A-Plant Foes Say Drunk Worker Shows Test Gap

A group that opposes the Pilgrim nuclear plant says the recent discovery that a worker was found to be drunk indicates that random testing is not reliable to ensure plant safety.

“Obviously, random testing is not working if we have someone who is drunk operating a nuclear power plant,” Janice Nickerson of the Pilgrim Alliance, said Tuesday.

The second-in-command on duty in Pilgrim’s control room last week had a blood-alcohol level of “around 0.10”--the legal standard for drunken driving in many states--and has been permanently reassigned, plant officials said.

The licensed senior operator, identified only as a longtime employee, was pulled aside for a random drug test Dec. 3, said Elaine Robinson, a Boston Edison spokeswoman. She said the test was the first positive result of 1,849 random screenings.