Senior nuclear engineer George Galatis reported in 1995 that Northeast Utilities routinely moved an entire reactor core of hot, radioactive fuel into Millstone 1’s spent-fuel pool during refueling. The plant was supposed to observe a 250-hour cooling period before a full-core off-load, but some transfers occurred after only 65 hours; one operation reportedly melted a worker’s boots. The procedure increased the pool’s heat load and created the potential for the water to boil, releasing radioactive steam inside the plant. Northeast Utilities saved roughly two weeks of downtime per refueling, avoiding replacement-power costs reported at about $500,000 per day.
Galatis filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on August 21, 1995, after concluding that the NRC had known about the practices for years. The NRC Office of Inspector General opened Case No. 95-771 and found evidence that Millstone 1 operated outside its design basis for approximately a decade, possibly violating its operating license and technical specifications. Investigators also found that operators used a spent-fuel-pool cooling configuration not covered by plant procedures. Galatis described retaliation and intimidation after his disclosures; Time featured him on its March 4, 1996, cover. Millstone 1 was permanently closed in July 1998.
