The Nation - News from Sept. 18, 1988

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission eliminated a hurdle in the Seabrook, N.H., power plant’s prolonged quest for a low-power license, but concerns over the owners’ financial stability continue to block licensing. The NRC voted 4 to 0 for a rules “clarification” that will allow nuclear plants to receive low-power permits without an emergency siren system to alert neighbors within 10 miles of an atomic emergency. Massachusetts communities in Seabrook’s 10-mile zone fought successfully to have the sirens removed. State officials, led by Democratic presidential nominee Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, believe those coastal towns would not be able to quickly evacuate.