No browsing in the control room: On Monday the Nuclear Regulatory Commission proposed a steep fine for Entergy after investigating Internet use by reactor operators at its River Bend nuclear plant.
In a release, the NRC announced it has proposed a $140,000 civil penalty related to a period in 2010 when nine operators violated plant procedures requiring them to “remain attentive and focused on their work.” Between January and April, they frequently accessed the Internet from the control room while on duty, visiting sports, news, fishing and retirement account sites. Six operators will receive severity level IV violations from the agency. Three others and the plant itself will be issued level III violations.
“This action reflects the significance of the violation due to the number of people involved and the willful nature of their actions,” Region IV administrator Elmo E. Collins said in the release. “While the licensee has since taken steps to correct the problem and ensure it doesn’t happen again, they did not promptly address the larger safety culture issue.”
River Bend is located north of Baton Rouge, La. It uses a single 989 megawatt General Electric type 6 boiling water reactor, according to the NRC.