This blog was written by Sara Barczak, former Regional Advocacy Director with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

Guest Blog | May 24, 2018 | Energy Policy, Nuclear

Are you concerned about decades more pollution from FPL’s Turkey Point nuclear plant threatening Biscayne Bay and your drinking water?

FPL wants to operate Turkey Point for another 20 years beyond the current license expiration of 2033. FPL is the first utility in the country to submit a Subsequent License Renewal Application (SLRA) with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). If approved, FPL could operate the reactors for an unprecedented 80 years, until 2053, which would make them the longest operating reactors in the U.S.

The NRC will hold two public meetings, identical in format, to hear from you about local issues and concerns that should be considered as they develop the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Find FPL’s application here.

Some of our concerns over FPL’s plan include:

• There has never been a license extended in the U.S. for a nuclear facility for the length that FPL is requesting (80 years in total).
• If FPL wants to run Turkey Point for decades longer, they should at least use current technology, such as cooling towers, to protect our water resources.
• There is no other nuclear facility in the world that uses a cooling canal system that is currently being used at FPL’s Turkey Point facility.
• FPL plans to continue operating the failing cooling canal system (pictured above) that is already polluting Biscayne Bay and threatening our region’s drinking water aquifer.
• Miami-Dade is ground zero for climate change impacts such as sea level rise. How will FPL protect the plant and highly radioactive nuclear waste that is stored on-site?

Please attend and voice your concerns! The scoping meetings will be held on May 31, 2018. The meetings will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the City of Homestead City Hall, 100 Civic Court, Homestead, FL 33030. There will be an open house one hour before each session for members of the public to meet with NRC staff and sign in to speak.

Can’t attend? The NRC will be taking written comments on this proposal but we don’t have all the details at this time. Sign up here to receive an action alert in the coming weeks!

Find more information on Turkey Point, click here. Have questions? Contact George Cavros, [email protected]