The public has 10 more weeks to comment on proposed changes to regulations governing the decommissioning of commercial nuclear power plants, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Thursday.

The comment period was originally set to expire on Jan. 4 but has been extended until March 18 after several requests, said Neil Sheehan, spokesman for the NRC.

“We received requests for an extension of the comment period from the Vermont and Massachusetts congressional delegations and others,” he said. “The extension reflects our recognition that the parties want sufficient time to offer their insights on potential changes to the decommissioning regulations in a thoughtful and meaningful manner. The development of these regulations will be a multi-year process and public input will be integral to its success.”

There is a lot of interest in the Northeast in the proposed new rules, he said, because of two nuclear power plants in the region that are seeking to shut down.

The James E. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba, N.Y., is slated for shutdown in late 2016 or early 2017, he said, and the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Mass., is planning a shutdown in the last part of 2017 or later, he said. Both plants are owned by Entergy Nuclear Operations Inc.

Dominion Resources, owner of the Millstone Power Station in Waterford, declined to comment Thursday on the proposed new rules or the extended comment period.

Both of the two operating reactors at Millstone are years away from decommissioning. Millstone 2’s current operating license extends until 2035, and Millstone 3’s license extends until 2045.

The NRC said the new rules would “establish clear requirements for decommissioning reactors in emergency preparedness, physical security and fitness-for-duty, among other areas.”

The changes also would factor in the timeliness of a decommissioning request and the role of state and local governments and other organizations in the process, the agency said.

“The result would be a more efficient, open and reliable decommissioning process,” the NRC said. “By incorporating changes into the regulation, the NRC believes the transition from operation to decommissioning can become more efficient and effective for both the agency and the licensee, as well as more open and transparent for the public.”

The proposed changes were published in the Federal Register on Nov. 19. They can be found at http://1.usa.gov/1YB6VjY.

j.benson@theday.com

Twitter: @BensonJudy