In 1987, PECO was ordered by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to
shutdown Peach Bottom-2 and -3 on March 31, 1987 due to operator
misconduct, corporate malfeasance and blatant disregard for the health and
safety of area. This was the first and only occasion that the NRC ordered a
nuclear power plant shut down. Zack Pate, President of the Institute for Nuclear
Power Operations, declared that Peach Bottom “was an embarrassment to the
industry and to the nation...The grossly unprofessional behavior by a wide range
of shift personnel...reflects a major breakdown in the management of a nuclear
facility.”
