2nd man is sentenced in Watts Bar Nuclear Plant case

Thursday, February 16, 2012

photo Watts Bar

A former contractor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to falsifying work records at the TVA plant under construction near Spring City, Tenn.

John Delk, 40, of Cleveland, Tenn., was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service by U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier. He was the second person sentenced in the case.

Delk admitted he "fraudulently and knowingly signed a work closure form certifying that work had been completed when, in fact, the micrometer measurements were not completed and were forged," according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Bill Killian.

"The certification of micrometer readings of cables such as the one in this case was and is relied upon to both ascertain the degradation of the cables and to determine the precise equipment needed to protect areas where the cable was to be spliced," the release stated.

"It is particularly disturbing that a federal contract employee would falsify information serving the containment area of a nuclear facility. In addition, the defendant was a supervisor of other employees. This case reminds federal contract employees that actions such as these could result in conviction of a federal felony," Killian said in the release.

Delk was the supervisor of Matthew Correll, 31, of Hixson, who pleaded guilty in November to falsifying inspection reports at the plant.