NRC issues confirmatory order for Entergy violations

15 March 2018

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a confirmatory order to Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc and Entergy Operations, Inc, documenting actions they have agreed to take to implement programmes designed to prevent wilful misconduct at their fleet of seven operating nuclear power plants.

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Grand Gulf (Image: NRC/Southern Nuclear)


The commitments were made as part of a settlement agreement between Entergy and the NRC concerning three apparent violations of NRC requirements at the Grand Gulf nuclear power plant in Mississippi. Investigations of the violations were initiated in November 2015 and March 2017 and completed in July and August 2017, respectively.

"As a result of investigations … Entergy identified that (1) an examination proctor deliberately compromised examinations by providing inappropriate assistance to trainees; (2) workers did not perform required rounds to check equipment and plant conditions; and (3) workers deliberately provided inaccurate documentation indicating they had done so," the NRC said.

Entergy requested the use of the NRC's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process, in which a neutral mediator assists the parties in reaching an agreement, to resolve the concerns. The confirmatory order that has now been issued by the NRC follows on from an ADR session held by Entergy and the NRC in the presence of a professional mediator on 6 February.

Actions to be taken by Entergy include annual training for workers to emphasise that wilful violations will not be tolerated, causal evaluations to investigate why prior corrective actions had not been fully successful, and the identification and implementation of further corrective actions. The company will perform annual reviews of the effectiveness of those actions for three years, if necessary modifying corrective actions based on the findings of the reviews.

Grand Gulf, a single-unit 1401 MWe (net) boiling water reactor in Port Gibson, Mississippi, entered commercial operation in 1985. Entergy's nuclear fleet also includes Arkansas 1 in Arkansas, Indian Point 2 and 3 in New York, Palisades in Michigan, Plymouth in Massachusetts, and River Bend and Waterford in Louisiana.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News