The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has found a violation in the ownership of the former Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant.
The decommissioned plant houses spent fuel, and so is still governed by regulations on nuclear power plants. These regulations include a ban on foreign ownership of US nuclear power plants.
The NRC recently determined that a proposed merger between Northeast Utilities, which owns 24 percent of Maine Yankee, and NSTAR does not meet their criteria for general review, because the transfer does not involve a majority of the former plant, said Neil Sheehan, an NRC spokesman.
However, in their review of the merger, the NRC determined a review of the level of foreign ownership of Maine Yankee under the merger was needed. That review revealed that under the merger, Maine Yankee’s foreign ownership would be 74 percent, which violates the prohibition on foreign ownership, Sheehan said.
The NRC has issued a “low level notice of violation” to the company, and is currently reviewing a proposal created by the company to rectify the amount of foreign ownership. It’s too early to speculate about the acceptability of the plan, Sheehan said, but the NRC will likely make a determination in the next few months.
