Southern’s ‘Monumental Accomplishment’ Tempered by Fukushima

Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

The chief regulator’s dissent in a vote that approved the first U.S. permit in 34 years to build a nuclear reactor is fueling a debate over safety as the first anniversary of Japan’s nuclear disaster nears.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted 4-1 yesterday to approve the plan of Southern Co. of Atlanta to build and operate two reactors at its Vogtle plant near Augusta, Georgia. The agency issued a permit today, NRC spokesman Scott Burnell said in an e-mail.