Faster licensing, less safety at N-plants?

The Reagan administration's plan to speed up nuclear power plant licensing would ease requirements that utilities make major engineering changes to improve reactor safety, opponents of atomic energy say.

The proposed streamlining of the licensing process, outlined in a new Department of Energy report, would restrict the power of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to order newly developed safety improvements. The NRC now may compel utilities to install often-expensive engineering improvements on existing plants.