The Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to discuss its independent inspection of Davis Besse’s shield building next Thursday.

That building, which looks kind of like an upside down flower pot, has been a cause for concern since early October. That’s when crews installing a new reactor vessel head discovered long, hairline cracks in its 2-and-a-half-foot-thick concrete walls.

The shield is designed to protect the reactor from outside forces, including tornados and terrorists. Despite the cracks, the commission OK’d a restart for the reactor earlier this month. But it also issued a letter that commits its owner, Akron-based FirstEnergy, to monitoring the cracks and ensuring they don’t raise new safety issues.

Davis Besse is one of two commercial nuclear plants in Ohio. It’s had repeated problems, including an incident in which acid nearly ate a hole through the reactor’s roof. FirstEnergy has applied to extend the permit to operate the plant for another 20 years.