The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced today that an application for a 20-year renewal of the operating license for the Columbia Generating Station is available for public review.

The Columbia Generating Station is a boiling-water nuclear reactor, located 12 miles northwest of Richland, Wash. The current operating license expires on Dec. 20, 2023.

The licensee, Energy Northwest, submitted the renewal application by letter dated on Jan. 19. It is available on the NRC Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications.html.

The NRC staff is currently conducting an initial review of the application to determine whether it contains enough information for the required formal review. If the application has sufficient information, the NRC will formally "docket," or file, the application and will announce an opportunity to request a public hearing.

For further information, contact project managers Evelyn Gettys and Daniel Doyle in the Division of License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop O11-F1, Washington, D.C. 20555; telephone (301) 415-4029 and (301) 415-3788 or email Evelyn.Gettys@nrc.gov or Daniel.Doyle@nrc.gov.