Current:Home > InvestSouth Carolina nuclear plant’s cracked pipes get downgraded warning from nuclear officials -Wealth Empowerment Academy
South Carolina nuclear plant’s cracked pipes get downgraded warning from nuclear officials
View
Date:2025-04-17 18:23:11
JENKINSVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Federal regulators have lessened the severity of their warning about cracks discovered in a backup emergency fuel line at a South Carolina nuclear plant northwest of the state capital.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission downgraded its preliminary “yellow” warning for V.C. Summer Nuclear Station issued this October to a final “white” one after owner and operator Dominion Energy showed its generator could still run for six hours in an emergency, the agency announced Thursday.
That demonstration calmed officials’ concerns that Dominion Energy’s failure to maintain cracks and leaks — discovered at least five times over two decades — had neutralized the plant’s ability to cool down its reactors if electricity failed.
The new rating means that the generator is underperforming but still meeting its key targets.
“While not indicative of immediate risk, this finding underscores the need for continuous vigilance and improvement in the plant’s corrective action process,” NRC Region II Administrator Laura Dudes said in a statement.
The plant runs pressurized water heated by uranium fuel through a steam generator. A different loop of steam powers the turbine that makes electricity. Cooling water then condenses the steam, which gets reheated, and the system starts over again.
Officials plan to complete another inspection to see if Dominion Energy fixes the ongoing issues. Dominion Energy did not respond to an email Thursday evening seeking details on its response to the new rating. The company told The State Newspaper that it will install “more resilient piping” early next year, and that a November 2022 fuel oil leak marked the first time in 40 years that such a problem had put an emergency diesel generator out of operation.
Still, the newspaper reported that a leader at a watchdog group said the length of the problem warranted the more serious finding. The changes from Dominion Energy seem to be “pencil-sharpening exercises that make a bad situation look better on paper,” Edwin Lyman, the director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told The State.
veryGood! (4299)
Related
- Vance jokes he’s checking out his future VP plane while overlapping with Harris at Wisconsin airport
- Israeli Supreme Court hears first challenge to Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul
- Calvin Harris Marries Radio Host Vick Hope in U.K. Wedding
- Helton teams up with organization to eliminate $10 million in medical bills for Colorado residents
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Trump files motion to have judge in federal election interference case disqualified
- Arizona group converting shipping containers from makeshift border wall into homes: 'The need is huge'
- The Taliban have waged a systematic assault on freedom in Afghanistan, says UN human rights chief
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Get a Front Row Seat to Heidi Klum's Fashion Week Advice for Daughter Leni Klum
Ranking
- 'Most Whopper
- Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker denies sexually harassing Brenda Tracy
- Remains of 2 people killed in 9/11 attack on World Trade Center identified with DNA testing
- Starbucks gave trans employees a lifeline. Then they put our health care at risk.
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- Putin says prosecution of Trump shows US political system is ‘rotten’
- Ashton Kutcher faces backlash for clips discussing underage Hilary Duff, Olsen twins, Mila Kunis
- Biden administration coerced social media giants into possible free speech violations: court
Recommendation
Chief beer officer for Yard House: A side gig that comes with a daily swig.
Effort to restrict public’s access to Arkansas records stumbles at start of legislative session
A Guide to Sean Diddy Combs' Iconic Family Tree
Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker denies sexually harassing Brenda Tracy
A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
UEFA hosts women soccer stars for expert advice. Then it thanks ousted Luis Rubiales for his service
DraftKings apologizes for sports betting offer referencing 9/11 terror attacks
Gen. Mark Milley on seeing through the fog of war in Ukraine