NRC names Margaret Tobin new resident inspector

Margaret Tobin was selected as a resident inspector for the Ark. Nuclear One plant.
Margaret Tobin was selected as a resident inspector for the Ark. Nuclear One plant. | Courtesy of the NRC

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced on Monday that Margaret Tobin has been selected as a resident inspector for the Arkansas Nuclear One plant in Russellville.


All nuclear power plants in the U.S. have a minimum of two resident inspectors, and Tobin is joining Senior Resident Inspector Brian Tindell. Resident inspectors perform regular monitoring and evaluation activity. They also interact with plant staff and the community on a regular basis. 


"Margaret Tobin’s technical experience and regulatory perspective will assist the NRC in carrying out its mission to protect people and the environment by ensuring the safe operation of Arkansas Nuclear One,” NRC Region IV Administrator Marc Dapas said. 


Tobin began work at the NRC as a reliability and risk engineer in Rockville, Maryland, following the completion of her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at Arizona State University in 2010. Earlier this year she joined the NRC Region IV as a reactor engineer. 


Arkansas Nuclear One is owned by Entergy Corp. and began its operation in 1974, before a second unit was added in 1980. According to the company, the plant produces approximately 1,823 megawatts of electricity and supplies the state with approximately 30 percent of its energy needs. Both units at the plant are pressurized water reactors.