The Nuclear Regulatory Commission yesterday approved the emergency planning exemption requests for both the San Onofre Generating Station (SONGS) and Vermont Yankee Station. The NRC Staff had previously recommended both reactors receive the requested exemptions due to the decreased risk of an emergency at a defueled and shutdown reactor. “The Commission continues to support the current practice of approving appropriately justified exemptions from certain emergency planning requirements while plants are transitioning to decommissioning based on site-specific evaluations,” the Commission wrote in its Staff Related Memorandum. “The Commission looks forward to the staff addressing decommissioning issues in a comprehensive rulemaking.” The NRC approval allows the two sites now to eliminate the requirements to maintain offsite radiological emergency plans and reduce some of the onsite emergency planning activities, although requirements for certain onsite capabilities to communicate and coordinate with offsite response authorities will be retained.
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