ML053180078

E-mail from J. Steets of Entergy to N. Sheehan of USNRC, Regarding Entergy New Release Dated 09/20/05

ML053180078
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	09/20/2005
From:	Steets J Entergy Nuclear Indian Point 2
To:	Neil Sheehan Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
FOIA/PA-2005-0369
Download: ML053180078 (5)

Text

I Nei1 Sheehan- - Page From: "Steets, Jim" <JSteetseentergy.com>

To: "'Neil Sheehan"' <NAS@nrc.gov>

Date: 9/20/05 2:15PM we're going out now with it.

431

I Neil Sheehan - TEXT.htm Page 1 11 we're going out now with it.

Mail Envelope Properties (43305196.ACB: 6:10955)

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Creation Date: 9/20/05 2:14PM From: "Steets, Jim" <JSteetseentergy.com>

Created By: JSteets~entergy.com Recipients nrc.gov kplpo.KPDO NAS (Neil Sheehan)

Post Office Route kplpo.KP DO nrc.gov Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 30 09/20/05 02:14PM TEXT.htm 350 IP2 fuel pool leak.doc 42496 Mime.822 60592 Options Expiration Date: None Priority: Standard Reply Requested: No Return Notification: None Concealed

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No Security: Standard

. I NeirS~heehan - IP2 fuel pool leak.doc Page I 11 I Neir Sheehan - lP2 fuel pool leak.doc Page l1 Entergy Nuclear Northeast Entergy440 Hamilton Ave.

White Plains, NY 10601 Date: September 20,2005 New s For Release: Immediate Release

Contact:

Jim Steets 914-272-3545 office 914-671-0457 cell jsteetsgentergy.com Buchanan, New York--After soil and bedrock were removed from the floor of the Indian Point 2 fuel storage building as part of a reinforcement project currently undervay in advance of the Indian Point Energy Center dry cask storage project, a small amount of moisture was seen on the newly exposed pool wall.

The moisture was found along two horizontal hairline cracks on the outside wall of the pool several feet below ground, inside the fuel storage building. The spent-fuel pool has four-to-six feet thick walls with a one-quarter inch stainless steel inner liner, and the fuel itself is entirely underground.

Says Geoffrey Schwartz, Entergy manager of Indian Point 2's spent-fuel dry storage project, "Structural and civil engineers inspected the cracks and determined they are typical of cracks seen from shrinkage during post-construction concrete curing. The cracks do not weaken the wall and the pool is structurally sound."

Entergy engineers this week have determined that the moisture came from the spent fuel pool, and may have come from a leak in the pool that was repaired in 1992. Radiological engineers

-more-

-Neit Sheehan -IP2 fueipool leak.doc a -i fue p..ol leak.d.cPage 2i

. 1 Entergy News Release Page 2 Date Sept. 20, 2005 and chemists report that trace amounts of radioactive cesium and cobalt were present in samples taken from the wall. Both are present in the spent-fuel pool.

There is no radiological hazard to workers or the public and the potential environmental impact is minimal. Soil samples taken three feet from the area where the moisture was detected showed normal background levels of radiation. Deep-depth core borings taken earlier as part of the dry cask storage project in six locations near the pool showed no elevated levels of radioactivity.

Entergy engineers and health physics technicians are continuing to analyze soil samples and will be monitoring the area around the fuel storage building in addition to the routine radiological monitoring done on a regular basis.

Removal of spent fuel from the pool to storage casks is scheduled to begin at the end of 2006.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been notified.