Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel’s application for a 40-year license to operate the Bluff Road atomic fuel factory in South Carolina has received unanimous support from the governor’s Nuclear Advisory Council. Opponents say the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should either deny the license or approve one for up to 20 years, citing the facility’s checkered environmental and safety track record.

The Westinghouse plant, established in a remote area of Richland County more than 50 years ago, is a major source of jobs in the Columbia area, employing more than 1,000 people. The factory is one of only three nuclear fuel factories of its kind in the United States. It provides fuel rods for atomic power plants.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is weighing whether to approve the license for the Westinghouse factory southeast of Columbia.