NRC Finds Pinhole Leak at Oyster Creek, Denies Activist's Petition

A pinhole leak found on a reactor vessel head cooling system at the nuclear power plant will be repaired before Oyster Creek returns online

A pinhole leak has been found on a reactor vessel head cooling system at Oyster Creek Generating Station, according to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) spokesman Neil Sheehan. The leak was discovered on Tuesday during a refueling and maintenance outage that began at the nuclear power plant on Oct. 22. The system is utilized to cool the reactor vessel head during shutdown, he said. The pinhole leak was found through an earlier weld and was weeping approximately two to three drops per minute, he said. “Exelon will need to develop a repair plan that is consistent with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Code (ASME),” Sheehan said. “NRC metallurgical specialists will continue to engage Exelon on the leak, including a review of the …

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