ML25213A073
| ML25213A073 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Quad Cities  |
| Issue date: | 07/31/2025 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs Region II |
| To: | |
| References | |
| News Release-III-25-025 | |
| Download: ML25213A073 (1) | |
Text
No: III-25-025 July 31, 2025
Contact:
Viktoria Mitlyng, 630-829-9662 Prema Chandrathil, 630-829-9663 NRC Issues Confirmatory Order to Quad Cities Nuclear Plant The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Confirmatory Order to Constellation Nuclear Generation LLC outlining a set of agreed-upon actions to address apparent violations of NRC requirements at the Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station in Cordova, Illinois.
The NRC conducted an inspection following an incident where valves in a system connected to the reactor were left in incorrect positions, resulting in coolant water draining from the reactor and spraying two workers. Additionally, NRC conducted two investigations examining potential misconduct, including whether personnel deliberately provided incomplete or inaccurate information to the NRC and whether a senior manager intentionally entered such information into plant records. The inspection report and investigation reports provide details of the apparent violations.
There were no exposures exceeding NRC limits for the workers or the public.
The drain-down event was evaluated as having very low safety significance because multiple sources of water were available and used to maintain safe water level in the reactor.
However, the apparent violations were screened through a different process because of their impact on the NRC's ability to perform its regulatory oversight function.
The company requested Alternative Dispute Resolution, a process involving a neutral mediator to help the NRC and Constellation reach an agreement on the scope of the companys corrective and preventive actions.
Constellation took corrective actions in advance of the ADR session, including a fleet-wide meeting emphasizing the importance of proper conduct and accurate record-keeping, as well as an investigation into root causes of the incident and employee misconduct.
The order documents Constellations commitments to implement additional measures to improve performance, such as including a third-party Nuclear Safety Culture Assessment at Quad Cities and a fleetwide survey to determine if site-specific action plans are needed. Further measures include training for employees and leaders on safety culture, willful misconduct, the importance of accurate information and human performance expectations.
The NRC has also issued notices of violations against two individuals involved in the incident, both of whom are no longer licensed or employed by Quad Cities. One violation involves P1TB1bA#y1 P T bA#y P1TB3bA#y1 P T 4bA#y P T 5bA#y P1TB6bA#y1 P1TB7bA#y1 P T 8bA#y
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was created as an expert, technical agency to protect public health, safety, and security, and regulate the civilian use of nuclear materials, including enabling the deployment of nuclear power for the benefit of society. Among other responsibilities, the agency issues licenses, conducts inspections, initiates and enforces regulations, and plans for incident response. The global gold standard for nuclear regulation, the NRC is collaborating with interagency partners to implement reforms outlined in new Executive Orders and the ADVANCE Act to streamline agency activities and enhance efficiency.
Page l 2 a reactor operators willful failure to follow procedures. The other pertains to a senior reactor operators willful failure to maintain complete and accurate records related to the incident.
In accordance with the Confirmatory Order, Constellation must notify the NRC of its progress in completing the actions outlined in the legally binding agreement between the company and the agency.