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	NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
	Office of Public Affairs	Telephone: 301/415-8200
	Washington, DC 20555-001	E-mail: opa@nrc.gov

No. 99-265

December 22, 1999

Licensing Board to Hear Oral Arguments on Shearon Harris Spent Fuel Pools

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hear oral arguments on January 21 regarding a December 1998 request by Carolina Power & Light, owner of the Shearon Harris plant, that the NRC amend its operating license to place two unused spent fuel pools in service. The plant is located near Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Board of Commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina, petitioned to intervene. A three-member NRC Licensing Board granted the Commissioners' petition and is in the process of conducting a hearing on the merits of the case.

The Atomic Safety & Licensing Board is composed of independent judges who conduct formal hearings on licensing actions involving facilities that produce or use nuclear materials. Individuals whose interests may be affected by such licensing actions may participate in hearings before the Licensing Board.

At the hearing, the Licensing Board will hear oral arguments from Carolina Power & Light, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, and the NRC staff, as to whether there are disputed issues of fact or law that require resolution in an evidentiary hearing.

Hearings were also held earlier this month in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where members of the public who are not parties to the proceeding made oral limited appearance statements describing their concerns with the utility's request.

This hearing was previously scheduled for January 4.

The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Room T-3B45 of the agency's Two White Flint North Building at 11545 Rockville Pike in Rockville, Maryland, and will be open for public observation.

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