ML20033A813
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Gentlemen:
The enclosed Information Notice 81-34, " Accidental Actuation of Prompt Public Notification System", is forwarded to you for information. No written response is required.
If you desire additional information regarding this matter, please contact this office.
Sincerely,
%M (.1 Ronald C. Hayne k Regional Administrator
Enclosure:
IE Information Notice No. 81-34 with 1 Attachment h[N-ff,,
CONTACT:
B. Bores (215) 337-5213 m
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8107230038 IN 81-34 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 November 16, 1981 IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 81-34:
ACCIDENTAL ACTUATION OF PROMPT PUBLIC NOTIFICATION SYSTEM Descriction 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 regional 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 requiring public notification, can be activated by Maine Yankee plant personnel, by the county Sheriff, and by the State Police.
In a regional emergency, all fixed sirens are ac+.ivated simultaneously by a single radio signal carrying a two-tone sequential command encoded at the transmitter and decoded at each siren's radio receiver.
The public has been instructed that when they hear the regional emergency alert signal, they should tune in the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) and/or the local National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) station to get information about the nature of the emergency and what they are to do.
The fixed sirens can develop more than one sound.
In addition to a common 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 fire calls are independent of the regional alert control.
Recently the fixed sirens were activated three times in rapid succession by radio signals generated by the State Police in the course of routine police radio pager operations not connected with a regional emergency.
For a time neither Maine Yankee personnel, the county Sheriff, nor the State Police ret :ed that the regional emergency signal had bean triggered.
No emergency astructions or announcements were broadcast to the public via EBS or NOA>, 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 can be quickly aired should ancther emergency signal be produced in the absence of an emergency.
They have also altered their radio operations plan to 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
1 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 ths.1 the sequenced tone system it will replace. The "no emergency" announcement capability will be retained.
This information notice is provided to 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 l
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Attachment' IN 81-34 November 16,-1981-i RECENTLY ISSUED IE INFORMATION NOTICES Information Subject Date
-Issued to
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Notice No.
Issued 81-33 Locking Devices 11/9/81 All holders of.a Inadequately Installed power reactor on Main Steam Isolation OL or CP Valves 81-32 Transfer and/or 10/23/81 All holders of Disposal of. Spent material licenses Generators as designated by IE 81-31 Failure of Safety-10/8/81 All holders of a In.iection Valves to power reactor Operate Against-OL or CP Differential Pressure 81-30 Velan Swing 9/28/81 All holders of a i
Check Valves' power reactor OL or CP 81-29 Equipment Qualification 9/24/81 All holders of a Testing Experience power reactor OL or CP 81-28 Failure of Rockwell-9/3/81 All holders of a Edward Main Steam power reactor Isolation Valves OL or CP t
81-27 Flammcble Gas Mixtures 9/3/81 All holders of.a in the Waste Gas Decay power reactor Tanks in PWR Plants OL or CP 81-26 Compilation of Health 8/28/81 All holders of a power Physics Related reactor OL or CP, Information Items Research Reactor,-Fuel i
Facilities and Priority l
Material License I
81-25 Open Equalizing Valve 8/24/81 All holders of a of Differential Pressure power reactor Transmitted Causes OL or CP Reactor Scram and Loss of Redundant Safety
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Signals I
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LIST OF HOLDERS OF NUCLEAR POWER REACTOR OPERATING LICENSES AND CONSTRUCTION PERMITS RECEIVING IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 81-34 gATTN:altimore Gas and Electric Company Docket Nos."50-317
Mr. A. E. Lundvall, Jr.
50,-318 -
Vice President, Supply P. O. Box 1475 Baltimore, Maryland 21203
./' Boston Edison Company M/C Nuclear Docket No.-50-293-ATTN:
Mr. A. V. Morisi Nuclear Operations Support Manager 800 Boylston St.eet Boston, Massachusetts 02199
-C'onnecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company Docket No. 213 -
ATTN:
Mr. W. G. Counsil Vice President - Nuclear Engineering and Operations P. O. Box 270 Hartford, Connecticut 06101 v' Consolidated Edison Company of Docket Nos.-50-03~~
New York, Inc. 247 -
ATTN:
Mr. John D. O'Toole Vice President - Nuclear Engineering and Quality Assurance 4 Irving Place New York, New York 10003
'6uquesne Light Company Docket Nor-50-334-ATTN:
Mr. J. J. Carey Vice President Nuclear Division P. O. Box 4 Shippingport, Pennsylvania 15077 e6'ersey Central Power and Light Company Docket No. 50-219-ATTN:
Mr. Philip R. Clark Vice President - Nuclear GPU Nuclear 100 Interpace Parkway Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 t
2 u/ aine Yankee Atomic Power. Company
. Docket No; 50-309 -
M ATTN: Mr. Robert H. Groce Senior Engineer-Licensing 1671 Warcester Road
-Framingham, Massachusetts 01701
-s'ketropolitanEdisonCompany.
Docket No. 50-289-ATTN: Mr. H. D. Hukill Vice President and Director of TMI-l P. O. Box 480 Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057
,p/ Metropolitan Edison Company Docket No.-50-320 --~
ATT!I: Mr. J. J. Barton Acting Vice President and Director of TMI-2 P. O. Box 480 Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057
-idagaraMohawkPowerCorporation Docket No. 220'c' ATTN:
Mr. T. E. Lempges Vice President Nuclear Generation 300 Erie Boulevard West Syracuse, New York 13202
' Northeast Ntclear Energy Company Docket Nos. 336.
ATTN:
Mr. W. G. Counsil 245;;
Senior Vice President - Nuclear 423--
Engineering and Operations Group P. O. Box 270 Hartford, Connecticut 06101
,,/ Philadelphia Electric Company Docket Nos.~50-277 -
ATTN:
Mr. S. L. Daltroff 50-278 -
Vice President Electric Production 2301 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101
, Power Authority of the State of New York Docket No _50-286T Indian Point 3 Nuclear Power Plant ATTN: Mr. J. C. Brons Resident Manager P. O. Box 215 Buchanan, New York 10511
3 wer Authority of the State of New York Docket No.-50-333-James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant ATTN: Mr. John D. Leonard Resident Manager P. O. Box 41 Lycoming, New York 13093 blic Service Electric and Gas Company Docket Nos. 50-272-ATTN: Mr. F. W. Schneider
-.60-311-Vice President - Production 80 Park Plaza - 15A
~ Newark, New Jersey 07101 J ochester Gas and Electric Corporation Docket No.-50-244;-
ATTN: Mr. John E. Maier Vice President Electric and Steam Production 89 East Avenue Rochester, New York 14649 rmont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation Docket No. 60-271-ATTN: Mr. Robert L. Smith Licensing Engineer 1671 Worcester Road Framingham, Massachusetts 01701 nkee Atomic Electric Company Docket No.-50 ATTN: Mr. James A. Kay Senior Engineer-Licensing 1671 Worcester Road Framingham, Massachusetts 01701 J uquesne Light Company Docket No.~502412; ATTN:
Mr. E. J. Woolever Vice President 433 Sixth Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219 Jersey Central Power & Light Company Docket No,--50-35F ATTN:
Mr. J. T. Carroll l
Acting Director Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station P. O. Box 388 Forked River, New Jersey 08731 Long Island Lighting Company Docket No. 50-322-
/ ATTN: Mr. M. S. Pollock Vice President - Nuclear 175 East Old Country Road Hicksville, New York 11801
4 iagara Mohawk Power Corporation _
Docket No. 50-410 ~~-
LATTN: Mr. Gerald.K.
Rhode Vice President System Project Management c/o Miss Catherine R. Seibert 300 Erie Boulevard, West Syracuse, NY 13202 Fennsylvania Power & Light Company Docket Nos. 387-
, ATTN Mr. Norman W. Curtis
__50-388--
Vice President Engineering and Construction - Nuclear 2 North Ninth Street Allentown, Pennsylvania 18101
. Philadelphia Electric Company Docket Nos.~50"352 -
- ATTN:
Mr. John S. Kemper
_50-353--
Vice President Engineering and Research 2301' Market. Street Philadelpnia, Pennsylvania 19101
<P'ublic Service Electric & Gas Company Docket Nos.-50-354'
,, ATTN: Mr. T. J. Martin 40-355' Vice President Engineering and Construction 80 Park Plaza - 17C Newark, New Jersey 07101 Public Service Company of New Hampshire Docket Nos. 50-443
/' ATTN: Mr. W. C. Tallman
.50-444'~
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 1000 Elm Street Manchester, New Hampshire 03105 j
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