HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Internal emails show federal regulators expressed concern among themselves last year that Millstone Power Station was slow to grasp the scope of repeated problems with a critical water pump.
The auxiliary pump that cools the reactor in emergencies if offsite power and diesel generators fail did not operate properly during tests in November and December 2013 and again in January 2014 before the problem was fixed.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission sent a team in February for a closer inspection and, six months later, cited the Waterford plant over safety problems.
Emails obtained by The Associated Press in a public records request show concern by one NRC inspector that Millstone missed opportunities over several months before the problem was identified in January 2014.
Millstone spokesman Ken Holt says the plant has revamped its approach to trouble-shooting.
