A group of conservationists has scheduled a rally at the Massachusetts State House on Thursday, calling on Gov. Charlie Baker (R) to support shutting down the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, which has been plagued by operational issues since 2013.
Cape Downwinders — a group consisting of residents from Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket — will join the Massachusetts Downwinders and longtime Pilgrim opponent state Sen. Daniel Wolf (D) at 1 p.m. outside the state house.
“Wake up governor,” the group’s flier reads. “The (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) must shut Pilgrim now.”
The groups have repeatedly called on the NRC to shutter the Massachusetts plant, which owner Entergy plans to close in 2019 for economic reasons. The regulator in September 2015 moved the 44-year-old facility to Column 4 of its Action Matrix, the lowest safety rating a plant can have while remaining in operation.
Pilgrim has experienced several unplanned shutdowns and safety issues with relief valves dating to 2013. The most recent unplanned shutdown occurred in September, when complications with a fluctuating feedwater regulating valve led to excessive water levels in the plant’s reactor vessel. Over the past year, the NRC has conducted two of three increased oversight inspections at the plant, resulting from the safety downgrade. The third and most comprehensive inspection is scheduled to begin in November.
The NRC on Thursday delivered its notification of inspection to Entergy, listing inspection dates on Nov. 28, Dec. 9, and Jan. 9. The assessment will include 20 inspectors from across all the NRC regional offices, as well as agency headquarters. The inspection will determine whether continued operation of the facility is acceptable and whether additional regulatory action is needed “to arrest declining licensee/plant performance,” according to the NRC letter. The inspection also will:
- “Provide an independent assessment of the extent of risk-significant issues to aid in the determination of whether an unacceptable margin of safety or security exists.”
- “Independently assess the adequacy of the programs and processes used by the licensee to identify, evaluate, and correct performance issues.”
- “Independently evaluate the adequacy of programs and processes in the affected strategic performance areas.”
- “Provide insight into the overall root and contributing causes of identified performance deficiencies.”
- “Evaluate the licensee’s third-party safety culture assessment and conduct.”
