nuclear-news

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has declared a state of emergency for both units of the Brunswick nuclear power facilities in North Carolina. An “unusual event” has occurred which is interfering with the ongoing “hot shutdown” of the nuclear power plants (a process which takes several weeks to complete).

Full details of the event are found at this NRC.gov nuclear power plant alert page, which states:

UNUSUAL EVENT DUE TO SITE CONDITIONS PREVENTING PLANT ACCESS

“A hazardous event has resulted in on-site conditions sufficient to prohibit the plant staff from accessing the site via personal vehicles due to flooding of local roads by Tropical Storm Florence.”

Notified DHS SWO, FEMA OPS, and DHS NICC. Notified FEMA NWC, NuclearSSA, and FEMA NRCC via email.

In other words, the Brunswick power facilities can no longer be accessed by workers and technicians even as they are running a “hot shutdown” which requires…