Quinn Believes Illinois Reactors Are Safe
CHICAGO (WBBM) - Gov. Pat Quinn said he believes the four nuclear reactors in Illinois built to the same type of design as the troubled Fukushima Japanese reactors are safe. But he said Tuesday that he is asking legislators for additional funding to conduct "top to bottom" inspections of all 11 Illinois nuclear plants.
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"We have our own independent inspection program, and a lot of things separate and different from the feds," Quinn said during an unrelated news conference in Chicago.
Quinn said the state collected $19 million in fees this fiscal year from Exelon, the plant's owners, to conduct inspections. He said he is asking the legislature to approve additional Exelon fees.
"We want to make sure everything is done right," he said.
Quinn said he met shortly after the problems in Japan became apparent with officials from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, which has a nuclear safety department that oversees the inspections. He said he was assured at that time that the Mark I reactor design, while older, is still deemed safe by the Nuclear Regulator Commission. He said the NRC recently extended the operating licenses of some Mark I plants by 20 years.
He did not indicate how quickly the reviews would begin or how long they would take place.
