Two Czech anti-nuclear organizations have vowed to appeal the decision, saying the approval process for the controversial nuclear facility was riddled with flaws. Technical troubles have dogged the plant since its inception, and one unit has been shut since September due to fueling issues.

Projects constructed in the Czech Republic are required to apply for kolaudace, or building approval, after completion, meaning that all aspects have passed muster and the property is legitimate in the eyes of the law.

The stamp of approval was finally given last week after a two-year process, six years after the plant began operating and nearly two decades after construction began. While that approval process dragged on, Temelín was already up and running, providing about 15 percent of the country's electricity needs.

"I can't understand how this approval could have been issued in the first place," said Vladimír Halama from the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant Emergency Zone.

His list of allegations is long: A portion of the land still belongs to two private owners; safety checks were bypassed; members from his and another nongovernmental organization (NGO), the South Bohemian Mothers, were barred from the process.

"The public is being convinced that everything is in order with Temelín, but that's not true," he said.

Jan Zahradník, head of the South Bohemia Regional Office that granted the approval, denies there was anything improper about the process.

"The NGOs have launched a media campaign against the decision, giving the impression that there is something strange going on," he said.

The office has dug its heels, dismissing the threat of the appeal.

"We are ready to defend our decision in court," said office spokeswoman Maria Ptáčková.

A plan for a nuclear plant in South Bohemia was devised in 1979, and construction began in 1987. The plant was completed in 2000, and trial operating periods on the two units were launched in 2002 and 2003.

The kolaudace procedure was launched in 2004, but dragged on for two years because of opposition.

"The NGOs were the main obstacle in completing the approval," said plant spokesman Milan Nebesář.

Concern has also come from abroad. Austria, whose border is just 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Temelín, has long opposed the plant. On Nov. 8, Austrian representatives in Prague sent a letter of protest to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, complaining of not being officially informed of the verdict in advance. This breach violated a 2000 bilateral treaty on resolving nuclear disputes signed in Melk, Austria, according to the letter.

The ministry rejected the claim, saying Austria was verbally informed of the decision during a meeting.

Austrian Environmental Minister Josef Pröll said Nov. 13 that his government would study the approval documents and then consider pursuing legal charges.

Despite the controversy, the decision spells little change for the plant's day-to-day operations, Nebesář said.

"This approval only means that the trial period of operation has ended. Temelín will continue to function just as it did before."