NATION IN BRIEF : NEW HAMPSHIRE : Seabrook Plant Clears Major Hurdle

A federal panel moved the Seabrook nuclear power plant a step closer to opening by announcing emergency evacuation and shelter plans for surrounding communities are adequate and the plant is cleared to receive a full-power operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Officials of the utility consortium that owns the plant, located in southeastern New Hampshire near the Massachusetts border, hailed the ruling by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board. But environmental groups and Massachusetts politicians vowed to continue their fight to keep Seabrook from opening.