US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff have concluded that there are no environmental impacts that would prevent issuing the Early Site Permit (ESP) for the Clinton site, about six miles east of Clinton, Illinois.
Combined with the recent issuance of a final Safety Evaluation Report on the application, this marks the end of the staff's technical review on the Clinton ESP, although additional steps must be completed before the NRC reaches a final decision on the matter. If approved, the permit would give Exelon up to 20 years to decide whether to build a new nuclear unit on the site and to file an application with the NRC for approval to begin construction.
With the technical review complete, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel must conduct a mandatory hearing on the matter before the NRC can reach a final decision on issuing the permit, expected by mid-2007.
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