ML052790436
| ML052790436 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 04/21/2004 |
| From: | Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2004-0369 | |
| Download: ML052790436 (2) | |
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Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yarkee Ent I
§ Fa 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, Vt 05301 Date:
April 21, 2004 New s
Contact:
Rob WiR (802) 258-4181 Release rwill23@entergy.com Fuel Rod Segments at Vermont Yankee Unaccounted For BRAlTLEBORO, 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 rsdiation 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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Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production, retail distribution operations, energy marketing and trading, and gas transortation.
Entergy owns and operates power plants with about 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.6 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Through Entergy-Koch, LP, it is also a leading provider of wholesale energy marketing and trading services, as well as an operator of natural gas pipeline and storage facilities. Entergy has annual revenues of over $9 billion and approximnately 14,000 employees. Entergy Nuclear's online address is www.entergv-nuclear.com Z& followin, constitetes a "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Liti-ation Reform Act of 1995: Investors are cautioned tharforward-looking statements contained in the foregoing release with respect to the revenues, earnings, performance, strategies, prospects and other aspects of the business of Entergy Corporation may involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may, for a variety of reasons. prove to be materially different from those indicated in these forward-looking statements, estimates and projections.
Factors that could influence actual fuure outcomes include regulatory decisions, the effects of changes in law, the evolution of markets and competition, changes in accounting, weather, the performance of generating msits, fuel prices and availability, financial markets, risks associated with businesses conducted in foreign countries, changes in business plan, the presence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive products and pricing; the effect of the Entergy Corporation's policies, including the amount and rate of growth of Entergy Corporation's expenses; the continued availability to Entergy Corporation of adequatefunding sources and changes in interest rates; delays or difficulties in the production, delivery or installation of products and the provision of services; and various legal, regulatory and litigation risks. Entergy Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise anyfrward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For a more detailed discussion of some of the foregoing risks and uncertainties, see Entergy Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.