ML053180085
| ML053180085 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 04/16/2004 |
| From: | Neil Sheehan NRC Region 1 |
| To: | Anderson C, Blough A, Scott Burnell, Florek D, Garner S, Hayden E, Lanning W, Miller H, Wiggins J NRC Region 1 |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2004-0369 | |
| Download: ML053180085 (3) | |
Text
ScottiBurnell - Fwd: Vermont Yankee News Release ScottBurnell -Fwd: Vermont Yankee News Rease PaciEll From:
Neil Sheehan (L '
To:
A. Randolph Blough; Cliff Anderson; Donald Florek; Elizabeth Hayden; Hubert J.
Miller; James Wiggins; Rick Ennis; Scott Bumell; Sue Gagner; Wayne Lanning Date:
4/16/04 1:45PM
Subject:
Fwd: Vermont Yankee News Release Deb*
L t(7aT
ScottBurnell - Vermont Yankee News Release
_Page 1
s66tt Buin6ll - Vermont Yankee News Release Pacieli From:
"Williams, Rob" <rwill23@entergy.com>
To:
<Betsy.bishop@state.vt.us>, "Diane Screnci (Business Fax)"
<IMCEAFAX-Diane+20Screnci+40610+29+20337-5241 ©prod.entergy.com>, "Sheehan, Neil"
<nas@nrc.gov>
Date:
4/16/04 1:41 PM
Subject:
Vermont Yankee News Release April 16, 2004 Vermont Yankee Identifies Hairline Cracks in Steam Dryer Brattleboro, VT -- Vermont Yankee outage workers have identified minor hairline cracking in the plant's steam dryer -- a component used to remove moisture from steam produced in the plant's reactor.
The condition, which has no impact on nuclear safety, was discovered in a comprehensive inspection conducted by the General Electric company, Vermont Yankee's original designer, after similar conditions were found at other U.S. boiling water reactors. A Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector has performed a review of the inspection results.
Based on engineering evaluations, two weld sections -- each about three inches long -- were removed and rewelded. As a conservative measure, those two locations, and two similar locations -- all in low stress areas -- were stiffened with plate steel. The inspection also identified two other hairline cracks, one 14 inches long and one three inches long, which were evaluated and found to be inconsequential because they are in a part of the dryer that is under very low stress and they have no effect on dryer performance. These will be monitored in place as part of the routine high-resolution visual inspections that are done during future refueling outages.
The steam dryer was subject to comprehensive visual inspection during this outage because other U.S. plants had identified steam dryer cracking associated with an increase in plant power output as proposed by Vermont Yankee.
Entergy Vermont Yankee Site Vice President Jay Thayer said the cracks were not in the areas of the steam dryer that had presented problems at other plants. "These were In non-stressed areas of the dryer that are not exposed to heavy steam flows. In fact, the components of the dryer that carry most of the load -- the ones that presented problems at other plants -- are in good shape. However, in accordance with our uprate engineering analysis, those will be replaced with heavier steel plates."
Besides the repairs and strengthening done to these welds, the preplanned outage schedule includes reinforcing the dryer in several other areas based on the experience of similar boiling water reactors that have increased their power output.
The repairs, which will not affect the length of the outage, are designed to ensure the continued reliability of the steam dryer and the continued reliability of Vermont Yankee with increased power output.
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production, retail distribution operations, energy marketing and trading, and gas transportation. 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 approximately 14,000 employees. Entergy Nuclear's online address is www.entergy-nuclear.com The following constitutes a "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements contained in the foregoing release with respect to the revenues, earnings, performance, strategies, prospects and other
Scott.Burnell - Vermont Yankee News Release Page2 ScottBurnett - Vermont Yankee News Release P4 2 JI 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 future outcomes include regulatory decisions, the effects of changes in law, the evolution of markets and competition, changes in accounting, weather, the performance of generating units, 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 adequate funding 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 any forward-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.