Feds Beef Up Oversight Of FPL Nuke Plant
PORT ST. LUCIE (CBSMiami) - Florida Power and Light, which is seeking permission to expand it's Turkey Point nuclear power plant in South Miami-Dade, is getting increased federal oversight of it's Jensen Beach plant near Port St. Lucie after the plant experienced a series of unplanned shutdowns.
In making the announcement Monday, The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the Jensen Beach plant "continues to operate safely" but the shutdowns "point to performance issues" that need to be addressed.
The NRC's oversight of nuclear power plants is governed by a four-level color-coded system with green being the lowest level of oversight. The FPL site has now moved up one level, from green to white.
The utility claims the shutdowns that attracted the NRC's attention are actually the result of vigilance by the utility.
FPL spokesman Michael Waldron says the shutdowns were a result of the company's "very low threshold for identifying and proactively responding" to potential issues before they become problems.
The increased NRC scrutiny should have no visible impact6 on the plant's operation. St. Lucie's Nuclear Power plant has two unit reactors; the first went online in 1977, the second in 1983. The plant employs over 800 people.
