ML22140A366
| ML22140A366 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/10/2022 |
| From: | Scott(Ois) Morris NRC Region 4 |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| Download: ML22140A366 (12) | |
Text
Emergency Response During COVID-19 Lessons from Hurricane Ida
Session Goals
- Discuss noteworthy aspects of the response to Hurricane Ida, including unique features introduced by the COVID-19 public health emergency
- Share lessons learned from the event that may be valuable to other organizations in the future Session Agenda
- Panelist Introductions
- Outline of Hurricane Ida Events
- Photos of Impacts at Waterford Steam Electric Station
- Panel Discussion
- Audience Q&A Period
Introductions
Chair: Scott Morris, NRC Region IV, Regional Administrator Panelists:
- Ryan Lantz, NRC Region IV, Director, Division of Reactor Safety
- Rebecca Richardson, NRC NSIR, Branch Chief, Intel Liaison & Threat Assessment
- John Overly, Waterford Steam Electric Station, Emergency Preparedness Manager
- Oscar Martinez, FEMA Region 6, Regional Assistance Committee Chair
Ida: Major Storm Impacting Louisiana Coast Potentially Affected Region IV Plants:
Waterford, River Bend, Grand Gulf Intensifying Trend in Forecasts:
- Wednesday (8/25/21): CAT 1, 80 mph
- Thursday: CAT 2, 100 mph
- Friday: CAT 3, 125 mph
- Saturday: CAT 4, 130 mph
- Sunday AM: CAT 4, 145 mph
- Actual Sunday PM Landfall: CAT 4, 150 mph
Waterford (WF3): Timeline of Events (CST) o 8/28 @ 2200 (SAT): 1st Forecast of Hurricane Force Winds at WF3 o 8/29 @ 0800 (SUN): WF3 commences reactor shutdown o 8/29 @ 1031: WF3 is shutdown, main generator offline o 8/29 @ 1155: Ida landfall @ Southeast Tip of LA, CAT 4, 150 mph o 8/29 @ 1812: Ida reaches WF3, Loss of Offsite Power, NOUE*
- On-site diesels running properly, providing electricity
- NOUE = Notice of Unusual Event
Waterford (WF3): Timeline of Events (CST) (Cont) o 8/29 @ 1849: WF3 officially notifies NRC of NOUE o 8/29 @ 1912: NRC enters Activation Mode o 8/29 @ 2300: Hurricane force winds subsided o 8/31 @ 2345 (TUES): WF3 exits NOUE after restoring offsite power o 9/1 @ 0937 (WED): NRC exits Activation Mode
- The nuclear plant itself did not suffer any impacts to safety-related equipment.
- The impacts were limited primarily to structures that are not essential to plant operations, such as siding and insulation.
- The photo to the upper right shows damage to the housing of the low-level rad waste building, which contains nonsafety-related equipment outside of the protected area.
- The photo to the lower right shows damage to the weir wall of the intake structure.
- Outside of the protected area, there was significant damage to support and services buildings.
- The photos show damage associated with water intrusion and fallen ceiling tiles in the main support building, where the NRC resident inspectors work.
- With respect to the plants return to normal operation, the most impactful damage was to electrical power infrastructure.
- The photo shows downed power lines on a road heading into the plant.
Questions for Panelist Discussion:
(1) Differences: What made this response different from a typical hurricane response?
(2) Surprises: What aspects of the experience most surprised you?
(3) Insights: What insights gained from the response would be useful to other organizations?
Audience Q&A