Nuclear agency inspects Taft plant
LOUISIANA - The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is conducting a special inspection at Entergy Louisiana Inc.'s Waterford 3 nuclear plant in Taft because of repeated problems with electrical relay switches.
The inspection was ordered after plant operators discovered problems in a high-pressure safety injection pump that is used to supply cooling water to the plant's reactor core during some accident conditions. The problem was traced to an electrical relay, which subsequently was replaced, allowing the pump to operate normally.
But Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials are concerned because there have been six previous failures of similar electrical relay switches at Waterford in the past year.
The inspection, which began July 20, is expected to last for several days.
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