Groups ask regulators to bar work at Duke site

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Two environmental groups have asked South Carolina utility regulators to withdraw approval for Duke Energy Corp. to begin work at a proposed nuclear power plant. In petitions filed Thursday, Friends of the Earth and NC Warn said the reactor design Duke plans to used in Cherokee County has not been approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. They said the plan creates uncertainty about Duke's construction timetable and costs. NRC spokeswoman Ivonne Couret said Westinghouse Electric Co.'s original design for the reactor has been certified, but revisions are still being reviewed. In May, the South Carolina Public Service Commission approved Duke's request to spend up to $230 million through Dec. 31, 2009, on pre-construction work at... [read full story]