Exelon is at the center of an investigation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The agency says the Illinois-based company “deliberately” misled regulators about the status of funds set aside to decommission power plants, including the facility in Byron.
The NRC says Exelon made it appear there were more funds for such a process than actually existed.
Dave Kraft heads the Nuclear Energy Information Service, an industry watchdog. He says given the number of reactors in Illinois, regulators need to be more vigilant about what's being reported in these documents.
"There's a question at the end of the day when a reactor has to be torn down whether there would be sufficient funds available to do that. If there aren't, the burden would fall on whoever the taxpayers or the ratepayers of the day would be. We have 14 of these [in Illinois], so that would be a significant issue" Kraft said.
In a response sent by e-mail, Exelon says it disputes the findings, and that there are no current shortfalls in any of their decommissioning funds.
Within the next 30 days, the company is expected to meet with the NRC to discuss potential enforcement action.