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Court denies Mass. appeal of nuke plant relicense

BOSTON (AP) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley says she's reviewing her options after a federal appeals court turned down the state's appeal of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station's license renewal process.

Coakley had said the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's decision last year to extend the Plymouth facility's license for 20 years didn't sufficiently consider the implications of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant accident in Japan after a major earthquake and tsunami.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Monday the NRC had studied and addressed the issues raised by the Fukushima accident in its rules for U.S. nuclear plants, including those which, like Pilgrim, have a similar design. The court noted the NRC said plants will be required to comply with future standards from study of Fukushima, and it's not necessary to delay relicensing those meeting current standards.