NRC increases oversight at Oconee Nuclear Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is increasing its oversight at Oconee Nuclear Station near Seneca. This comes after Duke Energy was cited for a violation related to its failure to identify and correct a crack in a weld on a key safety system. That crack began to leak, prompting the plant to shut down one of the units earlier this year. The NRC says the plant’s method to check for cracks was not acceptable because the crack was not discovered before it started to leak. According to the NRC, the violation was determined to be “white,” which means it has a low to moderate safety significance. Inspectors say there was never an immediate safety concern because the crack was repaired. “Duke Energy has taken initial corrective actions at the Oconee County plant and the supplemental inspection is an important step in helping us ensure the plant continues to operate safely,” said the NRC’s Region II administrator in a letter to Duke Energy.