The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been warning that employees at the Watts Bar nuclear power plant don't feel free to raise safety concerns out of fear of retaliation.
As a result, the NRC has written a letter that gives the Tennessee Valley Authority 30 days to come up with a plan to address work environment concerns at its plant.
The NRC letter stressed that it found no serious safety issues at the plant near Spring City. However, it said that communication was being impeded because workers fear they will be punished for reporting safety issues.
A TVA official said the agency takes the allegations very seriously and needs employees to report any possible safety issues. TVA spokesman Jim Hopson said the agency has been working "very aggressively" to fix the problem.
