But the process has been tainted by a manipulative regulatory change that removes the health of nearby residents as a criterion for renewal. On April 3, the NRC is scheduled to decide whether or not to extend these licenses from 2016 to 2036, effectively permitting operation for up to 60 years. No reactor has yet lasted even 35 years.
Options faced by many utilities boil down to closing, selling, or re-licensing.
Among the changes was elimination of the mandate to assess health effects of radioactive emissions. Operators of the Oconee nuclear plant in South Carolina have also requested an extension, while others may soon follow suit. The NRC actions continue industry and government's tradition of ignoring and suppressing information on harmful health effects from reactor emissions. Calvert Cliffs is a case in point. The Commission recently determined that the chance of a dangerous accident at the plant over 60 years was 1 in 83, four times higher than similar reactors and twice NRC's goal.