In the year after the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear disaster, the Byron nuclear plant has undertaken multiple inspections, upgrades, and other work to ensure safety.
Nationally, Exelon Nuclear, the company that runs the Byron Generating Station, has verified the readiness of over 1,700 pieces of equipment, inspected more than 1,900 floor barriers and seals, and invested more than 43,000 worker hours inspecting and testing equipment and procedures that might be needed in an emergency.
Within a week of the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan that caused a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant, teams of engineers and experts from Exelon Nuclear traveled to Japan to offer help and learn from the experience. Lessons learned from Fukushima have led to extensive reviews of equipment, structures, and procedures at the Byron nuclear plant as well as purchases of additional backup emergency equipment, updates of emergency procedures, and additions to emergency training.
"At Byron Station we recognize that nuclear power is special and unique, and our top priority is operating our facility with the highest safety standards," said Tim Tulon, Byron Station site vice president.
Some of the protections Byron has in place include watertight doors, elevation of equipment above flood levels, and specially engineered flood barriers. The station can automatically and safely shut down and keep the fuel cooled even without electricity from the grid due to backup power generators that have second, third, and fourth layers of backups. Concrete walls up to four-feet thick protect reactors and other critical components.
The Byron plant undergoes frequent emergency training and its operating procedures are constantly tested and drilled by government emergency response agencies at all levels.
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