Earlier this month, we wrote about a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) email that was mistakenly sent to a Cape Cod activist. The email was an extremely candid overview of what the NRC was seeing during its major inspection inside the Pilgrim Nuclear plant. The email was not reassuring – highlighting non-compliances, poor maintenance, poor engineering practices, equipment reliability problems, and an overwhelmed staff. Read more about the email →

In response to the leaked email, the Plymouth Board of Selectmen held an emergency meeting where they agreed they would send a letter to the NRC demanding it appear before the Board and explain what is happening at the plant.

On Dec. 13, the NRC denied the Board’s request in a letter to the Chairman. The letter states, “I am declining your offer to speak in person because the inspection is ongoing, and it is critical to focus on the results of the two weeks on site in support of the preparation for the final inspection week in January. Additionally, specific information on the progress of our review is considered “pre-decisional” and would be inappropriate to be publicly discussed at this time in the process.”

Read the full NRC letter to the Plymouth Board of Selectmen →

But the cat is already out of the bag; “pre-decisional” information has already been made public, and the lack of communication by the NRC will only further validate concerns within the community.

More: Wicked Local Plymouth, Dec. 14, 2016, NRC a No Show in Plymouth After Memo Leak →