NRC issues confirmatory order to Minnesota nuclear plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said this week that a confirmatory order has been issued to the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant in Monticello, Minnesota.

The order comes after the Monticello plant was found to have carried out inappropriate testing procedures on six spent-fuel canisters at the facility, which led to  the NRC's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process. The NRC said the senior resident inspector at the plant observed contracted employees failing to conduct the correct testing procedures and that results had been falsely recorded.

The NRC also said there are no pressing safety concerns related to these violations. Despite this, the plant's owner, Northern States Power Co. of Minnesota, has committed to taking corrective actions to raise its standing with the regulatory agency. The NRC investigation also found that contractor actions with the plant led to violations of NRC requirements on welds associated with storage canisters.

The ADR process uses a disinterested third party to offer mediation between the facility in question and the NRC. This process was requested by Northern States Power Co. Once corrective actions are taken by the facility, it submits documentation to the NRC.