Letter highlights the need for urgent action following Inspection Report warnings
 
Washington (December 10, 2021) – Today, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) urging the Commission and the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) to take additional measures to address structural degradation at the Seabrook Nuclear Power Station caused by alkali-silica reaction (ASR). In their letter, the Senators request that the ACRS—an independent panel of experts that reports to the NRC commissioners—engage in a robust, science-based review to provide recommendations to address the degradation in an expeditious manner.
 
The Senators’ letter follows the August release of the NRC’s Second Quarter Integration Inspection Report for Seabrook, which outlined concerning details regarding the monitoring and progression of ASR—a process that occurs when concrete with high alkali content is exposed to high levels of moisture, leading to cracking and degradation of concrete over time. The report, which included a finding of safety and security significance, highlighted three particularly troubling findings:
  • NextEra Energy, which owns and operates the Seabrook plant, has not been correctly assessing the rate of past growth or anticipating future growth of ASR.
  • In certain locations, ASR is progressing at a faster rate than expected.
  • Several structures at Seabrook do not meet current requirements and may require physical modifications in order for the NRC to deem them safe.
“These findings warrant a thorough investigation of the problems of degrading concrete at Seabrook, beyond the regular inspections of the plants,” wrote the senators in their letter to the NRC. “While ASR is a slow-moving phenomenon that NextEra and the NRC have been tracking for more than a decade, the NRC's second quarter integrated inspection report makes clear that the condition has progressed to a point where the licensee and regulators will soon be facing significant decisions that could have far-reaching implications for Seabrook. Therefore, it is critical that ACRS's review and analysis of Seabrook’s concrete degradation be resolved expeditiously.”
 
A copy of the letter can be found HERE.
 
At the Seabrook Nuclear Power Station, Senator Markey has fought for the use of the best science regarding the degradation caused by ASR. He also worked with his colleagues to successfully push for public meetings and hearings before the NRC took action to renew or amend the Seabrook plant license, and previously called on the NRC to address safety concerns before any license extensions are issued. 

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