The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a notice of violation against the owner of the shuttered Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station for a onetime employee’s repeated failure to check radiation detection systems.
The NRC’s Office of Investigations found that a senior radiation protection technician, who is no longer working at the Entergy plant, from January to September 2016 intentionally failed to follow procedure for daily source checks of personnel contamination monitors (PCM) during the night shift. Documentation collected by NRC investigators indicated a specific technician had falsified records to indicate the checks had been conducted.
The NRC, though, noted that the industry standard is to conduct PCM source checks on a weekly basis, and the systems at Vermont Yankee were checked at least every four days by other personnel. There was also no sign the systems had not functioned due to the technician’s deliberate inattention.
Given the low safety threat, but also the intentionality of the infraction by the employee, the regulator designated the violation as Severity Level IV for having “minor safety significance.”
Entergy must now prepare a response to the notice for the NRC.
“We are reviewing the Notice of Violation and, as instructed by the NRC’s letter, will be providing a response to the NRC no later than July 26, 2017,” Joseph Lynch, Entergy senior government affairs manager, said Tuesday by email. The company said it would have no further comment on the matter.
Entergy closed Vermont Yankee in December 2014. It is now seeking regulatory approval to sell the plant to NorthStar Group Services for decommissioning.
