ML083110540
| ML083110540 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pilgrim |
| Issue date: | 10/31/2008 |
| From: | Markey E US Congress, US HR (House of Representatives) |
| To: | Klein D NRC/Chairman |
| Barkley R /RI/DRP/PB7/ 610-337-5065 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML083180060 | List: |
| References | |
| CORR-08-0120, G20080756, LTR-08-0576, SECY-2008-0624 | |
| Download: ML083110540 (5) | |
Text
EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM:
DUE: 11/17/08 EDO CONTROL: G20080756 DOC DT:- 10/31/08.
FINAL'REPLY:
Representative Edward J.
Markey TO:
Chairman Klein FOR SIGNATURE OF:
PRI CRC NO: 08-0576 Chairman Klein DESC:
ROUTING:
'Incident at~the Pilgrim Nuclear Station (Due to Congress: 11/28/08) (EDATS: SECY-2008-0624)
DATE: 11/0S/08 Borchardt Virgilio Mallett Ash Ordaz Cyr/Burns
- Leeds, NRR
- Schmidt, OCA
- Shoop, OEDO
- Williams, OEDO ASSIGNED TO:
RI CONTACT:
Collins SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
I a
/
- t *.
cY-r17 F-46A, ý) S --seC4 - DI
EDATS Number: SECY-2008-0624 Source: SECY Gnr Inforato Assigned To: Region I Other Assignees:
Subject:
Incident at the Pilgrim Nuclear Station
==
Description:==
OEDO Due Date: 11/1 7/2008 5:00 PM SECY Due Date: 11/19/2008 5:00 PM.
CC Routing: NRR ADAMS Accession Numbers - Incoming: NONE Response/Package: NONE 6.Ohe Ifration Cross Reference Number: G20080756, LTR-08-0576 Related Task:
File Routing: EDATS Staff Initiated: NO Recurring Item: NO Agency Lesson Learned: NO Roadmap Item: NO Action Type: Letter Priority: Medium Sensitivity: Allegations Signature Level: Chairman Klein Urgency: NO OEDO Concurrence: YES OCM Concurrence: NO OCA Concurrence: NO.
Special Instructions: Coordinate with NRR.
Originator Name: Representative Edward J. Markey Date of Incoming: 10/31/2008 Originating Organization: Congress Document Received by SECY Date: 11 /3/2008 Addressee: Chairman Klein Date Response Requested by Originator: 11/28/2008 Incoming Task Received: Letter Page 1 of l
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed: Nov 03, 2008 15:01 PAPER NUMBER:
ACTION OFFICE:
LTR-08-0576 EDO LOGGING DATE:
11/03/2008 AUTHOR:
AFFILIATION:
ADDRESSEE:
SUBJECT:
ACTION:
DISTRIBUTION:
LETTER DATE:
ACKNOWLEDGED SPECIAL HANDLING:
Edward Markey CONG Dale Klein Concerns October 29, 2008 incident at the Pilgrim nuclear station Signature of Chairman RF, OCA to Ack 10/31/2008 No Commission Correpondence NOTES:
Response requested by Friday, November 14th ADAMS FILE LOCATION:
DATE DUE:
11/10/2008 DATE SIGNED:
I'EDO -- G20080756
COMMITrECS EDWARD J. MARKEY 2108 RAYBLIRN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515-2107 ENERGY AND COMMERCE 7TH Disrrmcr, MASSACHUSE'FrS (202) 22C-2836 SUBCOMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND DISTRICT OFFICES:
THE INTERNET 4.~
CHAIRM AN 5.I01 STREET, SUITE 101 of lt m nMErIFORD, MA (12105 SELECT COMMrTTEE ON (7811 396-2900 ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND 1~oft t 1j.\\of tpregntatib..
GLOBAL WARMING I118 CONCORD STREET, SUITE 102 CHAIRMAN ja1Jingto,-;3C, 20515-2107 FRAMINGHAM. MA 01702
-. 1......................
(5080 875-.2900 HOMELAND SECURITY http://markey.house.gov NATURAL RESOURCES October 31, 2008 The Honorable Dale E. Klein Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington DC 20555
Dear Chairman Klein:
On the evening of October 29, 2008, a fire broke out at the Pilgrim Nuclear Station in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This dangerous event within a nuclear power plant in my State is of great concern to me, and raises again the longstanding issue of fire safety for our nation's nuclear power plants.
For years now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has allowed, licensees to remain dangerously out of compliance with critical fire protection regulations. The NRC's shortcomings in this area have been outlined in two reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO): "Fire Protection: Barriers to Effective Implementation of NRC's Safety Oversight Process," (GAO/RCED-00-39), issued in April 2000; and "Nuclear Safety: NRC's Oversight of Fire Protection atU.S. Commercial Nuclear Reactor Units Could be Strengthened,"
(GAO-08-747), issued in June 2008. NRC's lack of progress in confronting this issue is extremely disconcerting. From the fire at the Pilgrim Plant in 2000 to the NRC's subsequent attempts to re-write the fire protection regulations in a manner that would make plants compliant rather than make them safe, the issue of whether our nation's nuclear power plants are fully protected against fires remains a. matter of significant public interest and concern.
T have yet to be persuaded that the NRC is on a path to do the right thing and require the nation's plants to be brought compliance with NRC's fire protection regulations. This latest event only heightens my concern and my interest in assuring that all appropriate measu-es are undertaken to protect these facilities against dangerous fires. In order to detennine the full scope of this event, I would appreciate responses to the following questions:
I. How did the fire at Pilgrim start? Please fully describe the location of the fire, the fuel which burned, and whether there was human error that may have enabled the fire.
- 2.
According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Event Notification Report, the Pilgrim fire was "discovered" at 8:50 PM. What does the term "discovered" mean? Who "discovered" it and how? How long was the fire burning before it was "discovered?"
PI'INTFIi ON RECYCLED PAPEIR
- 3. The Event Notification Report states that the fire was extinguished at 9:09 PM, which is 19 minutes after it was."discovered." Why did it take so long to extinguish this fire?
- 4. The Event Notification Report states that an off-site fire-fighting unit responded to the fire. Was the on-site fire-fighting unit unable to extinguish the fire? Was the local fire department called because the staffing of the on-site fire-fighting unit was insufficient?
- 5. Please describe the passive fire-protection systems that were installed at or near the location of thlis fire at the Pilgrim reactor. Did the fire penetrate any passive fire barriers?
Were there any malfuinctions by these systems?
- 6. Please describe the active fire-protection systems that were installed at or near the location of this fire at the Pilgrim reactor. Were there any malfunctions by these systems?
- 7. Was the reactor operating at the time of the fire? Did the fire ever threaten the safe operation and safe shutdown of the reactor'?
- 8. Is Pilgrim in full compliance with NRC's fire protection regulations? If not, when will Pilgrim be brought into compliance?
- 9. Is Pilgrim one of the plants transitioning to the recently adopted NFPA 805 option? If so, what is the schedule for this transition and when will it be completed?
- 10. Has the NRC issued any enforcement actions against Pilgrim for any violation of fire protection regulations? If so when, for what, and what was the result?
1l, Does Pilgrim currently.have an exemption from any fire protection regulations? If so, what exemptions have they been granted and when were they approved? Do any of these exemptions in any way relate to the location, events, or materials surrounding this event, or have anything to do with this fire?
- 12. Will the NRC conduct any additional inspections as a result of this fire? If so, what type of inspection, and when will the inspection be concluded? I would appreciate a copy of any inspection report that is issued as a result of this event.
- 13. What steps, if any, does the NRC intend to take in response to the findings and recommendations made by the GAO in its June 2008 report?
I would appreciate responses to these questions by November 14, 2008. If you have any questions, please contact Will Huntington of my staff at 202-225-2836.
Sincerely, Edward J. Markey