Northeast Utilities Reports Problems at Nuclear Plant
May 18, 2011
BERLIN, Conn. -- Northeast Utilities reported several new technical problems at its Connecticut Yankee nuclear plant, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it will send an inspection team to the plant for the second time this year. ALSO AVAILABLE The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's press release is available on its Web site at The Maine Yankee nuclear power plant has returned to service after a six-week outage for safety reviews. The 582-megawatt plant, in Haddam Neck, Conn., was closed April 04, 2011 it failed a safety review. Wednesday, the agency said the inspection team will consider the failure of a pump designed to help control the temperature of the reactor coolant system during shutdowns and a leaky valve that is part of that system. Both problems were noticed by plant engineers over the weekend. Also, operators found nitrogen was leaking in the reactor's cooling system, forming a bubble at the top of the reactor vessel that displaced several thousands of gallons of cooling water. The gas was vented without incident, but the agency said it was concerned about the cause of the leak and the lessened cooling capacity of the system. The new issues come just days after Northeast Utilities said it is considering an early retirement for Connecticut Yankee, which could cost the company about $96 million in unfunded decommission and cleanup costs. Northeast Utilities operates the reactor and owns a 49% stake in it. In an earlier inspection this year, the NRC found apparent violations of safety guidelines, including incorrect engineering calculations and a failure to update safety documents. The NRC may issue penalties for the violations. In composite trading Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange, Northeast Utilities shares closed at $12.625, unchanged.
