Holtec Fined $50K Over Falsifying Oyster Creek Security Records

LACEY, NJ — The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has fined Holtec $50,000 over findings that an employee falsified security-related records at Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station.

The power plant in the Forked River section of Lacey was shut down in October 2018 and is in the process of being decommissioned by Holtec Decommissioning International, which took over the plant in 2019.

In a confirmatory order dated Jan. 26, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it agreed to the $50,000 fine as long as Holtec addresses the issues raised in the investigation that led to the finding of the falsified records.

According to the order, the NRC began investigating in 2020, after a routine request for information turned up records that showed firearms maintenance was not being done.

The armorer — the person responsible for keeping track of the nuclear station's firearms and ensuring they are in working order — had not conducted maintenance or testing in 2019, the NRC report said.

When the NRC asked why logs showed no maintenance or testing of the firearms, the supervisor at Oyster Creek said it was no longer done but the procedures manual had not been updated.

A follow-up records request showed the maintenance logs filled in with dates and inspectors' names, but NRC investigators determined the dates and names had been added falsely to make it appear the inspections and testing had been done, the order said.

"The NRC concluded that the deliberate failure of the armorer to perform required annual material conditions inspections of firearms for calendar year 2019 caused the Licensee to be in violation of" the federal code as well as established requirements for Oyster Creek, the order said.

In addition to the falsified records, the NRC's investigation found the armorer wasn't performing required parts replacements, though authorities said that was not deliberately ignored.

The violations could have cost Holtec $150,000, but the NRC said it would reduce the fine to $50,000 so long as Holtec completes all the corrective actions. The training supervisor who falsified the records first was denied "unescorted access" to the facility, but the confirmatory order referred to the supervisor as "former," indicating the person was fired.

Holtec is required to implement a number of measures to ensure maintenance is done and records are kept, along with more supervision of those requirements, according to the order, which can be read here.

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