ML20149M132

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Forwards Union of Concerned Scientists Press Release Re Oct 1996 Rept of Independent Assessment of Maine Yankee
ML20149M132
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Site: Maine Yankee
Issue date: 11/23/1996
From: Blanch P
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NUDOCS 9612120327
Download: ML20149M132 (3)
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From: PAUL M. BLANCH <PMBLANCH91x.netcom.com>

To: WND2.WNP3(jaz,jnh,awd),TWD1.TWP4(gam,wjs),ARD1.ARP...

Date: 11/23/96 1:27pm subject: UCS PRESS RELEASE i UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS November 19, 1996 I

i Chairman Shirley Ann Jackson United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001

Dear Chairman Jackson:

The Union of Concerned Scientists reviewed the October 1996 report on the Independent Safety Assessment of Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company and have technical comments (enclosed). We respectfully direct the NRC's attention to the following points:

1) Three of the ISAT's findings, involving emergency diesel generator l loading, offsite power sources, and component cooling water capability, challenge safe operation of Maine Yankee even at its presently authorized 1 power level. It is imperative that these technical issues be promptly '

resolved.

2) The ISAT determined that the root causes for the problems were attributable to economic pressure to contain costs and the lack of a questioning attitude by the utility staff. The ISAT reported a backlog of several thousand unresolved items. There may be unresolved items with safety significance in this backlog, but the ISAT report indicates that Maine Yankee may lack the resources to properly manage this backlog.
3) The ISAT determined that several design bases issues prevented the team from justifying safe operation of the plant above the originally licensed power level of 2,440 Mwt, yet the team did not address the safety 4

implications from Maine Yankee routinely operating above this power level since June of 1978. These issues represent the very real potential that Maine Yankee would have been unable to mitigate an accident without incurring significant adverse public safety consequences.

The fact that Maine Yankee operated for 171/2 years at power levels with eroded margins demonstrates that this utility failed to fulfill the legal obligations that accompanied its license and that the NRC's regulatory oversight failed to provide adequate protection of public health and safety.

Substantive corrective measures by both the utility and the NRC are essential if the people of Maine are to be adequately protected in the future.

9612120327 961210 PDR ORG NRRA PDR g

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Sincerely, l

l David Lochbaum '

Nuclear Safety Engineer UNION OF l CONCERNED SCIENTISTS l i l

l FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:

l Tuesday, November 19, 1996 David Lochbaum, Suzy McDowell (202) 332-0900  ;

UNRESOLVED SAFETY HAZARDS AT MAINE YANKEE POSE THREAT To PUBLIC The Nuclear Regulatory Commission must immediately require the Maine Yankee l Atomic Power Company to correct unresolved problems at its Maine nuclear

! power plant if it is to operate safely, the Union of Concerned Scientists  !

said today. A recent NRC evaluation identified three critical technical l I

problems at the plant that THREATEN safe operation.

"The Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company and the NRC must take immediate action to correct these problems if the people of Maine are to be protected from l safety risks," said David Lochbaum, Nuclear Safety Engineer for UCS.

The recent NRC safety assessment of Maine Yankee found that normal power supplies are unreliable, emergency power systems could be overloaded, and cooling water for safety equipment is insufficient. Because of these problems, as well as a backlog of several thousand other unresolved items, the plant may not be able to respond to an emergency situation and could even  ;

meltdown. Despite the findings, the NRC failed to conclude that these i problems merit further investigation or plant closure.

"Until these safety problems are resolved, it is irresponsible for the NRC to conclude that the plant can operate safely," said Lochbaum. "The nuclear ,

industry is not taking safety regulations seriously enough, and neither is l the NRC." l In its evaluation, the NRC also documented several instances between 1978 and i 1996 when Maine Yankee personnel failed to correct safety deficiencies that they had known about for years. These problems would also have prevented the plant from properly handling an accident. Nevertheless, the NRC did not address the crucial issue of whether it had been unsafe to operate the plant during those years.

l "The fact that Maine Yankee ignored important safety requirements for 17 1/2 L

years shows that this utility has failed to fulfill the legal and ethical obligations of its license," said Lochbaum. "It is pure luck that there have l been no serious accidents at the plant, and it is unconscionable for the NRC

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to rely upon luck as a substitute for compliance with federally mandated safety regulations."

In December 1995, UCS received and forwarded ar.onymous allegations that >

Yankee Atcmic Electric Company had knowingly performed inadequate safety '

analyses for the plant. The NRC conducted a technical review which confirmed l the allegations and issued an order in January 1996 reducing Maine Yankee's I output by 10 percent.

e Washington Office: 1616 P Street, NW Suite 310 Washington, DC 20036 202-332-0900 FAX: 202-332-0905 Cambridge Office: 26 Church Street Cambridge, MA 02238 617-547-5552 FAX:

617-864-9405 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER j

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! Paul M. Blanch a

Energy Consultant 135 Hyde Rd.

West Hartford CT 06117 Voice 860-236-0326 Fax 860-232-9350

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