NRC: progress being made at Fort Calhoun Station; no timeline for restart

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says five categories on a Fort Calhoun Station restart checklist are closed out, and progress is being made.

NRC and OPPD officials updated the work at Fort Calhoun Station during a public meeting Tuesday night. NRC Region 4 spokeswoman Lara Uselding says about 70 percent of the items in the 13 remaining categories are under review or being closed out, and OPPD has made modifications and upgrades.

Uselding says as of now, there’s still no timeline for restarting the nuclear plant.

"The NRC is focused on safe operations, and until the increased oversight panel determines that this plant is safe to operate, and the plant operator completes those 13 remaining categories, there will not be a decision about restart."

Uselding says Tuesday’s meeting marked the first time this year that a large number of items on the checklist were complete.

Fort Calhoun Station shut down in April 2011 for refueling. Missouri River flooding and a series of safety issues have kept the nuclear plant closed.