FULTON, Mo. (AP) — Federal officials are delaying a decision on issuing a 20-year extension for the Callaway County nuclear power plant.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the decision is on hold pending an administrative hearing on an environmental group's legal challenge regarding spent fuel rod storage.
A decision on extending the license for the Fulton plant was expected this month. The plant's current operating license is set to expire in 2024. The license renewal would extend the license another 20 years.
The Jefferson City News-Tribune reports the NRC expects to respond in the next few days to a petition filed by the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.
A recent lawsuit against the nuclear agency objects to new rules allowing above-ground storage of spent nuclear fuel. The environmental group joined that lawsuit.