Opponents to air concerns over extension of Prairie Island nuclear plant

Waste storage casks
Nuclear waste storage casks are seen at the Prairie Island nuclear facility in Red Wing, Minn.
MPR Photo/Steve Mullis

Opponents of nuclear power will meet in Red Wing Thursday to express their opposition to extending the life of the Prairie Island nuclear plant.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC, holds these meetings around the country on a regular basis.

Attorney Paula Maccabee from the grassroots Prairie Island Study Group says — given concerns raised by the accident at a nuclear plant in Japan — it's a good time to take another look at Minnesota's nuclear risks.

"We have stored fuel in casks and in pools right near the Mississippi River, which is the source of our drinking water," Maccabee said.

The NRC is considering Xcel's request to extend the life of the Prairie Island plant for 20 years, and to produce more power there. It already approved similar measures at the plant in Monticello.

About a dozen people attended an NRC meeting in Monticello last week.

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