PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC <PE> TOLD TO CLOSE PLANT
The Nuclear Regulatory
Commission said its staff has ordered Philadelphia Electric Co
to shut down the Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plant at Delta, Pa.
    The NRC noted that one Peach Bottom unit is shut down for
refuling and said the other must be brought to cold shutdown
within 36 hours. Neither unit may be restarted without the
commission's approval, the regulatory body said.
    The NRC said it received information on March 24 that
control room operators at Peach Bottom had been observed
sleeping while on duty in the control room.
    It said the information indicated this conduct was
pervasive and has been occurring for some time, and that shift
supervision had knowledge of this situation.
    In response to this information, the regulators said, they
initiated 24-hour inspection coverage of the plant's control
room, which is ongoing.
    To date, the NRC said, its inspection has established
operations control room staff has at times during various
shifts, particularly the 2300 to 0700 shift, slept or otherwise
been inattentive to duties over the past five months.
    The commission said it also found management either knew
and condoned the sleeping and inattention, or should have known
about it, and either took no action or inadequate action to
correct this situation.
 Reuter
