Ages of US Nuclear Power Plants* at Closure
* Includes only commercial plants of significant size

Plant, Shutdown Date, Age, Reason

Connecticut Yankee, Dec., 1996, 29 yrs, Steam gen. cracking, ECCS undersized

Millstone I (CT), July, 199, 28 yrs, Improper operation, Cost of safety improvements

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In a special series called “Aging Nukes” the Associated Press revealed that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the nuclear power industry have been working in tandem to weaken safety standards to keep aging reactors within the rules. Just last year, the NRC weakened the safety margin for acceptable radiation damage to reactor vessels. The AP report also revealed radioactive tritium has leaked from 48 of the 65 U.S. commercial nuclear power sites, often into groundwater from corroded, buried piping. Leaks from at least 37 of those facilities contained concentrations exceeding the federal drinking water standard—sometimes at hundreds of times the limit.

Listen to a Democracy Now video with Jeff Donn the AP reporter who wrote the series: http://www.youtube.com/embed/3NzDoUu9ux0

Here’s a link to the NY Times story on the series as well http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/06/20/us/AP-US-Aging-Nukes-Part-1.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Nuke%20Safety%20Rules%20Weakened&st=cse