"NRC cites safety failures at Pilgrim; Shutdown blamed on human error" September 02, 2011|By David Abel, Globe Staff
Multiple failures of the control room staff at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station last spring sparked the power plant’s first emergency shutdown in years, according to a report released yesterday by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which found that the problems were likely serious enough to warrant a rigorous yearlong review of the plant’s safety procedures.
The commission said its preliminary conclusion is the violations were of “low to moderate safety significance,’’ a level of safety failure that occurs infrequently at the nation’s 104 power plants. Last year, for example, the commission made nine such findings and only two others that were considered of greater safety concern.
“It’s rare for us to take this kind of action,’’ commission spokesman Neil Sheehan said. “It’s a job of tremendous responsibility to be in the control room. We expect them to perform at the very highest levels. If there’s a failure to do that, we expect the company to rectify that as soon as possible.’’
The abrupt shutdown in May occurred as plant operators began restarting the reactor after a routine monthlong stoppage for maintenance and refueling.
“The inspection team determined that multiple factors contributed to this performance deficiency, including inadequate enforcement of operating standards, failure to follow procedures, and ineffective operator training,’’ according to the report.
The report blames Entergy Corp., the Louisiana-based company that has run the 39-year-old plant since 1999 and is seeking to renew its operating license, which expires next year....
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