The PRDC in Court

Reasons other than the issues cited in the petitions, especially politics and the chronic issue of public versus private power, helped persuade the union leadership to intervene. Political considerations arose because 1956 was an election year. The matter of public or private financing was important to labor because of the AFL-CIO s support for both federally funded atomic-power projects and more aid to smaller public and cooperative utilities. 

In the middle of the growing controversy over the best way to develop an atomic industry, the AEC issued the PRDC provisional construction permit. Even Democrats with short memories remembered that nine days earlier the Republicans in the House, with strong administration backing, had narrowly defeated the Gore-Holifield bill, the Democratic attempt, with labor support, to bolster the civilian power program by directing the AEC to construct and operate six different prototype power reactors. In this heated political context, and with the fall election on most politicians minds, the PRDC decision took on a new dimension. Anderson and Holifield as well as several labor leaders recognized that the AEC decision on the PRDC reactor offered both the Democrats and the AFL-CIO a political opportunity that could be exploited to embarrass the Republicans. But the best tactical course to pursue was less obvious. 

Reuther publicly explained the intervention as a move to protect the 

The rules provided three methods of allowing public participation when the AEC reviewed a request for a construction permit. The Commission could give public notice of its intention to issue a permit and afford parties fifteen days to ask for a hearing. It could, on its own initiative, schedule a hearing prior to granting a permit, or it could, without formally expressing an advanced intention, or without hear- 

The staff s analysis of the proposed rules of practice had observed that giving prior public notification of intent to issue a permit would be useful in reactor licensing. There may often be special conditions proposed if a license is to be issued, the paper stated, which may not match the application. There may be interveners in opposition to, or support of, the application for a license. The notice of proposed action issued in advance would give the applicant an opportunity to decide whether he can and should accept any special conditions proposed, and will apprise persons who may have reason to intervene of the likely proposal they must face in deciding that their interests do or do not need protection by their participation in a hearing.  

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