The community was invited to attend an Open House with The Nuclear Regulatory Commission this afternoon in Omaha.
The NRC held the event to address community members one on one about their concerns regarding the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant. OPPD operates the nuclear plant, which was shut down in April last year because of flooding along the Missouri River.
Additionally, regulators identified safety concerns. Victor Dricks, Public Affairs Officer for the NRC, says the main concerns citizens have at this point include wondering if it is safe to restart the plant, and when that will happen. Dricks says right now there is no scheduled date for Fort Calhoun to resume operation.
"The checklist has grown larger over time because of the process that they are in which is a very intrusive inspection process by the NRC, which is used for plants that have been shut down for a long period of time. They have discovered and we have discovered new issues that need to be addressed."
Attendee John Pollack says his primary concern is the flooding hazard. He’s concerned about the possibility of having a much worse incident if one of the upstream dams on the Missouri breaks. Pollack says he wants to know what upgrades are needed to protect Fort Calhoun.
For a list of upcoming public meetings on the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant, the website is www.nrc.gov.