COURTESY PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATION
DENNIS – Another environmental organization is advocating for the closure of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station after its latest storm related unplanned shutdown.
The Association to Preserve Cape Cod has joined the list of groups calling on Governor Charlie Baker to demand the Nuclear Regulatory Commission immediately revoke the Plymouth facility’s license.
One of the two lines that provide power to the Plymouth facility became unavailable, leading operators to shut down the reactor during the storm on Thursday.
The unplanned shutdown marked the third shutdown during severe weather since 2013.
“This latest episode, coming so soon after the recent announcement that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has reduced the number of onsite inspectors at the plant, is just one more example of the threat from Pilgrim that continues to hang over our heads,” said Andrew Gottlieb, the executive director of the APCC.
“What more will it take for the NRC to finally reach the conclusion that Pilgrim needs to close now, not later? This is an abdication of responsibility for the safety of the public.”
Pilgrim’s owner, Entergy, has announced the plant will close in 2019.
The station is under the highest level of federal oversight after a series of similar incidents and safety violations.
It is one of the three-worst performing nuclear reactors in the country and is one step away from a federally-mandated shutdown.
About CapeCod.com NewsCenter
