The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has agreed to meet with Massachusetts officials and residents in response to the public backlash following an NRC email leak that revealed troubling inspection findings at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R), the state’s two senators and nine representatives, and a long list of local lawmakers demanded the meeting in a Jan. 4 letter to NRC Chairman Stephen Burns, stating that the leaked email raised “legitimate concerns” about safety at the plant, which is scheduled to close in 2019. Burns responded in a letter Wednesday, which was made public Friday, saying the commission has agreed to a meeting. He said NRC staff will work with the officials to establish a time, location, and date for the public meeting.
“Thank you for sharing your concerns with me,” Burns wrote. “I hope you find this letter responsive to them.”
The agency is conducting its third and final increased oversight inspection at Pilgrim, which the NRC in 2015 downgraded to Column 4 of its Action Matrix, the lowest safety rating a nuclear facility can have while remaining in operation. The controversial 2,300-word email from NRC inspection team leader Don Jackson was inadvertently forwarded to Diane Turco, president of the Cape Downwinders, a group of residents from Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket who have long called for Pilgrim’s immediate closure. According to the NRC, a Region I project engineer mistakenly sent the email to Turco. Jackson’s message included a long list of observations at the plant, including concerns about owner Entergy’s safety culture.
