ML24249A191

News Release-II-24-022: NRC Names New Senior Resident Inspector at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

ML24249A191
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	08/08/2024
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
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News Release-II-24-022
Download: ML24249A191 (1)

Text

No: II-24-022 August 8, 2024

Contact:

Dave Gasperson, 404-997-4417

NRC Names New Senior Resident Inspector at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has selected David Hardage as its new senior resident inspector at the Watts Bar nuclear power plant located in Spring City, Tennessee. The plant is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Hardage joined the NRC as a project engineer in the Resident Inspector Development Program in the Region II office in Atlanta. Before accepting the Watts Bar position, he was the agencys senior resident inspector at the Sequoyah nuclear plant in Tennessee and the resident inspector and senior resident inspector at the Hatch nuclear plant in Georgia.

Before joining the NRC, Hardage was a U.S. Navy submarine officer. After leaving the Navy, he held several positions at the Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear plants in Florida, including as an NRC-licensed senior reactor operator. He earned a bachelors d egree in chemistry from the University of Georgia and a masters degree in civil engineering from Florida Atlantic University. Hardage is also a licensed professional engineer in Georgia.

Daves extensive experience at Sequoyah and Hatch, combined with his naval service and background as a senior reactor operator, makes him the ideal inspector to lead our team at Watts Bar, said NRC Region II Administrator Laura Dudes. His technical expe rtise and leadership will be invaluable in ensuring the plant continues to operate safely and in compliance with NRC regulations.

Each U.S. commercial nuclear power plant has at least two NRC resident inspectors who monitor day-to-day operations at the plant. They serve as the agency's eyes and ears at the facility, conducting inspections, monitoring significant projects, and interacting with plant workers and the public.