U.S. to Let Nuclear Plants Defer Repairs, Schedule Longer Shifts

• NRC expects to issue guidelines this week on reactor staffing

•  Environmental groups concerned about violating safety rules

As reported by Bloomberg.

The article quotes Beyond Nuclear:

The prospect that reactor operators may be permitted to deviate from existing safety policies is drawing concern from environmentalists.

“Regulations to ensure safety should be strengthened at a time like this -- not weakened,” said Kevin Kamps of the watchdog group Beyond Nuclear. “It means operating nuclear plants without basic safety inspections.”

Nuclear Industry Effort to Exploit Coronavirus Crisis for Backdoor Bailout Decried as 'Disaster Capitalism at its Worst'

"The nuclear industry begged for a bailout last fall and is now using coronavirus to try and brazenly grab more cash," warned Friends of the Earth.

As reported by CommonDreams.

North Carolina nuclear plants brace to operate during coronavirus pandemic

As reported by Carolina Public Press.

The article quotes Beyond Nuclear:

Kevin Kamps of the organization Beyond Nuclear, a watchdog organization based in Maryland that advocates for abandoning nuclear power, participated in the meeting and told CPP that “most of the content of the call was about waivers from existing regulations.”

“But during a crisis, requirements should be strengthened, not weakened,” he said.

Additional shift hours, Kamps said, will place additional “stress and strain on workers that need to be fully attentive and alert in sensitive jobs.” A better strategy than permitting regulatory relief, he said, would be to proactively power down reactors until the threat of the coronavirus ends.

Covid-19 could cause staff shortages in the nuclear power industry

As reported by Bellona.

U.S. Power Industry May Ask Key Employees to Live at Work if Coronavirus Worsens

As reported by Reuters and published in the New York Times.

The article reports:

Maria Korsnick, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, said that some of the nation’s nearly 60 nuclear power plants are also “considering measures to isolate a core group to run the plant, stockpiling ready-to-eat meals and disposable tableware, laundry supplies and personal care items.”