The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has selected Kevin Cook-Smith as
its new resident inspector at the Waterford nuclear power plant in Killona,
Louisiana. He joins Senior Resident Inspector Drew Childs at the plant,
operated by Entergy Operations.
Cook-Smith joined the NRC in 2023 through the agency’s Resident
Inspector Development Program and is a project engineer in the NRC’s
Region IV office in Arlington, Texas. Prior to that, he worked in the private
sector at Newport News Shipbuilding.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stevens Institute of
Technology and a master’s degree in mechanical and nuclear engineering from Virginia
Commonwealth University.
“Kevin’s training and commitment to safety will help the NRC in its mission of protecting
people and the environment by helping ensure that Waterford continues to meet the high standards
set by the agency,” said NRC Region IV Administrator John Monninger.
Each U.S. commercial nuclear power plant has at least two NRC resident inspectors who
monitor day-to-day operations at the plant. They serve as the agency’s eyes and ears at the facility,
conducting inspections, monitoring significant projects, and interacting with plant workers and the
public.
