By Will Collette
Just
a few days ago, I wrote about a new report that finds that many of the
nation’s nuclear power plants are not prepared to weather the serious storms
that weather experts say will be increasing in severity due to climate change.
I noted problems that our local nuke, the Dominion
Resources-owned Millstone generating station just 20 miles west of Charlestown
just on the other side of New London, had to power down when Hurricane Sandy
approached.
As is the NRC’s common practice, it issued Millstone with a
slap-on-the-wrist “green” notice of violation (the lowest level of severity)
and ordered it to take corrective measures.
The NRC also found that the probe that measures the level of
nuclear fission while the reactor is in operation was out of order for 31 days
– the maximum time allowed for such a gauge to be out of order is seven days.
That also drew an NRC tap on the wrist.
Millstone had to go through a lot of trouble to find a
high-tech remedy for the flood surge measuring violation. According to
Millstone’s p.r. flak Ken Holt, the company painted a “very visible” line on
the seawater intake structure at the 19-foot mark above mean high tide for the
Unit Two reactor and 19.7 feet for Unit 3.
If water reaches those marks, it is considered “an unusual
event” and Millstone will then take emergency actions.
Holt also said that Millstone staff will be retrained in
proper procedures which is what they usually do every time the NRC hits them
with a violation.
I’d imagine the training program would involve watching this
film (two parts):