Water leak idles Hope Creek reactor (3rd forced shutdown since October)

[cyberpj]

For N.J. facility with history of problems, it's 3rd forced shutdown since October
By JEFF MONTGOMERY / The News Journal
06/08/2005

More than 25,000 Delaware residents live inside a 10 mile radius of the Salem-Hope Creek nuclear power complex, an area dubbed the evacuation planning zone by the NRC because of the risk from radiation in the event of a meltdown. Although none of the nation's nuclear plants have ever experienced a complete core breach, several close calls have been reported, including the Three Mile Island accident in 1979 that released radiation to the atmosphere near Harrisburg, Pa., and left a reactor core badly damaged.

Nancy Kymn Harvin, a former PSEG manager whose job was eliminated in 2003, described Tuesday's problems as another indication of problems at Hope Creek and the nearby Salem Units I and II reactors.

"This begs the question of why those reactors are allowed to continue to operate," said Harvin, who has accused PSEG in a lawsuit of firing her for raising concerns about safety and management problems at the nuclear operation.

PSEG Nuclear agreed to increase safety monitoring after maintenance problems led to a serious steam leak and shutdown in October. The company already was under stepped-up NRC scrutiny because of concerns over work backlogs, breakdowns and a work environment that officials said could discourage safety warnings from employees.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050608/NEWS01/506080345/1006/NEWS