The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently announced it would halt all final decisions on licensing or re-licensing nuclear plants until it has determined a way to safely dispose of nuclear waste.

The NRC’s decision could affect the Seabrook Station nuclear plant, which is seeking a 20-year extension to its current operating license, which does not expire until 2030. Proceedings on the Seabrook extension will continue, but a final decision will not be made until the NRC completes a thorough study on the environmental impacts of storing and disposing of spent fuel.

The announcement follows a June 8 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals striking down the Waste Confidence Rule, a policy that had allowed the NRC to extend or issue new licenses under the assumption that a permanent repository for spent fuel will eventually be located. Under that rule, nuclear waste could be stored at the reactor sites until a permanent repository is established.

Following the court ruling, 24 anti-nuclear groups petitioned the NRC to freeze all final licensing decisions. Among the petitioners were Friends of the Coast and the New England Coalition, both interveners in the Seabrook license renewal proceeding. The NRC granted their request on Aug. 7.

The NRC still has until Aug. 22 to appeal the court ruling, but the announcement implies it does not intend to appeal.

Also on Aug. 7, the NRC cited the Seabrook plant for a “white” inspection finding (white findings are of “low to moderate safety significance”). The finding stems from mistakes made in April during a mandatory emergency exercise conducted at the plant, which is owned by NextEra Energy Seabrook.

“NextEra personnel did not develop and make proper initial protective action recommendations to the states, based on radiological conditions at the time, although their recommendations did become correct as the exercise scenario progressed,” says a news release from the NRC.

Furthermore, the release says, during the company’s critique of the exercise, plant personnel failed to identify the initial error.

As a result of the finding, the plant in Seabrook will receive additional oversight and a supplemental inspection from the NRC.