Hole found in Hope Creek nuke plant secondary wall

Discovery of a hole in a protective wall at the Hope Creek nuclear plant caused a brief flurry at the site Wednesday, triggering a notice that the plant did not have a second, fully-sealed enclosure around the main reactor containment structure.

The reactor, stored in a separate reinforced structure inside the second, dome-shaped building, was not compromised.

Workers walking past the the side of the secondary wall discovered the 1-inch hole at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, prompting a wider inspection. The opening was found inside a closed auxiliary building connected to the dome, and did not open into the environment.

The hole was sealed by 4 p.m. The bulb-shaped primary containment containing the reactor core and major safety systems was unaffected, and the system continued to operate at 100 percent.

“The hole from original construction related to concrete pouring/forming. There are more than 100 of these holes. All of the other holes were filled with grout/filler material,” PSEG Nuclear spokesman Joe Delmar said. “There is no evidence that there was grout/filler in this hole. We continue to investigate and determine if it may have been filled at one time and not refilled.”

Public Service Enterprise Groups’ nuclear subsidiary owns Hope Creek, part of the company’s three-reactor complex along the Delaware River on Artificial Island, southeast of Port Penn.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan said there are periodic visual inspections and pressure checks for leaks.

“PSEG will have to determine why the hole was not detected sooner or whether it just recently developed,” he said.

PSEG put began construction of Hope Creek in 1974 and put the plant into commercial service in 1986. Full power operations generate about 1,178 megawatts, or enough to power about 1 million homes.

The company also operates the older Salem Units 1 and two reactors nearby, with Exelon owning a 43 percent share of those facilities.

Contact Jeff Montgomery at (302) 463-3344 or jmontgomery@delawareonline.com