"The new chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday that she had asked the agency’s staff to look into the likely effects of climate change on nuclear power reactors."
"As I write elsewhere in The Times, the chairwoman, Allison M. Macfarlane, is a geologist who focuses on nuclear waste and earthquake safety, among other topics. She was answering a question about the shutdown of the Millstone 2 reactor in Waterford, Conn., on Sunday. The water pulled in from Long Island Sound had become so warm that it exceeded the temperature limit specified in the plant’s operating license, 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Speaking at a reporters’ roundtable organized by the trade publication IHS The Energy Daily, Dr. Macfarlane said the study would cover areas like how plants would fare if storms grew more severe and flooding increased, and how they might compete for water if rainfall patterns shifted."
Matthew L. Wald reports for the New York Times' Green blog August 14, 2012.
SEE ALSO:
"For New Nuclear Chief, Concerns Over Plant Safety" (New York Times)
"Extreme Heat, Drought Show Vulnerability of Nuclear Power Plants" (InsideClimate News)
"Heat Shuts Down a Coastal Reactor" (Green/NY Times)
