Shutdown Day: The End of an Era at Pilgrim Nuclear


 

PLYMOUTH – After 47-years of operation, officials at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station have officially began procedures to shut the plant down.

Friday marks the beginning of Phase One of the shutdown, with staff reductions to begin on June 20.

Entergy operations officials will begin shutting down the nuclear reactors and other key components of the plant on Friday in what’s expected to be at least a five-hour process. The reactors have been operating at about 40-percent capacity, and a slow, systematic procedure is required to lower the power safely to zero-percent.

Entergy opened its doors to the media on Tuesday to provide a simulation of how the plant will be shut down at its Chiltonville Training Center. The simulation was performed in the Control Room Simulator, an exact replica of the actual control room at the plant.

“From the control boards that you see to the ceiling tiles to the carpet that you’re standing on, it’s an identical replica. That is to simulate proper training for the crews,” said Senior Reactor Operator Christina Renaud prior to the simulation.

Renaud, joined by Training Supervisor Paul Gresh and Control Room Supervisor Bob Sheridan, went on to demonstrate how plant staff will shut the reactor down. The hours long operation, just a small portion of Phase One, was condensed down to a 10 minute demonstration.  

Inside the Control Room Simulator at the Chiltonville Training Center. Tim Dunn/CapeCod.com.

“It’s a several day evolution, several weeks, and even several months because of all the planning that has to go into an evolution of this size at the plant,” said Renaud.  

“Many different groups are involved in that from operations to the planning department, radiation protection and reactor engineering provides us with the steps that you’re going to see in this simulated control room.”

The entire shutdown process is funded by a $1.6 Billion budget. Just over $1 Billion will go towards the actual decommissioning work, with around $400,000 to be used for the management and storage of spent nuclear fuel.

Renaud says a large meeting, known as a Infrequently Performed Task Brief (IFPB), will be held Friday prior to the shutdown of the reactor.

“That’s a big meeting, and essentially what it is, is every single individual that is going to be involved in the shutdown will be together in the same place. They’re going to talk about their roles and responsibilities, and they’re essentially going to state that they are ready to operate and shut down this plant safely,” Renaud explained.

“Prior to the shutdown there will also be a large Group Focus Brief in the control room and then we’ll start to systematically lower the power.”

When the plant is finally lowered to zero-percent, the process of removing and safely storing the spent nuclear fuel in casks begins. That process is expected to last until March 31, 2020.

The station’s spent fuel pool is designed and licensed to store 3,859 fuel assemblies. Currently, 2,378 spent fuel assemblies are stored in the pool. The remaining 580 assemblies in the reactor will be added to the pool this year.

The station will designate what is now a staff parking lot to store the leftover casks of spent fuel. The lot, located about 75 feet above sea level, will act as a pad to house the casks of nuclear fuel.

Senior Communications Specialist Patrick O’Brien says the leftover nuclear fuel will be removed and properly stored, regardless of whether a purchase of the station is made by Holtec.

O’Brien adds that while all non-essential employees will be sent home when the shutdown begins, employees involved in Phase One could continue to work at the plant if it is purchased.

“Based on the details of the transaction, if the transaction occurs when it’s projected to, the Phase One employees will go over to CDI-Holtec,” O’Brien said.

(from left to right): Senior Reactor Operator Christina Renaud, Training Supervisor Paul Gresh and Control Room Supervisor Bob Sheridan conduct the shutdown simulation. Tim Dunn/CapeCod.com.

For now, 37-year-old Operations Manager Joe McDonough says his only focus will be on executing a safe shutdown of the reactor.

“As an operator, our primary focus is on safely managing the reactor. We’ll be managing it safely up to and including the time the nuclear fuel is removed from the pool into the dry-cask facility,” McDonough said. 

McDonough says he’ll continue to work with Entergy over the Phase One process, which is expected to be completed in March of 2020.

“What’s very important to me is to be ensuring that we’re protecting the public and our impact to the environment going forward, specifically with the decommissioning Phase One. My family and friends are among the public who we’re protecting. We spend most of our weekends in the summer at Cape Cod Bay – on or around it,” McDonough added.

While essential operations staff, such as McDonough, remain employed for a longer period of time during the decommissioning Phase One, other employees, like 30-year-old Electrical Maintenance First-Line Supervisor Eleni Sampson, is one of many Entergy employees who will either be relocated or out of a job when staff reductions begin on June 20.

“I’ll be moving to a plant in Louisiana to continue my career. It’s a tough decision to make, to leave behind all our friends and family up here in New England. However, I am excited about my career prospects,” said Sampson, who is expecting her first child this year with her husband.

“Initially, I had arrived at the plant shortly before we announced we were shutting down. It was a tough decision to make, but having worked here about four years now and seeing the commitment that Entergy has for its employees, it really solidified for me that this is somewhere I can grow my career whip out my full potential.”

Holtec says it has an eight-year decommissioning plan if it purchases the station. If no transaction is made however, Entergy’s plan will take 60 years to complete.

By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center 

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