Nuclear plant's safety rating takes hit

PHOENIX - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday downgraded the safety rating of the nation's largest nuclear plant, subjecting it to more inspectors and a level of scrutiny shared by just one other plant in the nation.

The NRC made the announcement following three years of problems in various safety systems at the Palo Verde nuclear plant west of Phoenix.

Inspectors in September found that one of its emergency diesel generators had been broken for 18 days. Emergency generators are critically important at nuclear reactors, providing electricity to pumps, valves and control rooms if the main electrical supply fails.

Only FirstEnergy Corp.'s Perry nuclear plant in Ohio has a safety rating as bad as Palo Verde's, NRC spokesman Victor Dricks said.

APS, a subsidiary of Phoenix-based Pinnacle West Capital Corp., said it will not appeal the ruling.

"It is important to know that despite the operational difficulties over the last few years, at no time was the safety of the public or our employees at risk," APS chief executive Jack Davis said on the company Web site.

Palo Verde can provide enough electricity for nearly 4 million homes and is owned by a consortium of utilities in Arizona, Texas, California and New Mexico.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070222/ap_on_re_us/palo_verde_hearing