HOPKINS, S.C. (AP) - Federal regulators say the Westinghouse Electric Company has no plans to clean uranium leaks at a nuclear fuel plant despite evidence that it could reach South Carolina's water supply.
Instead, Westinghouse wants a new 40-year extension from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, even though there's nearly a decade left on its current license.
The nuclear plume is under the plant and can't be cleaned until the fuel factory closes. A new license would delay cleanup until 2058 or later.
The State newspaper reported that a Westinghouse executive apologized to the factory's neighbors, who want the NRC to deny the license.
An NRC assessment in June says uranium dripped from a pipe under a building in 2011. In July, neighbors learned that uranium also leaked through a hole in the floor.