COURTESY PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATION
PLYMOUTH – The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth will undergo one more refueling next year, then cease operations on May 31, 2019.
Plant owner Entergy previously announced that it would shutter Pilgrim by 2019, but the exact date was not known until Thursday morning’s announcement.
Pilgrim has been under increased scrutiny since last year by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission because of safety violations and unplanned shutdowns.
Their status under “Column 4” opened the plant to increased scrutiny. That designation made the Plymouth facility the second-worst performing nuclear plant in America.
As part of Thursday’s refueling announcement, Pilgrim Site Vice President John Dent said the plant would continue to safely provide electricity.
Dent said they also planned to return to regular NRC and industry oversight. But an agency official this week said it would be a long process before Pilgrim could be considered for an upgrade in their status.
Longtime opponents of Pilgrim were highly critical of the announcement, calling it a “dangerous time” for the plant and people living in the area.
Diane Turco of Harwich, a member of the opposition group Cape Downwinders, said they would continue to demand that Pilgrim be shut down immediately.
“We need all of our elected officials to stand up and say shut that reactor down now, we won’t tolerate the threat to public safety” Turco said.
Entergy spokesman Patrick O’Brien said the announcement of the firm closure date will give plant workers a chance focus on their job.
“It allows the employees to focus on goal number one, which is safety, safe and reliable operations of the station for the rest of the life of the plant,” he said.
O’Brien said it was unclear when Pilgrim would be able to achieve an upgrade in their degraded performance status.
“It’s a process, and it’s a process that we’ll be working through this year. It takes a little bit of time, but we’re heading in the right direction,” said O’Brien.
The refueling announcement came the day after a meeting in Plymouth with NRC and plant officials, where regulators said Pilgrim was operating within “adequate safety margins.”
But Turco blasted the NRC, calling them a “lapdog” of the nuclear industry.
“This is a clear indication that Entergy has full confidence that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will not interfere with their operation no matter how poorly Pilgrim is run,” she said.
“They’re not really doing the public the service for public safety. We shouldn’t have to be living under this kind of threat,” Turco said.
Earlier this year, it was discovered that a worker at Pilgrim failed to conduct over 200 mandatory fire watches at the Plymouth facility.
The NRC said that worker, who is no longer employed at Pilgrim, falsified inspection reports to make it look as if the fire checks had been completed.
According to NRC Spokesman Neil Sheehan, the violations occurred between June 1, 2012 and June 26, 2014.
Pilgrim officials believe the re-fueling will have many benefits to the community.
“Another benefit of the three-year window before shutdown is that Pilgrim will continue to be a good neighbor, providing economic benefits and charitable donations,” said Dent.
In the past four years, Dent said Pilgrim has donated more than $1.5 million to local, regional and statewide non-profit organizations.
Entergy said the final refueling, which will take place in the spring for 2017, will create a “significant positive economic impact” for the region.
The company said the 2015 refueling resulted in a $70 million investment in Pilgrim, including $25 million in new equipment.
Nearly 2,000 workers, including 1,184 extra contract workers, performed hundreds of activities.
Thursday’s announcement also said that planning for decommissioning will begin with the formation of a team of individuals with both decommissioning and Pilgrim plant experience.
Entergy said that team will develop a Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report describing planned decommissioning activities, a schedule, cost estimate, and environmental impacts.
That plan, due no later than two years after shutdown, is a public document sent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for review.
Entergy will also create a Nuclear Decommissioning Citizen’s Advisory/Engagement Panel to share information and educate the public. More information on decommissioning can be found at www.pilgrimpower.com.
The plant first began generating electricity in 1972. According to Entergy, Pilgrim generates enough electricity to power more than 600,000 homes.
By MATT PITTA, CapeCod.com News Director
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