Shearon Harris Reports Another Cooling System Problem

Add yet another incident to the unnervingly long list of reported malfunctions at Progress Energy’s nuclear power plant near Raleigh.

The cooling system at the Shearon Harris facility in western Wake County lost feedwater flow yesterday as the reactor powered up after a three-week shutdown for refueling, says Jim Warren, director of the Durham-based N.C. Waste Awareness & Reduction Network. The facility disclosed the problem in an official incident report filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

“The cause of the irregular Feedwater control is currently being investigated,” the report says.

The plant also experienced a cooling system problem last month following maintenance on safety equipment. In fact, Shearon Harris over the past two years has experienced problems at a rate significantly higher than the national average.

Meanwhile, the NRC today announced that it is seeking public comment on its Reactor Oversight Process. Created five years ago with the stated aim of improving inspection and enforcement for commercial nuclear power plants, the ROP has come under fire from some nuclear watchdogs for going too easy on the industry.

The NRC is seeking the public’s answers to 20 questions, such as whether inspection reports are useful, whether the ROP is understandable and whether the public has enough opportunity to provide input. The notice is available online here (PDF), and comments are due by Dec. 16. They may be e-mailed to nrcrep@nrc.gov or mailed to Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Office of Administration, Mail Stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C., 20555-0001.