News In Brief

Court to see whether A-panel erred in giving OK for plant

A federal appeals court agreed Tuesday to look into charges that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NCR) improperly considered a utility study behind closed doors in granting an operating license for California's Diablo Canyon nuclear plant.

Rep. Richard L. Ottinger (D) of New York, said confidential transcripts of three closed NRC meetings show that the commission, in refusing opponents a new hearing, ''relied on material'' that was not part of the nearly 10 years of litigation in the case.