ML15132A118

ACE Emails 5-11-15, 5-06-15, 5-03-15, Re Puzzling Public Observations Involving Unit 2 - Explanation Requested

ML15132A118
Person / Time
Site:	Limerick
Issue date:	05/11/2015
From:	Cuthbert D, Cuthbert L Alliance For A Clean Environment
To:	Fred Bower Reactor Projects Region 1 Branch 4
BOWER, FL
Shared Package
ML15132A088	List: ML15132A105 ML15132A118 ML15152A379
References
EDATS RI-2015-0174
Download: ML15132A118 (2)

Text

From: aceactivists@comcast.net Sent: Monday, May 11, 2015 10:33 AM To: Bower, Fred Cc: Evan Brandt

Subject:

Fwd: Puzzling Public Observations Involving Unit 2 - Explanation Requested Mr. Bower, May 3, we first contacted the NRC officials below who were supposed to answer our questions while you were away.

Having received no answer we followed up May 6.

It is now May 11, 8 days after we first asked questions about which we were contacted by the public.

STILL NO NRC OFFICIAL HAS RESPONDED.

There have been follow up concerns.

Namely, Unit 2's plume has been erratically appearing and disappearing multiple times a day, for days.

We are aware that Unit 2 is experiencing serious problems, especially with its set points.

NRC informed the public when unit 2 suffered a hiccuping scram that it would be down for refueling.

The erratic pattern of plume appearance and disappearance over several days is not typical of normal start up after refueling.

Please send us an explanation!

Thank you, Donna Cuthbert From: aceactivists@comcast.net To: "Brian Lin" <Brian.Lin@nrc.gov>, "Jon Greives" <Jon.Greives@nrc.gov>, "Andrey Turilin" <Andrey.Turilin@nrc.gov>

Cc: "Evan Brandt" <ebrandt@pottsmerc.com>

Sent: Wednesday, May 6, 2015 10:32:54 AM

Subject:

Fwd: Puzzling Public Observations Involving Unit 2 - Explanation Requested

We have had several inquiries as to the cause of the siren that just lasted 15 minutes in North Coventry.

Is there a problem at Limerick Unit 2?

We still haven't received answers from May 3 to the questions below from any of the three people to which we were referred by Fred Bower.

PLEASE RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

Thank you, Donna Cuthbert From: aceactivists@comcast.net To: "Andrey Turilin" <Andrey.Turilin@nrc.gov>, "Brian Lin" <Brian.Lin@nrc.gov>, "Jon Greives" <Jon.Greives@nrc.gov>

Sent: Sunday, May 3, 2015 2:53:38 PM

Subject:

Fwd: Puzzling Public Observations Involving Unit 2 - Explanation Requested Andrey Turilin, Brian Lin, Jon Greives Fred Bower is out of the office and referred us to you to answer the questions below that we just e-mailed to him.

Please provide the requested explanations by e-mail as soon as possible.

Thank you, Dr. Cuthbert, ACE From: aceactivists@comcast.net To: "NRC - Fred Bower" <fred.bower@nrc.gov>

Cc: "Evan Brandt" <ebrandt@pottsmerc.com>

Sent: Sunday, May 3, 2015 2:39:07 PM

Subject:

Puzzling Public Observations Involving Unit 2 - Explanation Requested May 3, 2015 To: Fred Bower, NRC

From: The Alliance For A Clean Environment (ACE)

Dr. Lewis Cuthbert, ACE President

Subject:

LIMERICK NUCLEAR PLANT:

RECENT UNIT 2 SHUTDOWN AND START-UP PROBLEMS Limerick Nuclear Plant Unit 2 appears to be having extraordinary problems shutting down and starting back up. We are extremely concerned about the safety of Unit 2.

• ACE is requesting a comprehensive explanation of what is going on at Unit 2.

• Our concerns are based on the lack of the Limerick plant's Time Limited Aging Analysis, newly NRC-approved experimentation, and unusual Unit 2 start-up patterns.

Background on a few recent Limerick UNIT 2 problems:

12-29-14:

Amendment of regulation for implementation of new set point dates 2-16-15:

Public notice of elimination of regulation that would have put Unit 2 in violation of NRC regulations 4-12-15:

Scrammed Scram / Refueling Shutdown Public Observations Suggest Unit 2 Is Experiencing Problems Starting Up May 1, 2015 (conditions clear, very little breeze)

• STARTING-UP - 12:10 pm - start-up of Unit 2 was in progress (Observed from Costco Parking Lot)

• SHUTTING DOWN - 1:10 pm - smaller plume (3 Miles from Limerick)

- 4:00 pm - no plume visible (1 Mile from Limerick)

- 6:15 pm - no plume visible (1 Mile from Limerick)

• STARTING-UP - 8:40 pm - small fuzz of steam capped Unit 2 (1 Mile from Limerick )

May 2, 2015 (conditions clear, very little breeze)

• SHUTTING DOWN - 7:35 am - thin wisps rising from Unit 2

- 8:40 am - no steam visible

- 10:05 am - same

- 1:19 pm - same

- 10:18 pm - same May 3, 2015 (conditions clear, very little breeze)

• STARTING UP- 5:19 am - very small plume

- 8:15 am - same

• SHUTDOWN - 10:15 am - no steam visible All observations on May 2 and May 3 were made 1 mile from Limerick.

Scrams can aggravate cracking from embrittlement. Signs of embrittlement have already been reported in Limerick's inherently defective GE Mark II BWRs.

Limerick safety depends on NRC's oversight.

We are asking NRC to independently investigate problems at Limerick Unit 2 and provide us with a comprehensive explanation as soon as possible.