Plymouth: NRC critical of Pilgrim nuke plant post-shutdown

Federal nuclear regulators have issued a critical report following the unplanned shutdown of a Massachusetts nuclear power plant in May.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission in a report released Thursday criticized Pilgrim’s owners for inadequate training and enforcement of its standards following the automatic shutdown, which occurred as the reactor was being returned to service after a refueling and maintenance outage.

The shutdown was blamed on human error.

Although there was no danger to the public, the incident was serious enough for the NRC to send an inspection team to the Plymouth plant, a fairly rare occurrence.

The NRC says the incident will bring increased scrutiny to Pilgrim.

Plant owner Entergy Corp. says it is reviewing the report but says it has evaluated procedures and retrained staff.