Junk Plant Indian Point 3 Baffle Bolts: How Can You Ever Trust a Nuclear Safety Evaluation Again by Anyone

More failed bolts discovered at Indian Point

BUCHANAN – It was a little over a year ago when Indian Point unit 2 reactor core baffle bolts were found missing or impaired, causing opponents of the nuclear power plant to raise their voices against continued operation of the facilities. At that time, 227 of 832 bolts were found either degraded or missing.

Since then, an agreement was reached to permanently shut down units 2 and 3 in 2020 and 2021.

Now, it has been learned that 256 of the 832 bolts that keep the inner plates of the reactor core from coming apart in unit 3 were impaired.

Riverkeeper has been in the lead along with the governor to close down the facilities.

Riverkeeper spokesman Cliff Weathers said Wednesday the cause of those two situations must be determined immediately.

“We need to know why these two reactors are the only ones to suffer such problems. It is incumbent upon the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct a root-cause analysis of the problem. We don’t know if it is a design or structural problem or just a maintenance issue, but until the NRC determines the cause, they should not let unit 3 reopen,” he said.

Unit 3 has been off-line for weeks for a scheduled refueling.

Here is the NRC's Blog evaluation summation.

Entergy, Indian Point’s owner, is in the process of analyzing the condition and replacing the degraded bolts. It will also assess any implications for Indian Point Unit 3, though that reactor is believed to be less susceptible to the condition for several reasons, including fewer operational cycles.