Vermont Business Magazine The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued an Order approving the transfer of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant operating license from Entergy to NorthStar. Entergy requested the transfer of the Vernon nuclear facility to NorthStar to decommission the plant, which ceased operations in December 2014.The NRC Order approving the transfer was issued October11. Entergy's schedule would have fully decommissioned the site around 20175. NorthStar intends to have the job done about 2030. Work could begin as early as next year.
The plant is currently owned by Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee and operated by Entergy Nuclear Operations, both of which are listed on the license. Entergy requested the license transfer in February 2017. The new owner will be NorthStar Vermont Yankee, and the operator in charge of dismantling the plant will be NorthStar Nuclear Decommissioning Company. The transfer includes the plant’s dry cask spent nuclear fuel storage facility.
Moving the spent fuel into the dry cask storage was completed in August.
Based on its review, the NRC confirmed that NorthStar met the regulatory, legal, technical, and financial requirements necessary to qualify them as a licensee. The NRC also determined that "the transfer is consistent with law and NRC regulations, and that the transfer can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public and will not be inimical to the common defense and security," according to a NorthStar press release.
The Order and other documents related to the license transfer review are available in the NRC’s ADAMS online database at ML18242A638.
Source: NorthStar 10.12.2018