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Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Remains One of the Worst in the Nation – NRC says

NRC Says Pilgrim Plant Remains One of the Worst in the Nation, By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter March 7, 2017 PLYMOUTH – The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth remains one of the three worst performing reactors in the country, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Annual Assessment Letter.

The NRC letter indicates the plant’s performance remains under Column 4 and no further regulatory action is required……..The plant was downgraded from Column 3 in 2015 and was placed under increased oversight for safety violations and unplanned shutdowns.

If further regulatory action is needed, the plant could be placed under Column 5, the unacceptable performance level, and a shutdown order could be issued…….

Diane Turco with the Cape Downwinders, an organization calling for the immediate closure of the plant, said the Annual Assessment Letter shows that the NRC is just a cheerleader for the nuclear power industry.

“When they sent out this annual report that the performance at Pilgrim is acceptable and additional regulatory action is not required after the initial inspections, this just shows that the NRC is in support of this industry and they don’t provide for public safety,” Turco said.

“When we see systemic mismanagement, when we see equipment failing over and over and not being repaired the public is at risk.”…..

A second public meeting will be March 21 at Plymouth Memorial Hall to discuss the recent inspection findings.

The NRC said the plant would most likely face 10 to 15 more safety violations during the first public meeting in January…..

In the leaked December e-mail, Don Jackson, the lead inspector of the special inspection, raised concerns about the station’s safety culture, writing “we are observing current indications of a safety culture problem that a bunch of talking probably won’t fix.”

Pilgrim is only one of three stations in the country to be under Column 4 oversight by the NRC. The other two reactors are in Arkansas and are both operated by Pilgrim’s owner, Entergy.

Complete findings from the December and January inspection are expected in April or May.http://www.capecod.com/newscenter/nrc-says-pilgrim-plant-remains-one-of-the-worst-in-the-nation/

March 8, 2017 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA