A subcontractor at the site of a nuclear power plant now under construction in Tennessee falsely claimed to have "measured cables that were intending to supply energy to safety systems," The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee alleged today.
Matthew David Correll, 31, of Hixson, Tenn., was indicted Tuesday on two charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
According to a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney's office:
"The indictment alleges that on or about August 16, 2010, Correll completed paperwork falsely indicating that he had measured cables that were intending to supply energy to safety systems to be constructed in a new nuclear power plant at the Watts Bar Nuclear facility. As alleged in the indictment, Mr. Correll did not take the measurements, nor make the inspections, and falsely completed the forms required by TVA. The indictment also alleges that he did not perform these measurements. Each count concerns a document with false information."
As the Knoxville News Sentinel reports, the Tennessee Valley Authority "is spending $2.5 billion over five years to build the 1,200-megawatt reactor, which is expected to supply electricity to 650,000 homes. The Watts Bar Unit 1 reactor started operating in 1996."
Correction at 7:30 a.m. ET, March 25:We left an 's' out of the name of the town where Correll is from. The post has been corrected. Our thanks to reader Mary Reynolds for catching the mistake.
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