Pilgrim Nuke Plant Facing Four Additional Safety Violations

COURTESY PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATION

PLYMOUTH – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has found four more safety violations at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.

A team of NRC inspectors conducted a review of the Plymouth facility in September. The inspection was a regularly scheduled biennial examination of the station’s ability to identify problems and fix them.

The violations are considered “green” in nature, meaning they are of very low safety significance in the eyes of the NRC. –

The inspection team that found plant-owner Entergy did not fix a previous issue related to an inadvertent drainage of water from a storage tank at the plant. That issue was initially detected in 2017.

Federal officials also found that Entergy did not appropriate identify and resolve and issue with a failed fuse in one of the plant’s emergency diesel generators.

The plant was also cited for failing to correct issues with their salt service water pumps.

“We will go back in and do follow-up inspections to make sure that the problems have been appropriately addressed,” said Neil Sheehan, an NRC Spokesperson.

NRC officials say the plant continues to struggle with operator fundamentals and operability determinations.

Pilgrim remains under increased federal oversight after a series of unplanned shutdowns and safety violations. It is one of three plants in the nation that is one step away from federally-mandated shutdown.

The station is scheduled to close in 2019.