Concerns Raised About TVA Nuke Plant
Opponents of the Tennessee Valley Authority reviving its mothballed Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in northeastern Alabama say building a reactor is a safety risk and could drive up rates.
A report released Tuesday by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says the site where ground was broken in 1974 for a nuclear plant has an aging foundation, raises concerns about possible seismic activity and flooding and could force rates higher.
TVA spent more than $4 billion at the site before stopping and selling off parts to scrap vendors.
TVA’s board at its Aug. 18 meeting will get a staff recommendation to build a reactor at Bellefonte as the utility moves ahead with phasing out some coal-fired plants.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2009 agreed to reinstate Bellefonte’s original construction permits.
