Press Release-II-18-033, NRC Expands Nuclear Power Plant Monitoring During Hurricane Florence

Press Release-II-18-033: NRC Expands Nuclear Power Plant Monitoring During Hurricane Florence

ML18260A070
Person / Time
Issue date:	09/13/2018
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
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Category:Press Release
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Press Release-II-18-033
Download: ML18260A070 (1)

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No: II-18-033 September 13, 2018

Contact:

Roger Hannah, 404-997-4417 Joey Ledford, 404-997-4416 NRC Expands Nuclear Power Plant Monitoring During Hurricane Florence The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will staff its incident response center in Atlanta around the clock beginning this evening as it expands its monitoring of Hurricane Florence and its effects on nuclear power plants and other NRC-licensed facilities.

The NRC will continue 24-hour staffing as conditions require. NRC staff members will continue to monitor the path of Hurricane Florence while remaining in contact with plant operators, NRC on-site inspectors, the NRCs headquarters operations center and state emergency officials.

Duke Energy notified the NRC that the company is shutting down both units at the Brunswick nuclear plant south of Wilmington, N.C., as that site is facing hurricane-force winds, major storm surges and heavy rain. This week, NRC inspectors have reviewed storm preparations, including protection against the amount of rain and flooding that might be expected. NRC inspectors are on site at the Brunswick plant and will remain there through the storm.

Officials at the Global Nuclear Fuels plant near Wilmington have also notified the NRC that they have shut down operations and secured equipment in advance of the storm.

Other nuclear plants in the projected storm path have prepared for high winds and heavy rainfall. NRC inspectors also will remain at those sites as conditions require.