PANDEMIC STRIKES MILLSTONE

Ten Millstone employees have tested positive for COVID-19, according to The Day newspaper.

The outbreak has occurred while Unit 2 is in the midst of a refueling outage and some 750 out-of-state temporary workers are onsite.

The Day did not disclose whether any of the COVID-positive employees were assigned to the close quarters of the control room where nuclear operations are controlled and radiation releases monitored.

In a query to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone asked whether the corona virus-positive employees include control room operators.

The NRC spokesperson refused to answer the question.

“Questions regarding whether employees at a plant have tested positive for COVID-19 should be directed to the company,” replied Diane Screnci of the NRC public affairs office.

Only a limited number of individuals are technically qualified as nuclear reactor operators and their certifications are plant-specific.

Should COVID-19 strike control room operators, the safety of the nuclear plant would be greatly jeopardized.

The Coalition is reaching out for further information.