NRC to publicly discuss Pilgrim nuclear power plant assessment

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has announced that it will publicly discuss the annual assessment of the Pilgrim nuclear power plant’s safety.

Last fall, the plant’s inspection revealed that it has two “white” performance reviews, which signify low-to-moderate safety concerns. As a result, the plant has been under more scrutiny than usual.

A team of inspectors from NRC evaluated Pilgrim to determine if the cause of the unplanned shutdowns had been adequately addressed. They found that the cause had been corrected, but there were still general deficiencies seen in the strategy that fixed the cause of the shutdowns.

After these findings, the NRC gave the plant two “parallel white” inspection markings, which mean that the plant will continue to be under stronger scrutiny than usual. The scrutiny will end when the plant has resolved the concerns and deficiencies.

Staff from the NRC will be available to answer any questions or concerns the public may bring to the meeting.

“Our inspectors identified several examples where corrective actions were not completed as intended or were closed prematurely,” Dan Dorman, administrator for NRC Region I, said. “We expect Entergy to take the steps necessary to put in place corrective actions that will have a lasting impact and reduce the likelihood of unplanned scrams or shutdowns.”

The open house discussion will occur on March 18 at 6:30 p.m., held at the Radisson Hotel Plymouth Harbor's Grand Ballroom, located at 180 Water St. in Plymouth, Mass.