The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has opened a special inspection at the Dresden Nuclear Power Station in Morris, Illinois, after plant staff discovered a corroded battery connection that failed during maintenance. The battery is part of a backup power system used to safely shut down the reactor.
The failure did not endanger public health or safety, according to the NRC. The agency determined a special inspection was warranted because the damage was not detected during routine maintenance checks, and similar battery problems have occurred at other nuclear plants.
Constellation Energy operates the two-unit Dresden station. A two-person NRC inspection team will investigate how the damage developed, whether the plant's regular inspections should have detected it sooner, the plant's response, and whether other facilities face similar risks.
"An independent NRC review will help us understand how this battery issue developed and whether improvements are needed," Region III Administrator Mohammed Shuaibi said. "We're committed to ensuring the plant's oversight processes remain strong and that similar problems are prevented at other facilities."
The NRC said it will document the inspection findings in a publicly available report that will be posted on its website and distributed electronically to subscribers.