Latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Midlands

Monday, July 02, 2012  Regulators have chosen two new resident inspectors at a South Carolina nuclear plant where two new reactors will soon be constructed.

Sunday, May 13, 2012  Federal regulators say a Columbia plant that makes nuclear reactor fuel has not followed through on safety recommendations made nine years ago.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011  Westinghouse Electric Co. says the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined its new AP1000 nuclear reactor design is safe enough to withstand the impact of a plane crashing into it.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011  A taskforce examining the lessons learned from a nuclear accident in Japan says that a reactor proposed for use in the South would be safer than existing models in some accident scenarios.  The report Wednesday from a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission task force says that Westinghouse Electric Co.'s AP1000 and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's ESBWR have emergency cooling systems that could run for 72 hours. Those cooling systems are powered by natural forces such as gravity and convection that do not require electrical power.

Monday, June 13, 2011  Westinghouse Electric Co. has submitted revisions to the proposed design of a new nuclear reactor after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission raised concerns last month.

Friday, May 20, 2011  Federal officials say Westinghouse Electric Co. must fix problems with a new nuclear reactor design before a decision can be made on whether to approve it.  Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko said Friday that a review of the AP1000 reactor design has uncovered problems.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011  Federal regulators are scheduled to discuss safety at the Westinghouse nuclear fuel plant in Columbia.

Wednesday, January 05, 2011  The NRC says there apparently were problems with a filter at the plant last July. The filter is supposed to make sure material in waste waters is removed before the water is discharged.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010  A federal advisory panel says it believes the latest design of Westinghouse Electric Co.'s AP1000 nuclear reactor is safe to build and operate.

Thursday, November 04, 2010  Federal regulators are fining a South Carolina nuclear fuel plant thousands of dollars for a spill of wastewater containing uranium.

Monday, December 28, 2009  SCE&G and the state-owned utility, Santee Cooper, want to build two new reactors at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station near Jenkinsville in Fairfield County northwest of Columbia.