Governor Baker Urges Entergy to Address Concerns at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station

Governor Baker Urges Entergy to Address Concerns at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station

Corrective action needed to address NRC downgrade; ensure public safety

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker wrote the leadership of Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.-owned Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to urge facility operators to take corrective actions that addresses the recent downgrade by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to the Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone Column, or Column 4, due to failure to address the causes of several unplanned shutdowns dating back to 2013. 

In the letter, Governor Baker notes that while the NRC’s determination that Pilgrim Station continues to operate safely and the issues raised are of low to moderate significance, Entergy should “take all steps necessary to perform an appropriate root cause analysis of the shutdowns and to complete all necessary repairs and corrective actions.”

In recognizing Pilgrim Station’s significance in the Commonwealth’s economy and energy supply, Governor Baker also writes that, “the most important task at hand is for Entergy to ensure the safety of the plant’s operations and that of all of the residents of the Commonwealth that live within proximity to the plant.”

Further, Governor Baker asks “that Entergy work closely with my administration to make sure that we, and the residents of the Commonwealth, have access to the most up to date and accurate information about the corrective actions that will be taken to ensure the public’s safety.”

View the letter here: http://www.mass.gov/governor/docs/news/letter-to-entergy-nuclear-operations.pdf