Depositions reveal nuke plant concerns

HOMESTEAD, Fla., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Depositions in a dispute between a Florida utility and a former nuclear plant operator reveal many employee safety concerns, The Miami Herald reported Monday.

The newspaper published excerpts from the depositions, taken as part of a 2008 investigation of Florida Power & Light -- which operates the Turkey Point nuclear power plant -- by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The probe was triggered by nuclear safety allegations from David Hoffman, Turkey Point's former senior licensed operator, who quit the plant abruptly. However, federal regulators were unable to substantiate Hoffman's allegations and no action against the utility ever was taken.

FP&L sued Hoffman for quitting after receiving a retention bonus and Hoffman countersued, the utility said.

The depositions revealed that Institute of Nuclear Power Operations trainer Colleen Ware noted indicators showing the positions of the nuclear control rods were very old, the report said.

"There are the old gauges ... where ... a needle that goes around and around," she reportedly testified, saying the gauges were "not very reliable" and were frequently stuck, so much so that "over the years, (operators) developed the habit of pinging them to get them to move."

FPL spokesman Michael Waldron told the Herald, "Turkey Point has been operating for more than 30 years and has a very good safety record," adding the control-rod indicators have now been "updated or replaced and have extremely high reliability."