Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts returns to normal NRC oversight

Entergy’s Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Mass., returned to normal oversight by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week after successfully addressing past performance issues.

In August 2017, NRC detailed specific actions Entergy need to do to fully address the plant’s performance issues. As of last week, the issues were addressed as the facility moved to normal oversight in the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Program.  

“Each of our 600 employees committed themselves to returning the plant to the NRC’s top regulatory category, which required our performance and corrective actions to undergo thousands of hours of enhanced reviews and inspections over the last two years,” Brian Sullivan, site vice president and Entergy’s top official at the site, said. “Since Pilgrim was already slated to be permanently retired by June, I’m sure some wondered whether we would return to normal oversight before shutdown.”

Sullivan praised the professionalism and pride of the company’s employees throughout the improvement process.

“The employees at Pilgrim are some of the finest nuclear professionals I have known. Their dedication, along with the support from our company’s nuclear division and other plants, was evident throughout this multiyear performance improvement effort,” Chris Costanzo, senior vice president of nuclear operations for Entergy, said.

In October 2015, Entergy announced that the plant will be permanent shutdown by June 1, 2019. It is currently the only nuclear power plant operating in Massachusetts.