ML052790437

Document, Regarding Fuel Rod Segments at Vermont Yankee Unaccounted

ML052790437
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	04/21/2004
From:	- No Known Affiliation
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
FOIA/PA-2004-0369
Download: ML052790437 (1)

Text

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• 4b u<t4rt. mrmziLC41 urriAc vi Fuel Rod Segments at Vermont Yakee Unaccounted For BRATILEBORO, VT - In respose to a recent NRC ispection, Enty 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 inspecton of the spent fuel pool to determine the location of the rod segments.

One of the segment is about the length and dimeter of apencil and the other isthe 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 afier a fuel insmeion 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 healh 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 eney production since 1972. Vermont Yankee is presently shut down for its twenty fourth refueling and maintenance outage.

V 04/21/2004 TOTAL P.02