Pilgrim shut again for steam pipe leak
PLYMOUTH — A series of mechanical difficulties at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station has kept the plant from operating at peak for more than two weeks.
Currently Pilgrim is completely off the electric grid, shut down Sunday evening because of a steam leak in a pipe supplying hot water to the nuclear reactor.
Spokesmen for both the plant and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission stressed the problem did not pose a safety risk for the public, but Pilgrim opponents say such ongoing mechanical problems show the time has come to shutter the 41-year-old plant.
Diane Turco, a Harwich resident and founder of the Cape Downwinders, said recent events at Pilgrim make it the perfect time to deliver to the Statehouse a citizens advisory calling for Pilgrim's closure.
The advisory was penned by the Downwinders and approved by town meeting or ballot votes in 14 Cape towns last spring.
"It calls on Gov. Patrick to request the NRC uphold their mandate and close the Pilgrim nuclear plant because the public safety cannot be assured," Turco said. "We're supposed to be given a time and date to meet with the governor on Wednesday."
Both Gov. Deval Patrick and Attorney General Martha Coakley opposed the relicensing of the plant in June 2012. The NRC subsequently renewed the license for another 20 years.
The governor's office did not return a request for comment on an upcoming meeting with the Downwinders.
Dave Lochbaum, director of the Nuclear Safety Project for the Union of Concerned Scientists, tracks nuclear plant shutdowns in the U.S.
Pilgrim has had "more than its share," leading with seven shutdowns between January and June 30, Lochman said.
"Overall there have been 94 shutdowns at U.S. nuclear power reactors in 2013 through June," Lochbaum said. "With roughly 100 reactors, that's an average of less than one shutdown per reactor. Pilgrim has had seven times that."
Neil Sheehan, spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said his agency categorizes shutdowns into unplanned forced shutdowns and controlled shutdowns to make needed repairs. Since January, Pilgrim has logged four forced shutdowns, according to NRC records.
One of those occurred on Aug. 22. Workers forced a rapid shutdown when an electrical malfunction caused a loss of power to the three massive pumps that supply water to the reactor.
When the plant was being powered back up four days later, the motor on one of the three main water pumps failed. The plant stayed at 76 percent power while Entergy, the owner-operator of the power plant, secured a replacement motor. The replacement was installed last weekend, but the plant never made it back to full power.
Plant operators had been keeping an eye on a small leak in a steam pipe joint, according to Carol Wightman, spokeswoman for Entergy. On Sunday, workers noticed the leak was getting worse, and they decided to systematically shut down the reactor and address the problem.
Sheehan indicated issues with the electrical power to the water pump may not yet be fully resolved.
"Troubleshooting activities are continuing." Sheehan said in an email. "Further investigation involving the electrical supply system for the motor are ongoing."
Meanwhile Plymouth officials, who recently signed a three-year agreement for $28.75 million in lieu of taxes from Entergy, are also closely watching power plant operations.
"It's very concerning," said Selectman Belinda Brewster. "There seems to be an increase in the number of shutdowns over the last year."
Plymouth Selectman John Mahoney, who also serves on the Plymouth Nuclear Matters Committee, said, "With a plant entering its fifth decade of operation, these problems are bound to happen."
"The only thing we can do is keep pressure on with the NRC and our federal officials," Mahoney said.
No comments:
Post a Comment