Costs Cited in Closing of Oldest Nuclear Plant

The nation’s oldest commercial nuclear generator is being shut down permanently and will be dismantled, the company that owns the facility announced Wednesday.

The board of directors of Yankee Atomic Electric Co. voted unanimously against restarting the 185-megawatt Yankee Rowe plant, which has been idle since last October. The board insisted that economics, not safety concerns, prompted the decision.

“You can honestly say that we’re a victim of this recession,” plant spokesman William McGee said.

Officials cited declining demand for electricity and the expense of responding to the concerns of Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff and others about the condition of the 32-year-old steel container that houses the reactor.

At issue was whether the 33-foot-high, 8-inch-thick steel vessel had become brittle and prone to failure from continual bombardment with neutron radiation.

The utility voluntarily shut down the plant in October for extra inspections and tests. McGee said plant officials had expected to spend $23 million on the effort in the next six months.