Inspection findings result in increased oversight at Oyster Creek nuclear plant

A "yellow" and "white" inspection finding for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant in Lacey Township, New Jersey, has led the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to increase its level of oversight at the Ocean County facility.

The "yellow" finding relates to design aspects of electromatic relief valves (EMRV) for the plant that's owned and operated by Exelon, while the "white" finding involves the maintenance of an emergency diesel generator at the facility.

"These enforcement actions underscore the need for plant owners to be vigilant when it comes to maintaining essential safety equipment," NRC Region I Administrator Dan Dorman said. "In the case of these issues, two components that can play an important role during a reactor shutdown either experienced or may have experienced material failures that could have prevented them from performing their functions when needed. The company has since corrected the equipment problems. The NRC will now carry out additional inspections to ensure the underlying issues have been fully addressed."

The NRC will perform inspections in response to both findings after Exelon notifies the agency of its readiness for the reviews.