ML20059L271

Forwards Ltr Re Questions Concerning Util Plant in Southport,Nc

ML20059L271
Person / Time
Site:	Brunswick
Issue date:	12/02/1993
From:	Neal S HOUSE OF REP.
To:	Selin I, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20059L267	List: ML20059L266 ML20059L271
References
NUDOCS 9402030338
Download: ML20059L271 (14)

Text

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40ttgregg of tije TH11 itch'htates Mouse of Representatibes.

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Decembe'r.2, 1993

. sta o r 1 ont c noun, i

1 Mr. Ivan Selin Chairman l

E Nuclear Regulatory Commission j

Washington, D.~C.

20555 i

Dear Mr. Chairman:

I am enclosing a' copy _of a letter and an' enclosure sent.to me by my constituents, Mr..;nd Mrs. Mike Adair, Route'3, Box 912, Boone, North ~

Carolina-28607, concerning some questions they have about the' Carolina

)

Power & Light Company nuclear power plant in Southport, North Carolina.

'I felt that their questions needed a more comprehensive response'than.

I could provide.

I'would appreciate your assistance in clarifying the-

< points Mr.-and Mrs. Adair' raise.

Thank,you.for your assistance.in'this matter.

Bes ishes,.

f j

C DEN

. NEAL l

S.

Congressman SLN:cc

. Enclosures

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" " """"' :" "'"* "*d "' " t -

UltUiOWit,tt inut.,s smit i Liut:

plant, and Cl &L now relies on an-G.wwwrwswu It

'"*' "' d* * *P ^"' ""' i '*"~

dor manuals or data sh'eets,to o O

Continuedpom /> age IB der replacement parts, he said.

g equipment and how frequently "Dey either have corrected it or parts should be replaced.

are correcting it," he said, The contractor said the quahty he NRC hasn't investigated.

Sh0Hld11 assurance program should be stud ~

whether contractors were allowed ned and improved. lie fears work-into restricted areas without affirm -

ers could make repairs with parts ing they had read security prote-t iat fit but areni true, replace-dures. Earlier claims that some ments. If they te not designed for contractors with questionable backs the task, they could wear out grounds were given access to sen2 be ed quicker than the maintenance man' sitive areas of the plant couldn't be brunswick plant also doesn't Proven. Mr. Clark taid.

'Il

. The NRC in Washingt'in has as-follow standard industry proce-dures for assuring the work is signed the contractor's complaints 1 its Nuclear Reactor Regulati6tr done, he said. At most plants, fin.

CP&L: WI11St.ieblower ish.d work it.ms... c,osser...,f. branch fo, investi ation. s.id RC.

8 list in black ink, signed and do.ed.

spokesman Sue Gagner, C

N nis.ompany spokestnan Wayne E But job lists at Brunswick have ComDlaintS D0,u_. Sei.iot1S

.ni.dth. cont,.cto,. s.rg.s.

r. ai,. that. c,.ssed out. but not signed or dated. Managers have lie refused to elaborate but read a.

r contractor to sign such a form.

no way of knowing who did the re-short reply to Mr. Kohn's letter...

pairs or when. Because security is "The allegations come from an Cy FRANK MAL.EY Names of wliistleblowers are

.ssa5 wnt" kept secret to protect them and en.

weak, he said, anyone could cross anonymous source who took part of An advocacy group for nuclear in.

courage others to come forward through unfinished repairs.

a document from an internal im-dustry workers says the Brunswick with complaints. The NRC is Mr. Kohn's letter also said con-provement program and used it oui Nuclear Plant near Southport has barred frorn releasing the names of tractors weren't trained in quality of context," he said. "He conclu-sectaity lapses and shouldn't be re-whistleblowers to their employers.

assurance procedures and workers sion drawn by the whistleblower started because managers there Mr. Kohn didn't want the former were harassed when they raised group about the safety of the plant can't verify repairs are being done Brunswick County plant worker's safety concerns.

is simply not true," he said.

correctly.

name pubSshed for fear he would be NRC spokesman Ken Clark in ne whistleblower center was But a spokesman for Carolina blacklisted from other jobs in the

• Atlanta said federal inspectors at founded by Mr. Kohn and others in Power & Light Co., which owns industry, the plant learned of CP&L's quality - 1988 to teach nuclear plant employ.

the plant, says the group's allega.

The Brunswick plant was ckned assurance problems in February ces about their rights under f~ederal tions are either false or not serious more than a year ago after the NRC and decided they weren't serious law.

enough to hinder the restart of the pushed CP&L to fut fake and weak, enough to delay a restart.

nree staff lawyers investiga'te plant's reactors, bolts in the walls around the plant's Workers aren't required to initial complaints and represent whistle.

each cross.out. They are only re-blowers wahting to complain to the The National Whistleblower backup power generator.

Center in Washington, a non-proGt During the yearlong shutdown, quired to initial the front of manuals NRC about health and safety condi.

group representing nuclear indus-regulators complained frequently after they made a change, Mr.

tions at nuclear plants. About one in try employees who report unsafe about CP&L's ability to find and Clark said.

10 complaints the center receives is conditions, wants the Nuclear Reg-coriect maintenance problems at An outside company is updating taken to the NRC, Mr. Kohn said.

ulatory Commission to investigate the plant. De company made about the complaints of a contractor who 17,000 repairs and improvements worked at the plant.

at the plant while it was closed.

A breakdown in the plant's seco.

On Thursday, CP&L restarted rity system leaves the plant open to one of the plant's two reactors with terrorist attack, said Stephen M.

the NRC's blessing.

Kohn, a lawyer for. the Whistle-In his letter to the NRC carlier blower Center.

this week, Mr. Kohn also complaina lie bases that allegation on the of flaws in the Brunswick plant's fact that company officials let the quality assurance program, which is contractor work in the plant's re-supposed to ensure repairs are stricted areas for three months done correctly.

without making him sign a form say-Equipment part numbers on ing he had read the plant's security CP&L repair sheets u'.ed by main-procedures.

tenance workers often don't match Not until shortly before his job at number s given in vendors' manuals the plant was terminated in Febru. that teII workers how to fix the ary did company officials ask the Pleast ser WillST LE en tage G t

g{

many niillums of Mlars that s g m.g rator couhl taitse a mMms mis to rust? Why dem't you just write a dent. Each reartnr has su iruhra.

proredure to wrau around itr " tors that operate sndepende.nly of Confnturdferne fingt M said Randy Drewer, an 8 year vet-mh Whn. I erati who gisit the company abund

$alety systefn* that krep water questhm simut wlether the agen.

sin months ago.

en the reactor shnuM sfsA operate.

cy han been tauph ermugh m enfore.

Tiungs are different now. some even if subcators give a false high bg tiwne recrimerwents. Despoe 10 Brunswnh plant employees say, readmg. he sad.

t years ol es alevu e that the plant w as Aned for opminns hst week at a Control rmm operators untch las m rnerecting problems, the pnpubt hmchtwue restaurant near unter flowmg into and out nf the NRC twvcf mdered et closed.

the (dant, many refused to talk reartor and have other instruments in 19P9 the NRC hbsted Cf'&L about the plant. And none of the sin that t an hp them off in dangermrsly Leee us s r ee at,sb 4 Moss 4 8 8 h/h Wth sOfJ h 7gR k W S 25l g im relying tno much tm gmrk fnes 5% *ould dmcuss it wnuld allow ktw water levels, he said.11 the re-artor nr' ds more mater. they can and superf* tal dmFmmes that dgg their names to be prmted, esen e

NHkO pIant re a

cut to the heart of egmpmem perb though their remarks were urn-turn on pumps to fill it back up.

4 cent. }ust lac it thd seven yars formly pondive.

bst summer, the NRC agreed cashrt flut regulators aimo saw itwy say vnost of their co-work-tLe mdicators were fautty but said ressem to hope.

ers are talung management serious, they were safe to one temporarily.

"The managenwrit team is com.

ly thes time and manarenwnt has 3t told at broilmg water reactor it 0

E E

pctent and capable of makmg the cut adnmnstrative red tape that crators to nnd out how the mistake-changes tweessary to develop a slowed regmirs Money is no kmger prone indicators were aftertmg mI I

e Imm Hen safety culture and improve Brung.

a bamer to nxing equipment.

safety systems and to come up with ex h's oser sil performance." wrote

't'he company has committed e lim by july.

reputaints in their 191mevaluatim

$225 mmmn to improve perfor-Mr. Isla wh says nom is the imw Three years later, the agency'g inance at the plant over the next to replace the nid water levelinde opirunn changed fire years. Onmpany offnials wtm't cators at Brunswick.

ROIMrllesY illailde eilleilt chail es

--- - - fm

--w -h w, -nt -

e-khastwentwna the be enmee a runtmued urak per.

Brunsunk so far.

year, they ve had Inne to Ian it woh While the machtnes and buildmgs an NRC-approved fb," tw sad. '1 811adedL11~1116 Tear oila s itit own eformance has been alack ref man.

a wnl

-m - >w-t - - t-f - --

l-d-

- --n- "."h~

-t up wahout the Ex d the plant to be in the future."

ed home to employees the impor-g g

... _ mapertas wrote m April 1992.

tarte of the plant to their futuses The plant is also enmpted with a They ale said emplayces were and fa rulws. said Brunswick's top phster-kke fire terret known as still treatmg sprploms. rmt the imm. vice pres dent Roy Andersm.

%crmo-Lag. In March. Rep. Jolm i

iy FitAMX MAtty "N.W S "I ~ - - - -g -

4' % 3 80 h' j

M w A L J{

causes of Unmsowk s ecpnpment Maimgers are makmg a special ef-Dingell. D Mich.. gttiled NRC oth-6' WI fil'OR r -- Maic than 10 h

ggg MNRlW4.H problems fmt to show how runnmg a safe, cials stumt the the way Tiwrne d

wr u ner.

$rdi, the NRC dhto t sNu down efficwrn plant benefits empknees Lag was tested.

..y

.,, y,,J ! D.g, # Y;@.t N dd g the pi,nt. c,enpany offnials thd as CI'&L customers, storkholders

- Ar d4.

h [ k ;& p ears neo. lederal reputaturn told htt0H okM ri tre

,insms it for repaies after reguta: and neighbors.

.arolma l'ow er p. i., phi co io get

[,%

ints showed them the m alls armmd "It's when people dem't relate to 1 \\

's k

[eftn at I whns and fixmg equ'P-MM MM petelld[%

e h

l Hie bm kup gvwn gennator mght de mgankays gmts Sat y" said Dennis Fur. gibbons. a spokes Sectm8 CPW4 etident ANI(Me urlea tan a

e f',

?

PSC

• 8 '""' f R 83 -

I*

man for Rep. Dmgelt.

4

.& ' Corp.; whens he was responstAs forb "d"0 I"8'" D8',W s1 '

f"After a yent of nudging (l'&L to CF&L has toested 11w percent.

^ #

Arnt it did f ov a "h'le i

a rnanagement, cyerations anaf e et ol lour make necessary repairs amt thange aim d cage degreed entnens at Nrnwag deAerts tnt ash a y

g ast itwmd atmut scun years 4

i8r. Rrgubtory Cymnmenn b

-ang entf "

the ny R operates, rt gulators say the plant h nm 50 percent to 90 per.

pas shield et prodin es when bunire' 19H Insperima hum t1w U.$,

fludeAr re8Clors 10 Arttantts, L mn meted tlw pt, nit Enganyces

-Magyg.-

the plant es twarty ready lo gener. tent in the past year. More eny, But the scalaid used in conners thic w:

det tfw nespettkm team they were ate elecirkity ag dn fieers have professkmal expenence seams doesn't alssys wewk at lugh T hey adt rtwet at 1 p_m Monday mtside CP&L than in 19149. when temperatures, mani S'rven Wrst.

6 '

at the pbnrs vigor remer with the NRC emnpbmed about s kd M who s in charge of the NRC's inh-mimely forced to work armnd Rey Anderson ihy e'imtweent. Tiry wete pun-Narrwid vice presidenl of the Drunswick Nuclest companv emecutnes to talk about cutswie empenerve among the nicat revew af Thermerl.aa.

Q,.

pla,1f in Jartuary siler nearly six years at Pdgetrn the plant's rearkness for a restart. plant s engmeets-NRC testers are crmfident. han.

["j"nr Tepnning pod #me

• • • k5 perfannarwe im.

Nuclear Power station in Plymouth, Mass.,

A Cr&L sp4esman says workers Company officials hope for a re-ever. Thermo Lag can work it the becorrang the Brunswick plant's third top nahl fire up one of the pbnt s scac.

start soon, and the NRC has shown sheets are newn lopether wit h L,temporanty. Ilut in 19'r2 n

weinvam or.mplammg that erectAlve in one year. The P60+n p!Nt wa'y lors before the day is over if the signs lately thal it might give the wire Mr. West said.

. masn 1 Fwnmg Ivom past placed on the NRC's watch Isl el the callon*s NRC agtres R* ahead. The last big stumbhng wick plant doesn.t r'd the Itnm MI-A"def8"" 58 Sides 1M mw. the company f

I worst run reactors in 19M. bMore Me Anderson 1he mnsi sermus equipment block on the road to restart was a eig s<kiv im d doom tte ;n m' was hkW. R was taken off the pst in tr R9 peothms have been vrpaired. said faulty telephone system used by i

Thenms 1.ag to Isht lires Sprm NRC d,cenmes,cveal a pattern Mr. Clark, the NRC spokesman. operators dunng energenry plant klers and hre alarms are the first tetysted "ermes at turnhc-Red bnbs bec ret ared fake ones shutdowns segulators sad in their d

hoe of defense.

• wne ** or remement liut ne, Iquipmtnl Trpsirt afid gt!tgT Ch8pgr$

in the M a enmnd the liarkup gen.

bst segurt. Taat system has been

.a t

S Firerllave bolts that eminforce walls around the plant *s erstar. sei it.ars after the company repaired. sakt company spckenman The NRC has also regimer!

l backup power Denorator. needed to shut the plare oown in an fitet learned almut the ftaudulent Wayne Emns.

plants to conduct 21htmr fue pe~

ondw. the NRC tmght give i

company the go ahead to re-emergency Regulators feared the wa#s woukini wetstand a

' fagteners.

But just twcause 'he NRC flashes trois untilit clears ThernwrLag art the textani sovete earthpah Ch s$cel fixtures thrmghnut the green bght to start the reactor 7gulators have overscen a B Deplaced carbon stee! hrtures with eiore rust-tesistart stainless the plant, rusled and weakened by doesn't mean the plant is safe. says er a wnnh of remiers arid manare stee' or hardened carbon steel-sahv orvan hreeres, hme been re.

a former r uclear inriuntry worker, nty}hanges vt the plant, and thee impowed ope,alor training placedby hmder slauhns steel and L*ONDIIIIN SUDbk*IUUb I

. appears po, sed to allnw tt to ga=*c Otiestiott marirs rematntfig hard,ened rattwm steel eqmpment.

, hap,pst,s my,mani com.

ftnms. ick s i.,o usuis are t.oilms se*

nts of $rmtheast-g pf BCf0f Witti12:31IntltCsf0r3 former Connecticul rmc!ea.

pany manapers have chimped their watti reactors. They produce heat at enn tett t that the plant employee s8ys the water levelinthcaio's at the entoWs attitudes. Mr Clmk said. Upper by sphiting uranium etoms l he usimw Can they 37 bothng water readors give fatse readmos ihat could cause a numagement is paying more rien. heat tmils water into steam, whech t se pimit is sale to,9er, merl@wn The NRC has given plaril owne's untd Ju 30 to trm to the plant and making super.

runs an engme that gevierates cice.

7a mill etav tafe aher the age n-nohty the agency of problems caused ty the indicatofs sod those vivas erwwe arrountable.

tnrity.

'e m i sn t any timtanlImk*

problems well t a <xwtecend

• lfDe re a maruget prid you're 1.ike mest of the natson's 37 tus!

'ebtes its twerQht ?

I"r an area. you own kg mater reduni. Bnmsskk f1 il'erinedag fire esiring Ptasies ke paneis meant ta pm9ect

'"'I""M"d the buck stops at your er that area an measures the waler level m the re.

I smmi Kent (

barhe,7,pmer,g g,,g jg, yttC conssdort Yhermo lag unrelab e evapmrtil u*ed k? shtA dcwn the plant if pnmary shiA down de'k ~ be said.

setor with a deVK e known as 8 ftm-

1. 'e 5 cry strong repila-densate pot arid relertrwe leg r*Mrsiremems they have to

- as instaHed at ecst plants eruf has ordered p' ant opeensors to start 74 hmn 6 9 patro% unel Thermo lag ts forbfeed of foptate

( h 0hION'I(fhUdf8 Operators rely on the indM Rints in*1=4 tmn reguitit fame Inur yeare sign. NRC eryw.elors to te!! them sf tha tractor is twMmg d'r 8m NI't 1 E att c. We 14 said emplences were skeptwal crumgh wster to keep the hel fods e

ahnut manaFement plertres to do irmn ovetheatmp and damarng the ihmg* right the first time.

re artor or relensmg radiainm.

Tiwre uns a lack nf crmrvience thst the m ater lesel irerstor lhe,c imtdiatnen wnuld succeed used at Dvs.nswick cormstemly i

pre namilar emet by past manage, pwm tecrators wrong readman.

I ment had not

• they w,nte.

says Paul Illarvh. Gemer superve M.umarra tonk a " bat Ibc mes.

sor of instrumentation and reminal sreipev~niiprnath te problem si,1v.

engnicerms at Northeast Utihnes m mg I enm l'FRlt in 1?WJ, crapkweeg Crmnerteral.

gnt bl= k ovuka vm ttwar perfor.

"h'B lell them the rearint hwl es maire es niumms for reporting rosered whr n. en fact. it asn't cov-iv.p reminrmarm e uith NRL stare cred.~ he and tbt dL 1he pumhments that fnl Iloilmg mmer reartoe oners are insed derreased trutt in manape.

paymt mith'ms of dollars to test the ruent and slo wk tir emuhrr of remdentaic gmt and referetue le g twm rsmhermat= c reprets accord-invrad of buying a replaceme nt mu in an NFC te wns that would cost them about M Mr. Namh said.

A tWht reg rm thr: piggy hok kept pong ra pairs em holil mdtl lhe In h.a peevmus yde. he gebed int shutelne a u." ar', av nur In:. mmi got a reptaremrmt at Notih torr ran'iol tww' ctwt aint Man-fut lent reg waers scartrw T he Agettwrt! hastie%eted etuptnytt% jor

[n%t. grW lutterig ftetign fees. E at gotererb r tvnts e hk ernering se-abous Mbit.fv4% he Smd p:ur venacMs Mr, Antlerton says thr ot&ts are

"'Thry d asy. Tau know how small that a faulty ester levet mde I

l i

~

1 n-Renairs made durine yearlone sluftdown were not enouch for NRC officials '

isuwoGude 4/2WB

Brunswicd..-uc_ ear Plant: start u] de~ayec ay N.RC

~

president of the plant in Janu::ry of By-SHEILA S, DAVIS this year.

Managnp fdace '

.Mt; Anderson spend approxi-

- SOUT HPORT, NC

-Roy mately ses years at Pilgrim Nuclear N

reprge one work and'that the workers know Mr. J rison cornmended CP&L gets to the turtnne test connect to Anderscn, Brunswick plant's vice Power Station in Plymouth. Mass.

fbackup power generston at the how to use them cornctly?

for the atmosphere monitoring Frid and the second point is the tur-plant. The generators would be Al Gibson, NRC representative president. was prepared to startup The Pilgrun plant was put on

.-med in case emergency wMch W member M me ovenight can-dry well. "This h a very favorable Mr. Ebneter stated they would -

unit Iwe of the nuclear piant the NRCs watch list in 1986. It equipment they had installed in the bine control system tesung, Monday. However, NRC ofGcials was rated as the natai worst-run d"

n uee W k W a b C M impronment. Hmver the shut. not push the omed M CP&L m were act ready for them to start it. reactors when it was placed on the the pianL

back, some good and some bad.

.down pictedures need to be replace two pieces of equiprnent

' hst tefore Mr. Anderson was he ci

_ NRCngulaints feared the walls her,j where he found prob- ~ checked off before given the go before the restarL The phstic hk The federal regulators saepped After he took over the enanage.

. would not withstand a severe lems they (meaning autployees) ahead

• fire barriers used to potect equip.

shon of giving CP&L the go ahcad ment of the Pilgrim pbnt it began

- tanhquake.

handled them well. He said the

• We believe the plant and the mem have been proven mistake.

e 88ed 88 eel 18te8 and rod 8 personnel se med to be well on the plant A team of NRCof4. improvmg an$ was taken off the P

people are nady to operate safety prone.

cials met with CP&L ofGcials to - hst in 1989.

d N " hs Bey W W47 MrMnon sad he phm has eer monummg

' renew the progress on the ucms Mr. AndLrsun stated ht a press e

n act e madea lot of prognst Mr. Ebneter said be felt inspec. equipment that momtorslow water caference held wr to ec CP&L 8N T

which had beca spelled out by t

M @gW M N mn musW comenced eat CP&L levels mat can trp operaus. Also NRC afat had to be completed bc.

that throughout the plant roughly told reportert are ready to start tip?" Mr. Ebneter managers'are elesely watchmg ac-the plant has started 24 hour2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> fire fore the plant could bc restarted.

17.(XXI npairs and improvements wan e

sm aske1 tivities at the plant and that work. patrols.

- The plant shutdown in Aprit have been made.

W. I Mm % N en uN Ws carected of W hneter stated thy wouW 1992 and has been catchmg up a

• We have rueghly IJUti re-made a brief sistement praising. made progress,* Mr. Gibson re-them before the order to start up is not push the plant on this until

. th,eyear baklog of maimenance. maining. Of those 68 are safety sc.

CP&L for the progress dwy have sponded.

given.

frubicms. The three year tr.s.kkg lated and nune of that number as a WmM WJhmewM NRC decides how it wants to han-M. h saW *at stan up de k issue. '

ti@ scpir the reeds mmh-sure they were ready to give them ered by the famihar of one staff. could take from 20 days to 40The oversite committee will be Since th + shot down many - auemmin. hem!.

h h m synerns days.

at the plant doing a walk through thanges 1.ase been made in the

' Anag the repairs that have amed each member put in. "The drawings were stot He said that they expces to re. to determine if there are other n.

giant inclueng upper maragenunt been maak: are the laned lake hohs

1. conunk-readOdie and it wok ten m place some seals and gaskets that pairs or changes that ne kh.angu.

th:s reinforced wans:caltir see their opinas of me readiness ~ fifteen minutes to find them

• may have dried our dunng De year done before they give CP&L the

- Ruy Anderum. as named vice fle8'se sre NKC g.sr aAre e "E-Se plant has been shustlown.

green light.

He also cited a f 4 on one of

. Ja Johnson, head of the NRC's - the diesels not workmgi"The light "The seals and gaskets may not

. Mr. Andenen said he hoped to be able to handle the heat and get the unit two of the awo unit fa.

readaness ovenight commiute stat.

was tagged for repair Iconsider it eMelepho es that operalen use f ene of the most important pieces of stress once we get staned

• he said, eilhy back on ime before the end s

n m shut down the plant during and equipment and it should be ready. I adding? we have two points in me ' of the week start that we een shutdown?

emergency failed test Friday. I cent do a quick walk through and He projected they would be vant to be sure that the phones decide to gig them the go ahead.*

ready to bnng unit one on line by One point is when the system Octoberof thisyear.

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. REACTOR LOCATION MAKER TYPE CAPA QTY RANK (MW DER) i

~

Washington Nuclear-2 Richland, WA GE BWR 1100 1

Trojan Prescott, OR W

PWR 1130 2

Brunswick-2 Southport NC.

GE BWR 821 3

e Dresden-2 Morris, IL GE BWR 794 4

Brunswick-1 Southpott, NC GE BWR 821 5

i Fitzpatrick (James A.)

Scriba, NY GE BW7 816 6

River Bend 1 St. Francisville, LA GE BWR 936 7

Palisades South Haven, MI CE PWR 805 8

i Fort Calhoun-1 Fort Calhoun, NE CE' PWR 478 9

Hatch-1 Baxley, GA GE BWR 776 10 Sequoyah-1 Daisy, TN W

PWR 1148 11 Nine Mile Point-1 Scriba, NY GE BWR 620 12 Zion-1 Zion,IL W

PWR 1040 13 Nine Mile Point-2 Scriba, NY GE

BWR, 1091 14 a

Millstone-2 Waterford, CT CE PWR 870 15 Peach Bottom-2 Peach Bottom, PA GE BWR 1065 16 Perry-1 North Perry, OH GE BWR 1205 17 i

Oyster Creek-1 Toms River, NJ GE BWR 650 18~

Duane Arnold Palo, IA GE BWR 538 19 Quad Cities-1 Cordova, IL GE BWR 789 20 Millstone-1 Waterford, CT GE BWR 660 21 Millstone-3 Waterford, CT W

PWR 1154 21 Catawba-1 Lake Wylie, SC W

PWR 1145 23 Quad Cities-2 Cordova, IL GE BWR 789 24 Peach Bottom-3 Peach Bottom, PA GE Bh?

1065 25 Robinson-2 Hartsville, SC

.W PWR 700 26 Crystal River-3 Red Level, FL B&W PWR 825 27 Zion-2 Zion, IL W

PWR 1040 28 i

Dresden-3 Morris, JL GE BWR 794 29 Clinton-1 Clinton,IL GE BWR 933 30 t

h._kfauted Cowans Ford Dam, NC W

PWR 1180 31 Salem-2 Salem, NJ W

PWR 1115 32 Browns Ferry-1 Decatur, AL GE BWR 1065 33 Salem-1 Salem, NJ W

PWR 1115 54 Comanche Peak-1 Glen Rose, TX W

PWR 1150 35 Wolf Creek-1 Burlington, KS W

PWR 1170.

35 Indian Point-2 Buchanan, NY W

PWR 986 37 Browns Ferry-2 Decatur, AL GE BWR 1065 38 South Texas-1 Matagorda County, TX W

PWR 1250 39 i

Turkey Point-3 Florida City, FL W

PWR 693 40 Turkey Point-4

, Florida City, FL W

PWR 693 40 Hatch-2 Baxley, GA.

GE BWR 784 42 Pilgrim-1 Plymouth, MA GE BWR 655 43 lasalle-2 Seneca, IL GE BWR 1078 44 Indian Point-3 Buchanan, NY W

PWR 965 45 Palo Verde-1 Wintersburg, AZ CE PWR 1270 46 Sequoyah-2 Daisy, TN W

PWR 1148 46

. Grand Gulf-1 Port Gibson, M5 GE BWR 1250 48 Maine Yankee Wiscasset, ME CE PWR 825 48 Haddam Neck Haddam Neck, CT W

PWR 582 50 MAKER cE=ceneral Electric W= Westinghouse CE= Combustion Engineering FiW= Babcock & Wilcox TYPE BWR= Boiling Water Reactor FWR= Fressurized Water Reactor GEmo9 %uoV3 c4 us w,

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DAtu S/ u /93 CLOSE BRUNSWICK NUCLEAR REACTORS PERMANENTLY

'.After Chemobyl, Swedish and German Scientists estimated a 70% probability of another major nuclear cata-strophe within 5.4 years. NRC probability for a major core meltdown in US within next 12 years is 45% These chances increase with reactor aging.

According to Union of Concerned Scientist, Bob Pollard - 4/19/93, Brunswick's New Torus Vent system relies upon a suppression pool as a filter to remove some of the radioac-f

~

tive materials released into ab. However, if any vacuum breakers mistakenly stick open -

[

mat,,-

the flow path would have ao filter because it would bypass the suppression pool. Already u the nation's 6th wor'st in radioactive releases into air and water - don't let 20 year old Brunswick become th< next nuclear catastrophe!

h y

Demand the NRC's 3rd and 5th worst run reactors be closed permanently, NOW W

e I

w rx 4pP,4 before hurricane season. Brunswick is one of the U.S. reactors most vulnerable to 4

g a

g s b s

hurricanes.

p 4j Alternatives to nuclear power are ready, cheaper, safer and cleaner. They include

{6 I improved energy efficiency, solar and other renewable energy tecimologies.

[

Over 50% of US electricity could be economically displaced through improved

[

8 Aj energy efficiency and conservation. Cost 1 - 4e per KWH compared to 10 - 15e per KWH 3

for nuclear power. Increasing electrical efficiency can save up to 7 times more than operat-ing Brunswick or a coal plant,7 - 10 times more cost effective than nuclear power in reduc-J ing carbon dioxide emissions (global warming) and poses no danger.

Savings from energy efficiency and conservation provided 28.8% of US energy services k in 1988 compared to nuclear power's 4.8%. Renewables saved 5.7% nationwide nuclear powered utilities generate: 34% of gases and chemicals linked to greenhouse effect and smog and over 90% of nations nuclear waste in terms of curie count. Utility construction takes 19%, out of our private capital. Most of these dollars leave our communities. Clearly, same or better services with less cost and danger would be a great benefit to everyone.

Utilities across US are implementing least cost energy programs shifting their focus from selling electricity to providing same services at lowest possible costs, lessening environmental impact and often providing additional local jobs. A recent NC Public Utility Commission report from 1982 to 1992 found NC ratepayers used 1/3 more KWH per year than the US average.... Why ?

Write the NC Public Utility Commission and your state and federal representatives. Demand Brunswick's permanent shutdown nmY replacing it with renewable energy technologies that consider the safety, health and environmental costs of power produced. Demand mandatory least cost energy for North Carolina which requires utilities to invest first in those energy options, including electrical efficiency whose overall costs (defined on a life-cycle basis) are the lowest.

Do your part. Be more energy conscious. Turn off lights and appliances when not in use. Buy energy efficient appliances, compact fluorescent light bulbs, low-flow shower heads, water heater timers and insulate water heaters. Weatherize home, tune car. Sign up for your utility's time of use program or at least load management.

Save resources, energy and dollars.

TOR MORE INTOlalATION, CONIACT:

S. Adair, 704/264-0259 Hlue Ridge Environmental Dcfense League l

PO Box 88 Glendale Springs, North Carolina 28629 9191982-2691 Ron Shackleford,9191452-5200

e_11 This Earth Day do it for your children...

1

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\\\\\\W \\l1/// #

W Too many second hand repairs too late, to a basically flawed reactor design, have made 20 year old Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant "a nuelear house of cards waiting to fall", according to Paul Gunther of the Nuclear Information

& Resource Service on April 14,1993.

The governments's own NRC has Brunswick on its watch list of 4 worst run reactors of 110 in U.S. Ralph Nader's Public Citizen rates Brunswick 4th worst ov' rall,4th worst in worker exposure,4th worst in significant event e

occurrences,5th in low leveI radioactive waste,6th in radioactive exposure to your air and water, and 7th in violations of safety regulations. Yet bringing Brunswick's phone lines up to NRC standards is the main holdup for reopening it on April 26th, according to NRC team leader Peter Koltay.

Brunswick has' a myriad of other unsolved structural and operational problems. Besides phone lines, mismanagement, communication, fake bolts, cracking walls, and back-up boiler problems, it is one of the two U.S.

reactors most vulnerable to hurricanes. One of the most serious problems is vulnerability to over temnerature negidents with awociated eativ melt through. The NRC predicts a possible three and a half minute time-frame froni melted fuel contact with drywell, to breach of containment, and subsequent release into the environment.

Because of basic structural problems identified by three G.E. engineers, there is no guarantee of structural integrity in Brunswick's torus and suppression pools. A top NRC official admitted that containment vessels on Brunswick's reactors have a 909c chance of early containment failure in nuclear accidents. If this core melt occurs (and it could take only 40 minutes for molten fuel to burn through concrete walls, releasing fission products into the erivironment),

the new venting system would provide no benefit. There would be nu timefor cracuation, g

The NRC has no real experience with aging reactors, and how they will withstand containment aging. Only 12 of 110 U.S. reactors are over 20 years old.

Brunswick is dangerous and not cost effective. For the safety of your children, call or write to CP&L today and tell them to close it down pernianently. According to the Safe Energy Communication Council, a combination of energy efficiency and conservation is 7 times more efficient than nucle'ar energy and presents no danger. These two along with use of appropriate renewable alternative energy sources must replace time bombs like Brunswick.' The technologies are in place, and the savings are proven.

Anyone interested in working on this issue is asked to contact:

S. Adair at P.O. Ilox 591 Kure lich, NC 28449 or Illue Ridge Environmental Defense League at (704) 265-2740 106 W. Howard St lioone, NC 28607

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AND TURBINE CRACKS PROMPT A ClimLI'ENGES INCitEASED SI,ENT, FUEL STORAGE f

CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSE ccause or sarciy and environinentai

' CURE applauds the action of Repre-by our congressional members "if the prob-concerns, State Attorney General Scott sentative Gerry Stadds, Senators Edward lem is serious enough to require a plant that Harshbarger has moved to block plans by Kennedy and John Kerry in asking the is shutdown on August 1,1993 to make Boston Edison to increase highly radioac-

$(Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to modifications, why arc other plants allowed tive spent fuel storage on-site. BECO has jusLify its schedule for correcting two "sig-almosIa year before they are requircd to take filed a request with the NRC to drama tically nificant safety concerns" at PILGRIM.

the same action?" WE AGREE !

increase the amount of spent fuel they store fJC dhdi Vuu;ui 1[Itcactor Vessel cue, ksg at>

on-site from the current maximum of 2,320 ISSUE #1: Faulty ISSUE #2: Turbine Cracks assemblics to 3,859. In May of 1993, Water Level Iristrumentatior16 liarshbarger charged that "This amendment bswalt Psdont cdlo lum <.JL ntly, plant engineers raised scri.

presents significant hazards...in the most Ironically, this major safety concern ous allegations regarding cracking in fundamental way. Nearly doubling the total was brought to the public's attention by Paul PILGRIM'S tusbines, NOT Tile NRC. A stored quantity of... spent fuel...cannot help Blanch, former supervisor of instrumenta.

plant spokesman originally denied the but to increase the consequences of hypo-tion and control engineering at Northeast cracks' cxistence, then later ackrion ledged thetical spent poolaccidents. Accidents,in-Utilitics, NOT Tile NRC. Simply stated, them when an NRC Resident Inspector con.

ciudmg possible fire or radioactive gas re-the device that measurcs water levels inside firmed the enginecr's speculation. Now lease;s, could occur if there is a loss of boiling water reactors lik c PILG R IM is likely Boston Edison Company (BECO) manage.

coolmg water m the pool, thc Attorney Gen-to give erroneously high readings (as much ment admits it will go before the company's cral sad Anokr pmNem with the plan is as 27 feet). The NRC acknowledges that board of directors this month to ask for $20 that it would require constant use of a cool-false readings could cause serious safety rnillion in funding to replace the turbine mg sysicm that now is only a backup for the problems, not only during a major accident, rotors.

pool, the petition said. Because there would but also during a routine shutdown if a pipe During the April 1993 plant shutdow n, be so much spent fuel and extra heat m the leak cccurs. Thus the instrument coukt show BECO spent 54 million on a " major turbine pool, the heat removal system would not be normal water levels when,in f act, the water overhaul." They commissioned General readily available to cool the reactor, some-level is dangerously low, increasing the risk Eicctric (designer of PILGRIM) to inspect thing that is required by the NRC, of a meltdown. The NRC has conducted the plant's low-pressurc turbines, which arc 11 rshbarger wrote." Capc Cod 7 mes 6/93 public meetings to allay residents

• concerns.

part of the main turbine generator.GE found Action, not dialogue, is warranted!

several crack indications in the disk s that are B2 now have 1.629 spentfuct assem-Public and congressional pressure has attached to the turbine's rotor which they blIf# (570 tons of highly radioactive forced the NRC to issue an order that all claimed could cause the turbinc tofail within waste) sulmg m a poo/ adjacent to the affected plants must fix the device during 18 months. So what did Boston Edison do?

reactor which is housednext to a cracled the first cold shutdown after July 30. In Ihey hired a second consultant who told turbine. This material will remain ra.

PILGRIM'S case, Boston Edison could wait them the turbine would last four years.

dioactiefor over 200.000 years.

until April,1994. The NRC has been asked

" Consultant shopping is what is going on,"

said Robert Pollard, chief nuclear safety Irnportant Factorst Pilgrim's spent fuel cngineer for the Union of Concemed Scien-pool was originally designed to hold 880

"..The risk is greater at r/LCR/M bc_

tists.

spent fuel assemblics to provide full core, cause the Unit No. I turbine deck is Our cong ressional me mler s havc ask ed, off-load capability. Since a safe federal re-oriente lunfa rorably.. ifit comes apart,

"..since we must attribute a fair amount of pository has never becn sited in this country, it would hurt metal at speeds of hun.

credibility to the assessment of the Boston Edison and other commercial gen.

dreds of miles per hour directly at the equipment's own manufacturer, we are at a crators have been stockpiling this deadly reactor building, contro/ room, andspen t loss to understand how the NRC can deni-material since they began operation. On two l fuelpool" grate GE's analysis, labeling it overly pes-previous occasions, DECO has asked the l

Robert follard, l/nion of Concerned simistic", and further, "..what assurance NRC, and received permission to increase j

Scientists Patriot Led

._ __ rcr 6/24/53 can you provide that the im bines can safely their spent fuel inventory. This means we g

btSumdC pradmo otAc,, MOA.N.1 '5 ctM waW sMndn a n

g a

CURE LEAUS CALL FOR CONGRESSIONAL pool adjacent to the reactor which is housed next to a cracted tmbinc.This material wili INVESTIGATION OF GE MARK I PLANTS & TIIE NRC

"" i" radioa"ive for mer ** yems.

Wilhout the increase, or some other Support is building for our February Senator Brian Mcdonald, Senator Therese ahernative, PILGRIM could be forced to 3rd request of Senator Kennedy "to initiate Murray, Representative Charles Mann, shutdownin 1995. At thecompany'sannual a lhorough Congressional investigation into Kingston Board of Selectmen, Robert Pol-meeting, V.P. George Davies was asked the NRC's failure to ensure the public health lard of UCS, Plymouth CURE, The Pilgrim what contingency plan the company had in and safety by permit ting the operation of GE Alliance and counticss individuals have the event the NRC denied the request. Ilis Maik I nuclear power plants with a history supported CURE's request to Senator response was that he "didn't think it would of design and management deficiencies.. '

Kennedy.

CURE cites faulty reactor water levci in-be a problem at all...the NRC gentrally grants these requests."

strumentation as the last straw in a htany of

' Your voice can male a ds/ference! Contact design problems at PILGRlM.

Senator Kennedy, JFK Federal Bldg., Rm.

• Contact the Attorney Generalin support at To date, nepicscntative Gerry Studds, 2400A, Boston,MA (617)365-3170. Also.

One Ashburton Place. Boston.MA 02/08vr

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F on January 8, 1992 at a _ j oint NRC-BECo Systematic Assessment

/

.of Licensee Performance ($ ALP) meeting, BECo Senior Vice Presicent, Roy Anderson, told the NRC that they "had corrected spurious water. level spikir.g and recirculation pump seal. problems.'

On June 23, 1992, the NRC performed an inspection of PILGRIM's compliance to Regulatory Guide 1.97 (NRC Inspection Report 50-293/92-06) which was iss,ued onLDecember learned after the accident 17, 1982 (following the lessons i

a Three Mile Island).

The Guide provides for instruments whi n will be used to monitor critical reactor parameters in the event of an accident.

• PILGRIM still does not meet'the recommended instrument range for reactor vessel water level, (recommended range is 186-604; PILGRIM's range is 205-532)

~

but the NRC has accepted 4he deviation.

The NRC assures that BEco has established a program to meet the recommendations,..However, the program is not scheduled-to be fully implemented until the end of the 1993 refueling outage - 11 years later!

On May 27, 1992 the NRC issued Inspection Report section on Reactor Vessel 50-293/92-04 which included a Water Level Instrumentation Spiking.

It says in part.."In recent years, the licensee has experienced reactor vessel water level. instrumentation spiking during reactor depressurization following plant shutdowns."

It outlines t

some previous corrective actions and concludes,

...Not withstanding these corrective actions, level instrument spiking and three (3) automatic. Group I primary-j f

containment Isolation System Actuations occurred during March 26 and 27 (1992) post shutdown reactor A ot one, but both reference legs N

depressurization."

produced false readings.

In spite of repeated assurances of new corrective actions, instrumentation problems were t

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f

.., l ~ N, a

..r

c..

A v>r i/

experienced during the October 24/25/92 shutdown.

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i Mr. Blanche states that in certain conditions the operators could be " flying blind" with regard to knowing the actual reactor vessel water level.

That situation is not hypothetical at Pilgrim.

A graphic example was the shutdown event of September, 1990 with water levels fluctuating wildly. Emergency core cooling systems failed repeatedly.

Ultimately, the High Pressure Coolant Injection System

-(H,PCI) was initiated to ensure the fuel core was covered.

j The NRC Resident Inspector denied that HPCI was used to inject, saying the system was used in full flow test."

This denial has been reported to the Inspector General's office.

No " Unusual Event" was declared as prescribed by NUREG-0654.i In response to Boston Edison and NRC assurances, Robert I

Pollard, senior nuclear saPety engineer for the, Union of.

C.on ce r n ed Scientists, and former member of the Atomic Energy.

Commission, Boston Globe (7/23/92), says:

t h e fixes made CIA w;

.would only increase the speed at which the reference leg would refill.

"It's not going to solve the problem of water 3 e G n:b_ubbling out during an accident.

You would lose so much water that you're not going to be able to refill the reference leg during the time frames in an accident."

He said emergency core cooling systems are supposed to kick into full speed within 30 seconds.

"That's how much time l

t we're talking about."

The NRC has promised us layers of technology, and redundant safety systems.. Following the tragedy of Chernobyl, the NRC issued a document entitled " Implications of the Accident at Chernobyl for Safety Regulation of Commercial Nuclear Power Plants in the United States" (NUREG-1251) which assures:

i

...the Chernobyl accident has lessons for us.

The

{

most important lesson is that it reminds us of he l

continuing importance of safe design in both cc. cept and implementation; of operational controls, of competence and l

motivation of plant management and operating staff to 1

operate in stricte,,e...pliance with controls; com and of backup features o'f-defence in.Idepth)against potential accidents."

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