NRC gives high marks for recent operations at Exelon's Dresden Station

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says operations continue to be safe at Exelon’s Dresden Generating Station in Morris.

Representatives from the NRC presented findings from the past year’s inspections at a public information session during Carbon Hill Homecoming on Saturday, discussing the annual review of the Grundy County nuclear power plant.

“We look at the performance of the plant throughout the course of the calendar year, and then we have specific criteria that we use to compare that against,” NRC senior resident inspector April Nguyen said. “Is the plant performing safely or not, first of all. And then are there any issues and what kind of level are those issues if they were to have any issues going on. In the case of Dresden, they didn’t have any issues this year that raised above the very low safety significance level.”

Nguyen said several people approached the NRC’s information booth with comments and questions, adding that people are most curious about emergency response regulations in place and how the NRC and Dresden coordinate to inform the public of any issues that need to be disclosed.

“This was our opportunity to get out and just talk to folks about who we are and what we do in the community, and answer any questions that they had related to the safety of the plant, since that’s our primary mission,” she noted.

On site, the resident inspectors have unfettered access to the plant, and can move freely to keep detailed records of operations.

Illinois is the only state that has on-site inspectors from both the NRC as well as the Department of Natural Resources in its six power plants. The inspectors engage in planned activities daily, but also regularly go through reports, such as maintenance activities. The inspectors have general knowledge of all aspects of the plants they serve, from security to emergency response. The inspectors also collaborate with specialists.

“We go in and basically we see what the plant is doing that day,” Nguyen said. “What are your activities, what kind of issues happen. We make sure that they’re following the rules and regulations when they execute those activities, and that they’re resolving issues in a timely manner and doing that appropriately.”

Exelon’s Dresden Generating Station’s two units went on line in 1971 and 1972, respectively, and each carries a 60-year license. The station’s two nuclear reactors generate enough energy to power more than 2 million homes.