ML20032E547
| ML20032E547 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Humboldt Bay, Palo Verde |
| Issue date: | 11/16/1981 |
| From: | Engelken R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Van Brunt E ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE CO. (FORMERLY ARIZONA NUCLEAR |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20032E529 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8111200675 | |
| Download: ML20032E547 (1) | |
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Novenber 16, 1981 Docket Nos. 50-528, 50-529, 50-530 Arizona Public Service Company P. O. Box 21666 Phoenix, Arizona 85036 Attention: Mr. E. E. Van Brunt, Jr.
Vice President, Nuclear Projects Gentlemen:
The enclosed information notice provides early notification of an event that may have significance. Accordingly, you should review the information notice for possible applicability to your facility.
No specific action or response is requested at this time; however, contingent upon the results of further staff evaluation, a bulletin or circular recomending or requesting specific licensee actions may be issued.
If you have questions regarding this matter, please contact this office.
Sincerely, Uriginst signa hv R. H. Enge!Per R. H. Engelken Regional Administrator
Enclosure:
IE Information Notice No. 81-34 cc w/ enclosure:
F. W. Hartley, APS l
G. C. Andognini, APS l
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UNITED _ STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY C0411SSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION JND_ ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, ' D.C.
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November 18,1981 IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 81-34:
ACCIDENTAL ACTUATION OF PROMPT PUBLIC NOTIFICATION SYSTEM j
l Description of Circumstances:
Recently the Maine Yankee prompt notification system was inadvertently activated.
The Maine Yankee system consists of three subsystems, one of which'uses radio controlled fixed sirens to alert the public to the existence of a region.al emergency. The regional emergency signal, which would be used in the event of' an emergency at Maine Yankee or any other type of regional emergency requiri'ng public notification, can be activated by Maine Yankee plant personnel, by the county Sheriff, and by the State Police.
In a regional eme'rgency, all fixed sirens are activated simultaneously by a single radio signal carrying a two-tone sequential comand encoded at the transmitter and ' decoded at each siren's radio receiver. The public has been instructed that when they hear the regional-e emergency alert signal, they should tune in the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) and/or the local National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration-(NOAA) station to i
- get information about the nature of the emergency and what they are to do.
l The fixed sirens can develop more than one sound.
In addition to a comon regional emergency sound, each siren can also produce a different, distinctive sound which is used by local fire companies to signal a fire. The controls for i
fire calls are independent of the regional alert control.
Recently the fixed sirens were activated three times in rapid succession by l
radio signals generated by the State Police in the course of routine police radio pager operations not connected with a regional emergency.
i For a time neither Maine Yankee personnel, the county Sheriff, nor the State Police realized that the regional emergency signal had been triggered. No-emergency instructions or announcements were broadcast to the. public via EBS or NOAA, so some concerned citizens telephoned the plant and the State Police for futher information.
In all, about one hour elapsed between the first siren system activation.and the first media announcement indicating no emergency existed.
Since this event, the State Police, who have the authority to activate EBS and NOAA, have developed "no emergency" messages and procedures which an be.quickly aired should another emergency signal be produced in the absence of an emergency. They have also altered their radio operations plan te assure an offending signal will not be generated. Maine Yankee has altered the tone sequencing scheme to render it unlike tone sequences typical of commercially s
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IN 81-34 November 16, 1981 Page 2 of 2 available paging systems. These steps will reduce the likelihood of a recurrence and provide for rapid announcements to the public over EBS stations and NOAA weather radio in the event a "no emergency" message is needed. Thus, the "no emergency" message will reach the public in the same way emergency instructions would, and just as rapidly. These are interim steps.
In the longer term, an encoded digital message will be used to activate the sirens. This offers far more security than the sequenced tone system it will replace. The "no emergency" announcement capability will be retained.
This information notice is provided ;o make licensees and applicants aware of this event and its associated problems. We expect that licensees will review this information for applicability at their facilities.
No written response to this information notice is required.
If additional information is desired regarding this matter, please contact the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
Attachment:
Recently issued IE Information Notices i
O Attachment IN 81-34 November 16, 1981 RECENTLY ISSUED IE INFORMATION NOTICES Informatial Date of Notice No.
Subject Issue Issued to 81-33 Locking Devices Inadequately 11/9/81 All power reactor Installed on Main Steam facilities with an Isolation Valves OL or CP 81-32 Transfer and/or Disposal of 10/23/81 All medical licensees Spent Generators 81-31 Failure of Safety Injection.
10/8/81 All power reactor Valves to Operate Against facilities with an Differential Pressure OL or CP 81-30 Velan Swing Check Valves 9/28/81 All power reactor facilities with an OL or CP 81-29 Equipment Qualification 9/23/81 All power reactor Testing Experience facilities with an OL or CP 81-28 Failure of Rockwell-Edward 9/3/81 All power reactor Main Steam Isolation Valves facilities with an OL or CP 81-27 Flammable Gas Mixtures 9/3/81 All power reactor in the Waste Gas Decay facilities with an Tanks in PWR Plants OL or CP 81-26 Compilation of Health 9/3/81 All power reactor Physics Related Information facilities with an Items OL or CP 81-25 Open Equalizing Valve 8/21/81 All power reactor of Differential Pressure facilities with an Transmitter Cause's Reactor OL or CP Scram and Loss of Redundant ~
Safety Signals 81-24 Auxiliary Feed Pump
-8/5/81 All power reactor Turbine Bearing Failures' facilities with an OL or CP OL = Operating License CP = Construction Permit
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