A spokesman for the owner of the Millstone nuclear power complex in Waterford says the company has laid off 50 to 75 workers, The Associated Press reports.
Ken Holt, a spokesman for Richmond, Va.-based Dominion, says the Millstone workers who were laid off Monday are expected to work through April 1, but could leave earlier if they want.
Dominion officials said last month that there were more workers than needed to safely operate the Waterford complex. They said Dominion can run the two Millstone reactors and maintain a shut-down reactor with 1,060 to 1,085 employees. The power station now has about 1,285 workers.
The chairman of the Nuclear Energy Advisory Council watchdog group says it remains to be seen whether Dominion can safely operate Millstone at the new staffing level.
