ML042080131
| ML042080131 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 04/21/2004 |
| From: | Thayer J Vermont Yankee |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Vermont Yankee |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2004-0267 | |
| Download: ML042080131 (1) | |
Text
Page 1 of 1 Sienel, Beth From:
Thayer, Jay Sent:
Wednesday, April 21, 2004 5:56 PM To:
VTY - All Users Cc:
Herron, John T.
Subject:
Vermont Yankee Fuel Pool Inspection Results To the Vermont Yankee Team, The following was released to the state of Vermont and the press late this afternoon and I wanted you to have this information. The Vermont Yankee investigation discussed has been mobilized and is being led by John Hoffman with support from the Entergy fleet and corporate offices. This issue was not created by our current refueling outage and therefore will not impact our current plans for return to service. The investigation has been staffed and will proceed independent of the outage work. I will keep you informed as the effort progresses.
Jay Fuel Rod Segments at Vermont Yankee Unaccounted For BRATTLEBORO, VT -- In response to a recent NRC inspection, Entergy Vermont Yankee has determined that two short spent fuel rod segments are not in their documented location in the spent fuel pool. Entergy engineers are reviewing storage records and performing a thorough inspection of the spent fuel pool to determine the location of the rod segments.
One of the segments is about the length and diameter of a pencil and the other is the same diameter and about 17 inches long. According to station documentation, in 1979, the highly radioactive rods were placed in a special stainless steel container in the spent fuel pool after a fuel inspection to address fuel cladding deficiencies.
Vermont Yankee has an extensive system of radiation monitors and, due to the radioactive nature of the material, the segments could not have been inadvertently removed from the pool in anything other than a container specifically designed and licensed to contain radioactive material. Therefore, public health and safety is not at risk as a result of this issue. Entergy Vermont Yankee will continue to keep the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state authorities informed on the progress of the investigation.
The Vermont Yankee spent fuel pool is 40 feet in depth and contains 2,789 spent uranium fuel assemblies that were used in energy production since 1972. Vermont Yankee is presently shut down for its twenty fourth refueling and maintenance outage.
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