NRC Cites Safety Failures At Pilgrim Nuclear Plant

In May, the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station had an abrupt automatic shutdown after bringing their reactor back online after a routine maintenance. The service interruption sparked an immediate investigation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The NRC released their findings Thursday, citing  "inadequate enforcement of operating standards, failure to follow procedures, and ineffective operator training’’ as the main causes of the shutdown. The report indicates that the control room operators at the Pilgrim Nuclear Plant failed to follow the correct procedures and that there was a lack of consistent supervisory enforcement.

While these violations were determined to be  of “low to moderate safety significance,’’  according to the report, they are  serious enough to require a year-long review by the NRC of the plant's entire safety procedures. The Louisiana-based company Entergy Corp., which owns the plant, is still considering whether it will appeal the NRC's findings.

In the meantime, critics of nuclear power remain concerned about the safety measures in place at the plant.

Boston Globe reporter David Abel joins us to discuss the NRC's report.

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