Entergy Corp. has agreed to review fire safety measures at all its nuclear reactors after an investigation by federal regulators found that workers at one plant failed to follow rules and falsified records.
Bloomberg reports contract workers at Entergy’s Waterford 3 nuclear power plant in St. Charles Parish falsified reports showing they had performed fire inspections that never occurred between July 2013 and April 2014, according to a statement issued Friday by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
An Entergy supervisor also failed to take action when provided with information of suspected wrongdoing, the agency says. Plant operators are required to carry out periodic inspections to ensure fire doesn’t damage the reactor’s equipment.
The commission’s findings come as Entergy faces renewed scrutiny over its safety record. Last month, nuclear regulators said that three of the company’s reactors will be subject to increased federal oversight because of safety shortcomings. And Entergy said it was extending a maintenance outage at the Indian Point plant north of New York City after discovering bolts missing in a reactor.
In light of the latest findings, Entergy agreed to complete a comprehensive review of its fire watch programs and improve training among other measures, according to the commission.
Entergy has stepped up its fire safety measures and the contractors involved in the incident are no longer employed at the company, says company spokesperson Leanna Weaver. “Entergy does not tolerate improper reporting or disregard of our protocols,” Weaver says.
