NRC Returns Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant To Normal Level Of Oversight

by Patricia A. Miller

The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has lessened its oversight of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station since the latest inspection showed that Exelon had adequately addressed the causes of numerous unplanned shutdowns.

The NRC completed a supplemental inspection of the privately-owned plant on Route 9 in Lacey Township from Sept. 21 to Sept. 25.

“The purpose of the inspection was to review the company’s root cause evaluation of the issues behind the shutdowns; whether the company had assessed any possible implications for other parts of plant operations; and any corrective actions made in response to the problems,” NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said. ”The NRC team found that Exelon has taken appropriate actions in all of these areas.”

The inspection was necessary due to four unplanned outages in less than 7,000 hours of operation between July 2014 and May 2015. Oyster Creek had been under increased scrutiny as a result of the unplanned shutdowns - also known as scrams - for more than a year.

The multiple shutdowns triggered additional NRC oversight and meant that Oyster Creek crossed the green-to-white “performance indicator” threshold in the second quarter of 2015, according to the NRC.

The NRC ’s performance indicator for unplanned scrams for each 7,000 hours of operation changes from green to white if a nuclear plant has more than three unplanned shutdowns.

Oyster Creek had unplanned scrams on July 11, 2014, Oct. 12, 2014, March 22, 2015 and May 7, 2015, the NRC has said.

“Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC concluded that, overall, the supplemental inspection objectives were met and no significant weaknesses were identified,” according to a letter from NRC official Silas R. Kennedy to Bryan Hanson, president and chief nuclear officer for Exelon.

“Additionally, no findings of significance were identified,“ Kennedy wrote. “Overall, Exelon has adequately identified the individual and collective performance issues associated with the white PI ( performance indicator) and has generally appropriate corrective actions, either implemented or planned, to address the performance that led to the white PI. Based on the results of the inspection, the “White“ Performance Indicator is being closed out.”

To view the supplemental inspection report, click here.

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/OC/oc_pi.html#IE01

Oyster Creek is the oldest nuclear plant in the United States. It went online on Dec. 23, 1969.

Photo by Patricia A. Miller