UPDATE 1-NRC to decide on Va. nuclear plant restart in weeks

* North Anna shut after earthquake on Aug. 23

* Dominion says North Anna ready for restart
(Adds details, quotes and background)

Oct 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
said on Monday they expect to make a decision on the restart of
Dominion's North Anna nuclear power plant in Virginia in weeks,
not months.

NRC spokesman, Joey Ledford said the NRC was not likely to
make a decision prior to or at a planned Nov. 1 meeting.

North Anna shut safely after an earthquake near the plant
on Aug. 23.

Last week, Virginia-based power company Dominion said it
was ready to restart both reactors at the 1,806-megawatt North
Anna plant, pending NRC approval.

But the NRC reiterated last week its commitment to ensuring
the plant is totally safe before it allows operations to
resume.

"The bottom line is that the NRC will not authorize restart
until we are satisfied that the plant can be operated while
protecting public health and safety," Bill Borchardt, NRC
executive director of operations, said at a commission hearing
last week.

The restart process for North Anna has taken place in the
shadow of the nuclear disaster that roiled Japan in March when
an earthquake and tsunami damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
power plant, causing reactor fuel meltdowns and radiation
releases.

The NRC staff scheduled a public meeting for Nov. 1 in
Mineral, Virginia, to discuss its inspection of North Anna and
its assessment of the plant's readiness to restart.

The NRC said in a release the staff would discuss its
restart review and inspection at the plant since the
earthquake, providing an overview of the restart requirements,
the staff review process, an overview of the key technical
areas associated with the safety review and a path forward.

The epicenter of the earthquake was about 11 miles (17.5
km) from the North Anna station and about four miles
underground.

The quake marked the first time an operating U.S. nuclear
plant experienced a tremor that exceeded its design
parameters.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York;editing by Sofina
Mirza-Reid)