FULTON (AP) – Federal nuclear regulators considering a request for a 20-year license extension for a central Missouri nuclear plant said the facility has had little environmental impact and is cheaper than other energy options.

Environmental coalition disputed those findings at a public meeting Wednesday where the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission discussed an environmental impact statement for Ameren’s Callaway Energy Center.

The Missouri Coalition for the Environment encouraged the NRC to hold off on granting the extension until questions about future storage of radioactive fuel rods are answered.

Coalition director Ed Smith says the plant’s cooling pool is expected to reach its capacity in six years, and Ameren hasn’t said how it will handle the spent rods after that.