MOSCOW, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- An unspecified number of U.S. nuclear power parts contain counterfeit, fraudulent, and suspect items (CFSI), Russian news network RT has reported on its website, citing a new report published by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
"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," RT said.
The investigation revealed that the U.S. Energy Department had flagged over 100 "incidents" of fake parts in reactors in fiscal year 2021.
Such findings demonstrate that the NRC reporting system may be unreliable, as it only requires plant operators to report such components if they "were involved in extraordinary circumstances" and emergencies.
The system thereby generally underestimates the prevalence of CFSI use.
While NRC Spokesperson Scott Burnell noted that the report "did not suggest an immediate safety concern," investigators had warned of serious and dangerous consequences. ■