ML24095A181

News Release-III-24-003: NRC Schedules Regulatory Conference with Constellation Nuclear to Discuss Preliminary Finding for Braidwood Diesel Engine Oil Leak

ML24095A181
Person / Time
Site:	Braidwood
Issue date:	03/01/2024
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
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News Release-III-24-003
Download: ML24095A181 (1)

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No: III-24-003 March 1, 2024

Contact:

Prema Chandrathil, 630-829-9663 Viktoria Mitlyng, 630-829-9662 NRC Schedules Regulatory Conference with Constellation Nuclear to Discuss Preliminary Finding for Braidwood Diesel Engine Oil Leak

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a regulatory conferencewith officials from Constellation Nuclear on March 7 to discuss the safety significance of a preliminary greater-than-green finding at the Braidwood Station in Braceville, Illinois.

The finding is related to the plants failure to identify and correct a fuel oil leak in a safety-related pumps diesel engine for approximately 127 days. The NRC staff preliminarily characterized the finding under the NRCs color-coded system in the reactor oversight process as greater -than-green, or having greater than very low safety significance that could result in additional NRC inspections.

In September 2023, the station discovered from sampling test results that the engines lubricating oil was degraded beyond established thresholds. Despite previous opportunities to identify the oil leak and associated oil degradation, Constellation Nuclear apparently failed to recognize the problem, review the issue, and take action to correct it. The NRCs January inspection report details the finding.

The conferenceis scheduled for 8 a.m.- 12 p.m. Central time at the NRCs Region III Office, Main Conference Room, 2443 Warrenville Road, Suite 210, in Lisle, Illinois. The NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public after the formal part of the meeting.

Members of the public can participate in this meeting in person, online through Microsoft Teams or by calling 301-576-2978, conference number 277 904 753#, passcode rvzVhE.

During the conference, Constellation Nuclear officials will have the opportunity to present their perspective on the findings, provide additional information and clarification, and discuss corrective actions taken or planned. The NRC will not make a decision on the significance of the finding during this meeting.