December 22, 2015

Monticello Agrees to Address Canister Issues

By ExchangeMonitor

Resulting from three apparent violations of federal regulations in 2013, the operator of the Monticello Nuclear Power Plant has agreed to correct issues related to the improper testing of six spent fuel canisters.

Northern States Power Co. has agreed to implement a series of corrections folloiwng the 2013 event, in which a Nuclear Regulatory Commission senior resident inspector observed two contractors “fail to properly perform liquid penetrant examinations on the welds of the canisters,” according to an NRC press release.

“The NRC conducted a follow-up investigation into the event, which determined that the testing examinations were falsely recorded and the plant failed to have effective quality controls in place to monitor the contractor work,” the press release states. “The investigation also found the deliberate actions of the contractors caused the plant to be in violation of NRC requirements regarding the welds.”

The power plant is located about 30 miles northwest of Minneapolis in Monticello, Minn.

The NRC has not found any immediate safety concerns with the canisters, according to the statement, but the company has agreed to conform to agency regulations. Corrections include:

– ensuring canisters are compliant:

– submitting a compliance plan and updating NRC on progress;
– ensuring direct oversight of contractor testing;
– presenting facts and lessons learned at a future industry forum.

Northern States will address the issues according to a timeline established in an NRC confirmatory order.

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