, updates the NRC’s 2013 environmental review regulations in a way that “redefines the number and scope of the environmental issues that must be ...