Dominion has said that it plans to replace Millstone 2’s vessel head in spring 2005. Dominion spokesman Pete Hyde said that the company has “accounted for the cost of the replacement in (its) business plan.” The Nuclear Regulatory Commission considers Millstone 2 to have a high susceptibility to the cracking of vessel head penetration nozzles. The key factor in that determination is usually effective degradation years (EDY). On the basis of its EDY alone, Millstone 2 would be in the medium-susceptibility. However, because there have been indications of cracking previously found at the reactor, it was moved into the high-susceptibility category.
Dominion emphasised that the indications were very shallow and had been repaired in March 2002.
