The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it had begun a special inspection of the Turkey Point Nuclear Plant near Homestead, Florida, to review particulars involving failure of a safety-related electrical bus that resulted in the plant declaring an alert.
“On March 18, an electrical fault occurred in a Unit 3 switchgear room, resulting in the loss of a safety-related electrical bus and a reactor trip,” the NRC said.
Other safety systems functioned properly, ensuring adequate reactor cooling, the agency noted. “There was no threat to local residents or the environment.” The alert was rated as the second-lowest NRC emergency declaration. The alert ended on the same day.
The electrical fault, which caused an arc flash “or small explosion” damaged a nearby fire door, which may have threatened other safety systems had a fire developed, the NRC noted.
One worker, who was in the room at the time, was injured. The worker was treated at a local hospital.
NRC Region II Administrator Cathy Haney said the special inspection was warranted. “This was an event that could have had serious safety consequences, and we need to know more about what happened and why,” Haney said.
Inspectors will develop a detailed timeline of the incident, review the plant's response and what actions were taken in reaction to the incident.
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