By Marina Giovannelli
Brunswick County, NC –
Inspectors from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are wrapping up an investigation of the Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant, after all four of the plant's emergency diesel generators failed a routine test in a mid-August.
Emergency diesel generators switch on when electricity from the grid is interrupted, and they keep the nuclear reactor cool until primary power is restored.
The failure prompted the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to send a team of special investigators to the Progress Energy plant. The NRC dispatches about five special investigations teams a year nation-wide to look at diesel generator issues. James Hickey leads the Brunswick inspection team.
"Every time something occurs, it's generally very unique. And that's why we evaluate each individual event or issue and then assess that issue. And part of that assessment are corrective actions," says Hickey.
David Lochbaum is the director of the Nuclear Safety Project at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He says the NRC's report will indicate the cause and severity of the problem.
"If the NRC determines the problem was caused by a deficient maintenance practice or a faulty design, they are going to be more concerned than if they find the workers did all they should have when this problem occurred," says Lochbaum.
Once the investigation is complete, The NRC's investigators will draft a report outlining what happened, and what corrective actions and sanctions, if any, are warranted.
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