TVA to Pursue a Restart at Bellefonte

The mostly finished Bellefonte reactor was abandoned in 1988. (photo courtesy of TVA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority is picking up steam on nuclear power. The utility’s board of directors voted Thursday to restart another mothballed nuclear plant called Bellefonte, in northeast Alabama.

During hours of public comment, environmentalists like Jeannie Cerulean asked that TVA instead put the nearly $5 billion into renewable energy.

“Respect for the people who are victims of the disaster at Fukushima alone would say, right now, let’s not lead that nuclear charge forward, just out of respect.”

Another woman came to tears asking TVA directors to steer away from nuclear power because of radiation concerns.

Those in favor of the restart say it will be an economic stimulus. Bobby Klein with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers says Bellefonte could produce years of work for 1,500 craftsmen.

“One of the things that we need in order to get this country back on track is jobs, and I challenge the TVA board to help us do that.”

Also speaking in favor were future nuclear engineers from the University of Tennessee and the CEO’s of several chambers of commerce, including Nashville’s.

The Bellefonte plant was nearly 80 percent complete when the project was mothballed in 1988. TVA chief of operations Bill McCollum says some work will have to be redone, but it’s still not like starting from scratch, he says, more like halfway.

Critics of the Bellefonte restart claim the concrete, some of which is 37 years old, has been damaged by water. McCollum says it’s not a big concern.

“We’ve done extensive investigations and don’t see a reason to believe there’s been deterioration due to groundwater.”

The board’s vote was unanimous, but some directors were more enthusiastic than others. Mike Duncan said the disaster in Japan, safety violations at another TVA plant and personnel changes in the utility’s nuclear department looked like signs.

“All these things were red flags to me to stop and slow down.”

Duncan ultimately voted in favor, but only after the board approved an amendment that won’t allow construction to begin until a nuclear reactor at Watts Bar, south of Crossville, is complete. That project has recently been delayed and is now scheduled to begin operating in 2013.