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Illinois to Inspect Its Nuclear Power Plants
(IRN)--The State of Illinois will soon be inspecting all of its nuclear power plants, in the wake of the events in Japan.

Gov. Pat Quinn says while inspections are performed regularly by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, he wants the state – in particular, an arm of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency – to take a closer look at Exelon power plants. Exelon owns all nuclear power plants based in the state.

“We have our own independent inspection program and a lot of things separate and different from the [federal government] because we have 11 nuclear reactors here,” Quinn said. “We want to make sure everything is done right.”

Quinn says the state is considering asking Exelon for additional fees to make sure that the proper emergency equipment is in place with IEMA in the event of a nuclear situation. He says the state was considering that proposal before the events in Japan.

As for worry that four of the state’s 11 reactors - at the Dresden and Quad City plants - are of the same design and vintage as those involved in Japan's nuclear crisis, Quinn says while the design is old, it is deemed safe. But Quinn says after what has happened in Japan, the state must study everything.

On Friday, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mark S. Kirk (R-Ill.) will hold a forum to discuss the safety of the state’s nuclear reactors and whether Illinois is prepared for an emergency.

(Source: Illinois Radio Network)
03 23 11 by Newsroom
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