The pressurizer is a key component in the reactor coolant system.Ĭoncerns about the AREVA pressurizers were brought to the attention of the NRC by the international environmental activist organization Greenpeace earlier this year. In France, independent experts who first raised concerns about the parts said the metals used in AREVA pressurizers are defective and could be prone to catastrophic failure. “The operating licenses of these plants should be suspended until safe operations can be affirmed.” ![]() ![]() “Half the reactors in France are shut down because of these parts, and nothing is happening in the U.S., and that’s why we’re taking these actions,” he said. plants with AREVA parts, said Paul Gunter, director of the reactor oversight project for Beyond Nuclear. Elliot/The Day) Buy Photo ReprintsĪ Maryland-based anti-nuclear advocacy group is calling for the immediate shutdown of 19 reactors around the country, including Unit 2 at the Millstone Power Station in Waterford, until federal inspectors verify the safety of some key components.īeyond Nuclear announced Thursday that it is preparing to submit an emergency enforcement petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission demanding shutdowns of 19 reactors at 11 sites that have potentially defective parts made by AREVA, a French company.įlaws found in the manufacturing processes at AREVA’s Le Creusot Forge have prompted the shutdown of 20 plants with AREVA components in France, but the NRC has thus far not taken any action at U.S. Dominion Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford is seen from the air July 9, 2011.
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