Inspections Reveal that 12 of 104 Operating U.S. Nuclear Power Plants have Problems

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has summarized its inspectors’ recent examination of the nation’s 104 operating nuclear power plants’ abilities to deal with power losses or damage to large areas of a reactor site following extreme events.

The inspections reaffirm that every plant has the capability, including the use of so-called “B5b” strategies (developed in response to NRC Orders after 9/11 to maintain reactor safety following large explosions or fires) to effectively cool down reactor cores and spent fuel pools following such events. Out of 65 operating reactor sites, 12 had issues with one or more of the requirements during the inspections; many of these discrepancies deal with training. Three of the 12 sites have already resolved their issues and the remaining sites are actively working to resolve theirs.

Source: Solar Thermal Magazine