NYC-area nuclear plant sale for decommissioning is approved

  Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s staff have approved sale of Indian Point nuclear power plant rth of New York City to a New Jersey company for dismantling, despite petitions from state and local officials to hold public hearings before taking action.

five-member NRC said Monday that it expects to issue an order next Monday allowing plant’s owner, Entergy Corp., to transfer its license to Holtec Decommissioning International, which plans to demolish plant by end of 2033 at a projected cost of $2.3 billion.

staff also approved Holtec's request to use part of a $2.1 billion trust fund set aside for decommissioning to man spent nuclear fuel stored in dozens of steel-and-concrete canisters that will remain on site. New York Attorney General Letitia James has called Holtec deal “very risky,” questioning Holtec's financing and experience.

Unit 2 reactor at plant along Hudson River was shut down permanently in April. last operating reactor will shut down in April 2021 under a deal reached in January 2017 between Entergy, state of New York and environmental group Riverkeeper.

Holtec, which has alrey received NRC approval to purchase Oyster Creek and Pilgrim nuclear power plants in New Jersey and Massachusetts, has said it has financial and technical qualifications to complete each decommissioning.

In a letter to NRC on Monday, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and regional members of Congress said it was “deeply troubling” that commission's staff was issuing a decision on license transfer without providing a timeline for numerous public hearing requests.