The two nuclear plants of Three Miles Island as seen on Oct. 16, 2024.
Rachel McDevitt / StateImpact Pennsylvania
Three Mile Island owner will hold virtual public meting to discuss environmental impact
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LNP|LancasterOnline Staff
Rachel McDevitt / StateImpact Pennsylvania
The two nuclear plants of Three Miles Island as seen on Oct. 16, 2024.
The owner of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant is scheduled to discuss the environmental impacts of restarting the reactor on Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m.
The meeting will be virtual. Those who wish to attend are asked to register in advance here. People can also call 301-576-2978 and enter conference ID 72928893# to join the meeting by phone.
The public will have a chance to ask questions of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. TMI Unit 1’s Maryland-based owner, Constellation, is not required to field questions from the public during the meeting.
TMI Unit 1 shut down in 2019 because it couldn’t compete economically against cheaper natural gas and renewables on the grid.
Last year, Constellation announced a deal with Microsoft to restart the plant to supply power to its data centers in the region.
This slide from Constellation’s Oct. 25, 2024 presentation to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shows the planned timeline for reopening the Three Mile Island nuclear plant.
To resume power generation, Constellation needs to conduct an environmental review, which involves analyzing how the plant’s operations will impact areas such as water quality, air quality and wildlife habitat. The company must also include mitigation measures for potential impacts.
TMI Unit 1 last had its operating license renewed in 2009. At that time the NRC concluded the renewal would have small impacts.
The TMI Unit 2 reactor partially melted down in 1979 and never came back online. The accident was the worst at a commercial nuclear site in the country. The reactor is now owned and is being cleaned up by a subsidiary of Utah-based EnergySolutions.
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