ML20136D493

Forwards K Christine Ltr to Editor of Portland Press Herald Re Myaps Intentions to Contract Entergy to Operate Troubled Plant

ML20136D493
Person / Time
Site:	Maine Yankee
Issue date:	01/16/1997
From:	Blanch P AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:	Jun Lee, Mulley G, Zwolinski J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned), NRC OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL (OIG)
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Download: ML20136D493 (3)

Text

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From: PAUL BLANCH <PMBLANCH91x.netcom.com>

- To: WN02.WNP3(jaz),TWD1.TWP4(gam),WN02.WNP4(jx13)

Date: ,

1/16/97 6:02am

Subject:

~

p Cold day in Hell. '

l Portland Press Herald To the Editor:

Board Chairman David Flanagan announced Maine Yankee's intentions to contract Entergy Corp. of Louisiana to operate their troubled nuclear plant. Entergy L will be paid a fixed retainer along with a production-based incentive fee.

At Tuesday's press conference, Chairman'Flanagan stated: "Entergy knows l

' how to improve efficiency, cost effectiveness, morale and safety," i highlighting .

,, Maine Yankee's owners top priorities as efficiency and cost effectiveness --

l safety, last. . . . ,

At.its five nuclear plants, Entergy's reputation is for maximum production at  !

minimum cost. It purportedly plans to eliminate 30% of its workforce over l l five years to cut costs. i l 1 l It appears Maine Yankee's owners are replacing current management with l out-of- state management having the same corporate culture responsible for the l plant's poor material condition, understaffing and non-compliance issues. The Independent Safety-Assessment identified " economic pressures to contain costs" as a root cause of the 3,200 deficiencies noted in the 4 of 40 systems inspected at Maine Yankee.- The report stated that

" economic pressures .... impaired the licensee's ability to complete j improvement projects that affect plant safety." Production-based fees will '

inevitably compromise safety.

If you are concerned about safety at Maine. Yankee, contact your )

congressman. Request they contact Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Chairwoman Jackson and insist  !

NRC verify substantial compliance with regulations before Maine Yankee restarts and that management has submitted in writing, under oath that i.he plant complies with all design and licensing requirements.

Congressman John Baldacci>can be reached at 202 Harlow Street, Bangor, ME 04401; phone #942-6935 and Congressman Tom Allen at P.O. Box 17766, Portland,<ME 04112-8766; phone #774-9696.

Sincerely,

- Kris L. Christine i ############iHit###########################

l This is what happens when you shut down a nuclear plant (ROWE) located

^

97031203fE'970306 PDR ORG NRRA PDR t

--,c ,,, - . , .<- . . _ . - - - , , - , . - . . . , - , . . ~ , . ,

1 i 1 i 1 l

l l )

l upstream of another. Just. imagine if they ever shutdown Vermont Yankee. Water temperature would probably go to 10 degrees F.

i 1

! +________________-___---_________..+ +-__________--_-_-__--__+

l l POWER REACTOR l l EVENT NUMBER: 31591 l

+----_____ -___-________-__--____-_+

+-__-__----__--__---____+

l +.__-_----_-_----------__-________---________. --+____---__-_-_-___-_____ -

___-+

FACILITY: HADDAM NECK REGION: 1 l NOTIFICATION DATE: 01/14/97 l  :

i UNIT: [1] [ ] [ ] STATE: CT l NOTIFICATION TIME: 15:58 l [ET]l l l RX TYPE: [1] W-4-LP l EVENT DATE: 01/14/97  !

t l

[ + - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-- _ -- _ -- _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ----- --- + EV E N T T I M E :

l 15:32[EST]!

1  ! NRC NOTIFIED BY: BROWN lLAST UPDATE DATE: 01/14/97 l.

l .

HQ OPS OFFICER: B0B STRANSKY I l +--______--__-_____--____-____+

+------------------------------------------------+ NOTIFICATIONS I  :

1 I l EMERGENCY CLASS: NOT APPLICABLE l +___-_-----_---_-------___--__+

i 10 CFR SECTION: l SILK RD0 i

! ,A00T 50.72(b)(1)(ii)(B) OUTSIDE DESIGN BASIS l t

i 8

l 1 I i i i 1

l I I t l l l l 1 l 1 I I i l 1 1 1 1

1 I I i i l

i

+___--+----______+ _____-+________+______________+__+_____---+.___-________

__-_+

UNIT l SCRAM CODE lRX CRITjlNIT PWR) INIT RX MODE lCURR PWR! CURR RX MODE i

t

+-----+__. _____-+____--_+----___.+_________-__ __-_+__-_-___+ --______---_ l

---_e  :

l 1 .l i

N N 0 REFUELING j 0 REFUELING 1

i i I I 1 i I

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1

+ ____+___________ --__--_________________________-_+_______ --___--___--._

____+ l

EVENT TEXT l + _________________________________________________________________________

____+

l RIVER TEMPERATURE BELOW DESIGN BASIS LIMIT l

l.THE FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF A FACSIMILE SUBMITTED BY THE LICENSEE:

l I

i "THE RIVER TEMPERATURE DECREASED BELOW THE DESIGN BASIS LIMIT. THE LOWER TEMPERATURE HAS NO EFFECT ON PLANT EQUIPMENT. CURRENT TEMPERATURE IS APPR0XIMATELY 33F VERSUS THE DESIGN LIMIT OF 35F, THE CAUSE OF THE EVENT l

WAS INACCURACIES IN THE UFSAR. THE UFSAR DOES NOT REFLECT ACTUAL WINTER l OPERATING TEMPERATURES AT HADDAM NECK."

l l

l THE LICENSEE PLANS TO UPDATE THE UFSAR AND DESIGN BASIS CALCULATIONS. THE NRC RESIDENT INSPECTOR HAS BEEN INFORMED.

+_________________________________________________..__

Paul M. Blanch Energy Consultant 135 Hyde Rd.

West Hartford CT 06117 Tel: 860-236-0326 Fax: 860-232-9350 i

1 i I  !

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