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In a Dec. 2 document filed with the commissioners of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Massachusetts Attorney General has accused the NRC of violating the National Environmental Policy Act because it is trying to exempt the Pilgrim nuclear power station in Plymouth, Mass., from compliance with spent fuel pool requirements that might eventually be mandated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. On Oct. 30, the ASLB issued an initial decision to approve the relicensing application for Pilgrim. On Nov. 24 it also issued a "partial initial decision" approving an application for Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon.

The state attorney general's office suffered a major defeat yesterday in its fight to influence relicensing proceedings for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth. The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission denied a petition submitted nearly two years ago that sought greater consideration of the environmental impact of spent fuel storage facilities in the event of an accident or terrorist attack. Attorney General Martha Coakley had argued the pools where used fuel rods are stored could be drained, leading to a zirconium fire and a significant amount of radioactive material being released into the environment.