Nuke Plant Shutdown Sought

The News & Observer (NC):

Five public interest groups are asking the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend the operating license of Progress Energy's Shearon Harris plant or levy hefty fines until the plant fixes longstanding flaws in fire safety systems.

A petition -- filed Wednesday by the N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, and two other groups -- contends that the violations make the plant unsafe. The groups demand that regulators take an emergency action -- either shut down the plant or fine it $130,000 a day per violation.