Court Order Halts Seabrook Construction

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) ordered on July 1 that construction of the $2.5 billion nuclear plant at Seabrook, N.H., be suspended on July 21 until a study of the effects of the cooling system on the marine life in the area is completed.

A spokesman for the Clamshell Alliance said yesterday that the NRC ruling was a "limited victory." In many cases, construction on plants delayed by the NRC has indeed resumed at a later date, the spokesman said, adding that the Alliance will continue to fight against Seabrook and other nuclear plants.

The Clamshell Alliance, a New England anti-nuclear group, has made Seabrook a nation-wide issue by sending speakers to civic and church groups, disseminating literature and by staging two large demonstrations at the construction site. The most recent demonstrations on June 24 and 25 attracted 18,000 protesters. The Alliance advocates alternatives to nuclear energy such as existing fossil fuels, solar and wind energies.

The Alliance will hold a conference on July 22 to plan new strategies.