The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday that the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is currently operating safely, based on findings from the first of three inspections the agency is performing as a result of increased oversight at the Massachusetts plant.
NRC downgraded the plant’s safety rating in September following repeated unplanned shutdowns and issues with safety relief valves. The downgrading moved Pilgrim into Column 4 of the NRC Action Matrix, the lowest safety rating a plant can have while remaining in operation. The first inspection was performed in January, and a second is scheduled for April 4-8.
“The inspection did not find any longstanding, risk-significant issues in the corrective action program that were not addressed or assigned appropriate corrective actions and due dates,” NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said by email. “No additional regulatory actions beyond those prescribed for a plant in Column 4 of the NRC’s Action Matrix are needed at this point, our inspection found. However, we would note that if at any time the NRC determines that Pilgrim’s performance has declined to an unacceptable level, we will not hesitate to take additional regulatory action, up to and including the issuance of a shutdown order.”
Inspectors concluded that, in general, plant owner Entergy classified, evaluated, and developed “appropriate actions to correct past NRC violations.” Sheehan wrote that inspectors identified one “green” violation, which represents “very low safety significance” and did not require a citation. According to the report, inspectors found that personnel at the Entergy plant did not correctly address water leakage from the core spray system, which likely caused air pockets to form in a discharge line during the plant’s January 2015 shutdown, following a loss of off-site power. While the system remained operable during the shutdown, Sheehan wrote, larger air pockets could have developed with more significant water leakage, and that condition could have impacted the system’s ability to inject water into the reactor core during an emergency or sudden shutdown.
“We take NRC inspection reports very seriously, and we are committed to continuously strengthening our ability to identify and resolve any existing and potential issues in a timely, effective manner that not only meets the NRC’s expectations but also the high standards to which we hold ourselves,” Entergy spokesman Patrick O’Brien said by email Wednesday.
The April inspection will focus on the plant’s corrective action program, and the results of both inspections will be used to determine the scope of the third and final inspection, which has not been scheduled.
