An unspecified number of US nuclear power plants contain counterfeit parts that could potentially lead to “serious” safety risks, an investigation by the federal nuclear industry watchdog has found. The new report revealed that the Energy Department (DOE) had flagged over 100 “incidents” of fake parts in reactors last year.
The probe, conducted by the inspector general’s office of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), was launched after unnamed whistleblowers alleged that “most, if not all” nuclear plants in the US used ‘counterfeit, fraudulent and suspect items’ (CFSI). These refer to parts that were “altered to imitate a legitimate product,”“misrepresented with intent to deceive,” or which “do not meet intended product specifications.”
Investigators sampled four plants across the country and uncovered proof of CFSI use at a plant in the Midwest. The report also highlighted two separate component failures at plants in the Northeast, which were not among those surveyed. A “well-placed NRC principal” told the watchdog that plant operators had determined the two incidents stemmed from fake parts.