Press Release-II-10-069, NRC Begins Special Inspection at Robinson Nuclear Plant

Press Release-II-10-069: NRC Begins Special Inspection at Robinson Nuclear Plant

ML102860056
Person / Time
Site:	Robinson
Issue date:	10/13/2010
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-II-10-069
Download: ML102860056 (1)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region II 245 Peachtree Center Ave. NE, Suite 1200 Atlanta, GA 30303-1257 Web Site: www.nrc.gov No: II 069 October 13, 2010 CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 997-4417 E-mail: OPA2.Resource@nrc.gov Joey Ledford (404) 997-4416 NRC BEGINS SPECIAL INSPECTION AT ROBINSON NUCLEAR PLANT The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dispatched a Special Inspection Team to the Robinson nuclear power plant, located near Hartsville, S.C., about 26 miles northwest of Florence. The team is reviewing the circumstances surrounding a reactor trip, or automatic shutdown, shortly after midnight on Thursday, Oct. 7 at the plant, which is operated by Progress Energy.

The trip was caused by an electrical fault in one of the plants reactor coolant pump motors. In addition, the NRC team is looking closely at two operational issues that occurred later that morning. Those issues involve the feedwater pumps that supply water to the plants steam generators. Water heated in the reactor travels through tubes in the steam generators, converting a separate water supply into steam which turns the turbine-generator.

The NRCs Special Inspection Team is being led by a senior resident inspector from another plant and also includes two region-based inspectors. The inspectors will review the circumstances surrounding the trip and the events involving the feedwater pumps and assess the response of the plants operators. The inspection team will also look at the companys corrective actions, both for this event and an electrical fire in March that led to an Alert being declared.

The special inspection began Tuesday, Oct. 12 and is expected to continue for about a week. The NRC will issue a report within 45 days of the completion of the inspection.

News releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address:

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.