Thursday, January 13, 2011

PPL working to correct problem with system at nuke plant

From the Times Leader:

Engineering workers at the nuclear power plant near Berwick detected a design flaw in a temperature control system that could have shut down the two reactors, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission reported.

The reactors remain in operation, and officials at the PPL’s Susquehanna Steam Electric Station are working to correct the problem that has existed since the plant came on line in the 1980s, said Neil Sheehan, an NRC spokesman.

The plant is jointly owned by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc.

The flaw was discovered in house and reported to the NRC on Monday, Sheehan said.

On Thursday, he described it as a “single point of vulnerability.” Besides resulting in a shut down, he said, “this could have impacted some very important safety systems.”

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