Nuclear fine

The

has proposed a $5.45 million fine against the FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company for violations of NRC regulations associated with the significant reactor vessel head damage discovered in March 2002 at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant at

.

This is the largest single fine ever proposed by the NRC. The principal violation, assessed a $5 million fine, was that the utility restarted and operated the Davis-Besse plant in May 2000 without fully characterising and eliminating leakage from the reactor vessel head which led to significant corrosion damage. Additional violations (assessed at $450,000) included providing incomplete and inaccurate information to the NRC on the extent of cleaning and inspecting the reactor vessel head in 2000.

“This substantial fine emphasises the very high safety and regulatory significance of FirstEnergy’s failure to comply with NRC requirements and the company’s willful failure to provide the NRC with complete and accurate information,” said Luis Reyes, NRC Executive Director for Operations.