Waterford — Millstone Power Station recently completed weapons checks and inventories ordered by regulators after an investigation revealed a former security armorer failed to perform proper checks and falsified records between January 2015 and June 2016.

In compliance with a Nuclear Regulatory Commission order issued Nov. 21, Millstone owner Dominion prepared a full inventory of in-service and out-of-service weapons for security officers in December, according to the NRC. Dominion also provided regulators and inspectors a report on when each weapon was last test-fired, cleaned, serviced and inspected. The NRC says all weapons were accounted for and serial numbers verified.

The steps taken by Dominion are part of approximately a dozen corrective actions the company agreed to after the NRC's investigation, which launched Aug. 31, 2016, and focused on discrepancies in weapons maintenance records overseen by an unidentified security officer with U.K.-based G4S, a Millstone contractor.

According to the NRC, the security officer told regulators "that (s)he had been unable to keep up with his/her increasing workload, which led to his/her decision to not perform required tasks and to falsify related records."

The discrepancies led to two security-related violations for Millstone, though plant spokesman Ken Holt said in November there was "no significant impact to security" at the plant.

"We continue to complete the actions outlined in the NRC's confirmatory order," Holt said this week. "We have reviewed and modified our procedures to ensure Millstone's security is maintained at the highest levels."

G4S, contracted by Millstone since October 2013, said the armorer was no longer an employee.

"G4S Regulated Security Solutions has completed the series of actions and training necessary to reinforce applicable requirements and ensure that this does not reoccur," spokeswoman Monica Garcia said this week. "These corrective actions were completed in a timely manner while working closely with our personnel and our client Dominion."

The NRC ordered Dominion to review the staffing and responsibilities of the armorer role, along with the methodology for weapons tracking, maintenance and verification by supervisors.

G4S said armorers at plants like Millstone are responsible for maintaining and certifying all firearms and training weapons used at the facility in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

The United Government Security Officers of America Local 19 noted the armorer who violated maintenance and records requirements was not a union member.

Even though a contractor committed the violations, Dominion is held accountable as the operating license holder of record, according to NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan. Sheehan declined to say what prompted the investigation, but noted the NRC reviews information from anonymous plant workers and inspections by the NRC or nuclear facilities themselves.

In addition to the required weapons checks and reports to inspectors, the NRC said Dominion complied with an order to communicate the issue "to all personnel at Millstone and other Dominion Energy Inc. nuclear sites."

The communication, which in late November was emailed to all Dominion personnel at Millstone, Surry, North Anna and Kewaunee power stations, specified that falsification of records is unethical and won't be tolerated.

The communication also explained specific actions staff are expected to take when unable to fulfill NRC requirements. The NRC noted supervisors were provided a copy of the message to post for employees without immediate access to email. Dominion also posted the information on the Nuclear Beta Blog, an online platform for nuclear employees.

Dominion must comply with related corrective actions over the next several months.

Dominion agreed to retain an outside safety culture expert, and to discuss the matter and results of the corrective actions with the Nuclear Security Working Group and the 2019 National Nuclear Security Conference.

b.kail@theday.com