Energy advocacy group raises concerns with inspections at Shippingport nuclear power plant

An energy advocacy group on Wednesday asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to determine whether inspections at the two nuclear reactors in Shippingport are adequate in light of April’s discovery of a hole in the steel lining of a reactor containment building. It’s unlikely that the group’s petition will delay or halt FirstEnergy’s request to extend the operating licenses of Beaver Valley Unit 1 and Unit 2 for 20 years. The relicensing process began in August 2007 and is expected to come to a final vote in late September. Last month, FirstEnergy announced that a small hole, about the size of a paper clip, had been found in the lining of the containment building of Unit 1, which had been shut down since April 20 for scheduled refueling and maintenance.

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