Meeting on troubled Neb. nuke plant will be closed

OMAHA (AP) — Federal regulators are planning to meet next week with the utility that owns the troubled Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant in Nebraska, but some of the discussion will be private because security information will be discussed.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials said Monday that the April 22 meetings will focus on flood protection and security for the plant 20 miles north of Omaha. Part of the discussion will be public before the private meeting.

Fort Calhoun has been shut down for more than two years. Initially, the plant went offline for routine refueling maintenance in 2011, but flooding along the Missouri River and a series of safety violations forced it to stay closed.

The violations include the failure of a key electrical part during a 2010 test, a small electrical fire in June 2011, and deficiencies in flood planning that were discovered a year before the extended flooding in 2011.

The Omaha Public Power District has been addressing the problems, and officials say significant progress has been made.

Regulators and utility officials say they won’t allow the plant to restart unless they’re confident it’s safe.

Fort Calhoun’s flood preparations and the changes OPPD plans to make to address the flood concerns will be discussed at Monday’s meeting.

The commission will also discuss efforts to protect the plant from flying debris in a tornado and earthquakes.

Some of the improvements OPPD plans to make to Fort Calhoun require approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission because they are part of the nuclear plant’s license.