NRC issues environmental report on New Hampshire's Seabrook Station plant

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued its final environmental report on the Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant in New Hampshire on Thursday.

The findings of the environmental impact report would not automatically preclude a 20-year extension on the facility located approximately 13 miles south of Portsmouth, the NRC said. The power plant's current license expires on March 15, 2030.

Included within the environmental report are the analysis and findings from a generic environmental impact statement, an environmental report conducted by NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC, the plant's owner, NRC independent review of the facility and public comment and consideration collected during the scoping processes on the first draft and supplemental drafts to the statement. The NRC also consulted with relevant federal, local and state agencies.

The Seabrook Station plant has one operational nuclear reactor that is capable of generating 1,244 million watts of electricity. The plant has been operating commercially since August 1990. NextEra Energy Seabrook said the reactor is capable of producing viable electrical energy to approximately 1.2 million residences.

According to the NRC website, a final decision to extend the license is expected to be made in September 2016.