This file photo of April 2007, released by the Tennessee Valley Authority, shows the cooling tower of the single operating reactor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Spring City, Tenn.The new director for construction of the Unit 2 reactor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant has headed construction on the mixed oxide fuel plant being built in South Carolina for the past four years.
TVA announced Wednesday that it has hired Dave Stinson to direct the $2.5 billion program to build America's newest nuclear reactor.
Stinson, who previously worked on the restart of TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant, assumes the job vacated last month when former Watts Bar project director Masoud Bajestani was fired.
TVA officials declined to discuss why Bajestani was dismissed, although records indicate he improperly claimed a financial hardship to tap into his deferred compensation package, then sent $600,000 to his native Iran.
Marie Gillman has managed the Watts Bar 2 project since Jan. 28.
Ashok Bhatnagar, the TVA executive in charge of new plant projects, previously worked with Stinson at Browns Ferry. He said hiring Stinson "will help us reach our goal to have Watts Bar Unit 2 online before the end of 2012.
"Completion of this project will help TVA achieve its vision to be a leading provider of cleaner, low-cost energy by 2020," he said.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 615-757-6340.
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