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| | issue date = 11/25/2002 | | | issue date = 11/25/2002 |
| | title = Failure of Safety-Related Circuit Breaker External Auxiliary Switches at Columbia Generating Station | | | title = Failure of Safety-Related Circuit Breaker External Auxiliary Switches at Columbia Generating Station |
| | author name = Beckner W D | | | author name = Beckner W |
| | author affiliation = NRC/NRR/DRIP/RORP | | | author affiliation = NRC/NRR/DRIP/RORP |
| | addressee name = | | | addressee name = |
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Category:NRC Information Notice
MONTHYEARInformation Notice 2007-05, Vertical Deep Draft Pump Shaft and Coupling Failures2007-02-0909 February 2007
Vertical Deep Draft Pump Shaft and Coupling Failures
Information Notice 2002-34, Failure of Safety-Related Circuit Breaker External Auxiliary Switches at Columbia Generating Station2002-11-25025 November 2002
Failure of Safety-Related Circuit Breaker External Auxiliary Switches at Columbia Generating Station
Information Notice 1999-28, Recall of Star Brand Fire Protection Sprinkler Heads1999-09-30030 September 1999
Recall of Star Brand Fire Protection Sprinkler Heads
Information Notice 1999-27, Malfunction of Source Retraction Mechanism in Cobalt-60 Teletherapy Treatment Units1999-09-0202 September 1999
Malfunction of Source Retraction Mechanism in Cobalt-60 Teletherapy Treatment Units
Information Notice 1999-26, Safety and Economic Consequences of Misleading Marketing Information1999-08-24024 August 1999
Safety and Economic Consequences of Misleading Marketing Information
Information Notice 1999-25, Year 2000 Contingency Planning Activities1999-08-10010 August 1999
Year 2000 Contingency Planning Activities
Information Notice 1999-24, Broad-Scope Licensees' Responsibilities for Reviewing and Approving Unregistered Sealed Sources and Devices1999-07-12012 July 1999
Broad-Scope Licensees' Responsibilities for Reviewing and Approving Unregistered Sealed Sources and Devices
Information Notice 1999-23, Safety Concerns Related to Repeated Control Unit Failures of the Nucletron Classic Model High-Dose-Rate Remote Afterloading Brachytherapy Devices1999-07-0606 July 1999
Safety Concerns Related to Repeated Control Unit Failures of the Nucletron Classic Model High-Dose-Rate Remote Afterloading Brachytherapy Devices
Information Notice 1999-22, 10CFR 34.43(a)(1); Effective Date for Radiographer Certification and Plans for Enforcement Discretion1999-06-25025 June 1999
10CFR 34.43(a)(1); Effective Date for Radiographer Certification and Plans for Enforcement Discretion
Information Notice 1999-21, Recent Plant Events Caused by Human Performance Errors1999-06-25025 June 1999
Recent Plant Events Caused by Human Performance Errors
Information Notice 1999-20, Contingency Planning for the Year 2000 Computer Problem1999-06-25025 June 1999
Contingency Planning for the Year 2000 Computer Problem
Information Notice 1999-19, Rupture of the Shell Side of a Feedwater Heater at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant1999-06-23023 June 1999
Rupture of the Shell Side of a Feedwater Heater at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant
Information Notice 1999-18, Update on Nrc'S Year 2000 Activities for Material Licensees and Fuel Cycle Licensees and Certificate Holders1999-06-14014 June 1999
Update on Nrc'S Year 2000 Activities for Material Licensees and Fuel Cycle Licensees and Certificate Holders
Information Notice 1999-17, Problems Associated with Post-Fire Safe-Shutdown Circuit Analyses1999-06-0303 June 1999
Problems Associated with Post-Fire Safe-Shutdown Circuit Analyses
Information Notice 1999-16, Federal Bureau of Investigation'S Nuclear Site Security Program1999-05-28028 May 1999
Federal Bureau of Investigation'S Nuclear Site Security Program
Information Notice 1999-15, Misapplication for 10CFR Part 71 Transportation Shipping Cask Licensing Basis to 10CFR Part 50 Design Basis1999-05-27027 May 1999
Misapplication for 10CFR Part 71 Transportation Shipping Cask Licensing Basis to 10CFR Part 50 Design Basis
Information Notice 1999-14, Unanticipated Reactor Water Draindown at Quad Cities Unit 2, Arkansas Nuclear One Unit 2, & FitzPatrick1999-05-0505 May 1999
Unanticipated Reactor Water Draindown at Quad Cities Unit 2, Arkansas Nuclear One Unit 2, & FitzPatrick
Information Notice 1999-13, Insights from NRC Inspections of Low-and Medium-Voltage Circuit Breaker Maintenance Programs1999-04-29029 April 1999
Insights from NRC Inspections of Low-and Medium-Voltage Circuit Breaker Maintenance Programs
Information Notice 1999-12, Year 2000 Computer Systems Readiness Audits1999-04-28028 April 1999
Year 2000 Computer Systems Readiness Audits
Information Notice 1999-11, Incidents Involving the Use of Radioactive Iodine-1311999-04-16016 April 1999
Incidents Involving the Use of Radioactive Iodine-131
Information Notice 1999-08, Urine Specimen Adulteration1999-03-26026 March 1999
Urine Specimen Adulteration
Information Notice 1999-09, Problems Encountered When Manually Editing Treatment Data on the Nucletron Microselectron-HDR (New) Model 105-9991999-03-24024 March 1999
Problems Encountered When Manually Editing Treatment Data on the Nucletron Microselectron-HDR (New) Model 105-999
Information Notice 1999-07, Failed Fire Protection Deluge Valves & Potential Testing Deficiencies in Preaction Sprinkler Systems1999-03-22022 March 1999
Failed Fire Protection Deluge Valves & Potential Testing Deficiencies in Preaction Sprinkler Systems
Information Notice 1999-06, 1998 Enforcement Sanctions as a Result of Deliberate Violations of NRC Employee Protection Requirements1999-03-19019 March 1999
1998 Enforcement Sanctions as a Result of Deliberate Violations of NRC Employee Protection Requirements
Information Notice 1999-06, 1998 Enforcement Sanctions As a Result of Deliberate Violations of NRC Employee Protection Requirements1999-03-19019 March 1999
1998 Enforcement Sanctions As a Result of Deliberate Violations of NRC Employee Protection Requirements
Information Notice 1999-05, Inadvertent Discharge of Carbon Dioxide Fire Protection System and Gas Migration1999-03-0808 March 1999
Inadvertent Discharge of Carbon Dioxide Fire Protection System and Gas Migration
Information Notice 1999-04, Unplanned Radiation Exposures to Radiographers, Resulting from Failures to Follow Proper Radiation Safety Procedures1999-03-0101 March 1999
Unplanned Radiation Exposures to Radiographers, Resulting from Failures to Follow Proper Radiation Safety Procedures
Information Notice 1999-03, Exothermic Reactors Involving Dried Uranium Oxide Powder (Yellowcake)1999-01-29029 January 1999
Exothermic Reactors Involving Dried Uranium Oxide Powder (Yellowcake)
Information Notice 1999-02, Guidance to Users on the Implementation of a New Single-Source Dose-Calculation Formalism and Revised Air-Kerma Strength Standard for Iodine-125 Sealed Sources1999-01-21021 January 1999
Guidance to Users on the Implementation of a New Single-Source Dose-Calculation Formalism and Revised Air-Kerma Strength Standard for Iodine-125 Sealed Sources
Information Notice 1999-01, Deterioration of High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters in a Pressurized Water Reactor Containment Fan Cooler Unit1999-01-20020 January 1999
Deterioration of High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters in a Pressurized Water Reactor Containment Fan Cooler Unit
Information Notice 1998-45, Cavitation Erosion of Letdown Line Orifices Resulting in Fatigue Cracking of Pipe Welds1998-12-15015 December 1998
Cavitation Erosion of Letdown Line Orifices Resulting in Fatigue Cracking of Pipe Welds
Information Notice 1998-44, Ten-Year Inservice Inspection (ISI) Program Update for Licensees That Intend to Implement Risk-Informed ISI of Piping1998-12-10010 December 1998
Ten-Year Inservice Inspection (ISI) Program Update for Licensees That Intend to Implement Risk-Informed ISI of Piping
Information Notice 1998-43, Leaks in Emergency Diesel Generator Lubricating Oil & Jacket Cooling Water Piping1998-12-0404 December 1998
Leaks in Emergency Diesel Generator Lubricating Oil & Jacket Cooling Water Piping
Information Notice 1998-42, Implementation of 10 CFR 55.55a(g) Inservice Inspection Requirements1998-12-0101 December 1998
Implementation of 10 CFR 55.55a(g) Inservice Inspection Requirements
Information Notice 1998-41, Spurious Shutdown of Emergency Diesel Generators from Design Oversight1998-11-20020 November 1998
Spurious Shutdown of Emergency Diesel Generators from Design Oversight
Information Notice 1998-41, Spurious Shutdown of Emergency Diesel Generators From Design Oversight1998-11-20020 November 1998
Spurious Shutdown of Emergency Diesel Generators From Design Oversight
Information Notice 1998-39, Summary of Fitness-for-Duty Program Performance Reports for Calendar Years 1996 and 19971998-10-30030 October 1998
Summary of Fitness-for-Duty Program Performance Reports for Calendar Years 1996 and 1997
Information Notice 1998-40, Design Deficiencies Can Lead to Reduced ECCS Pump Net Positive Suction Head During Design-Basis Accidents1998-10-26026 October 1998
Design Deficiencies Can Lead to Reduced ECCS Pump Net Positive Suction Head During Design-Basis Accidents
Information Notice 1990-66, Incomplete Draining and Drying of Shipping Casks1998-10-25025 October 1998
Incomplete Draining and Drying of Shipping Casks
Information Notice 1998-38, Metal-Clad Circuit Breaker Maintenance Issues Identified by NRC Inspections1998-10-15015 October 1998
Metal-Clad Circuit Breaker Maintenance Issues Identified by NRC Inspections
Information Notice 1998-37, Eligibility of Operator License Applicants1998-10-0101 October 1998
Eligibility of Operator License Applicants
Information Notice 1998-36, Inadequate or Poorly Controlled, Non-Safety-Related Maintenance Activities Unnecessarily Challenged Safety Systems1998-09-18018 September 1998
Inadequate or Poorly Controlled, Non-Safety-Related Maintenance Activities Unnecessarily Challenged Safety Systems
Information Notice 1998-33, NRC Regulations Prohibit Agreements That Restrict or Discourage an Employee from Participating in Protected Activities1998-08-28028 August 1998
NRC Regulations Prohibit Agreements That Restrict or Discourage an Employee from Participating in Protected Activities
Information Notice 1998-34, Configuration Control Errors1998-08-28028 August 1998
Configuration Control Errors
Information Notice 1998-31, Fire Protection System Design Deficiencies and Common-Mode Flooding of Emergency Core Cooling System Rooms at Washington Nuclear Project Unit 21998-08-18018 August 1998
Fire Protection System Design Deficiencies and Common-Mode Flooding of Emergency Core Cooling System Rooms at Washington Nuclear Project Unit 2
Information Notice 1998-30, Effect of Year 2000 Computer Problem on NRC Licensees and Certificate Holders1998-08-12012 August 1998
Effect of Year 2000 Computer Problem on NRC Licensees and Certificate Holders
Information Notice 1998-29, Predicted Increase in Fuel Rod Cladding Oxidation1998-08-0303 August 1998
Predicted Increase in Fuel Rod Cladding Oxidation
Information Notice 1998-28, Development of Systematic Sample Plan for Operator Licensing Examinations1998-07-31031 July 1998
Development of Systematic Sample Plan for Operator Licensing Examinations
Information Notice 1998-26, Settlement Monitoring and Inspection of Plant Structures Affected by Degradation of Porous Concrete Subfoundations1998-07-24024 July 1998
Settlement Monitoring and Inspection of Plant Structures Affected by Degradation of Porous Concrete Subfoundations
Information Notice 1998-27, Steam Generator Tube End Cracking1998-07-24024 July 1998
Steam Generator Tube End Cracking
2007-02-09
[Table view] |
UNITED STATESNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001November 25, 2002NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2002-34:FAILURE OF SAFETY-RELATED CIRCUITBREAKER EXTERNAL AUXILIARY SWITCHES
AT COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION
Addressees
All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power reactors.
Purpose
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice to informaddressees of failures of circuit breaker external auxiliary switches because of inadequate
maintenance of the associated switchgear. It is expected that recipients will review the
information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid
similar problems. However, suggestions in this information notice are not NRC requirements;
therefore, no specific action or written response is required.
Description of Circumstances
On February 14, 2002, at the Columbia Generating Station, the licensee initiated a requiredplant shutdown because of a mechanical problem in an emergency diesel generator (EDG)
output circuit breaker. Although the breaker was capable of closing and connecting the EDG to
its safety bus, its cubicle-mounted auxiliary contacts, called mechanism-operated cell (MOC)
switches, failed to change state as designed. The licensee determined that the MOC switch
failures associated with this breaker and other breakers of this type resulted in failure of various
electrical distribution system control functions, including some non-safety loads not being
removed from the EDG bus following an accident signal.On June 29, 2001, during a refueling outage at the same plant, after breaker replacement, astandby service water pump breaker MOC switch failed to reposition during breaker closure.
This failure recurred on November 19, 2001. A MOC switch contact prevented the pump
discharge valve from opening after a pump start, rendering the service water system and
supported systems, such as EDGs, inoperable.
DiscussionThe licensee believes the failure was caused by excessive resistance in the linkage betweenthe breaker and the MOC switches. The licensee had not performed periodic maintenance on
this linkage in the breaker cell housing. Over time, dirt and dust accumulated and grease
hardened to increase the resistance in the linkage mechanism. During the preceding refueling outage, ending in July 2001, the licensee replaced 22 safety-related 4160-volt circuit breakers, exchanging older design Westinghouse Type DHP-350 (air- magnetic) breakers with newer design, Westinghouse-dedicated, Cutler Hammer Type
DHP-VR (vacuum replacement) breakers using Sure-Close
TM mechanisms to operate the MOCswitches. In the DHP-VR, the Sure-Close
TM mechanism operates the MOC switches independently of thebreaker's main contacts so that the MOC switches can be operated at a slower speed to avoid
excessive kinetic energy and wear. In addition, the external MOC switch linkage drag won't
stall the main contacts, even if the linkage is poorly maintained. However, because the design
of the Sure-Close
TM mechanism intentionally limits the force on the linkage, it does not havesufficient force margin to overcome the excessive drag of poorly maintained MOC switch
linkages (for an explanation of Sure-Close
TM operation, see "DHP -VR SURE CLOSEMechanism: A Kinematic System Solution for Medium Voltage Circuit Breaker MOC Auxiliaries
Operation," U. S. Patent 5,856,643, Ronald E. Vaill, available from Cutler-Hammer Nuclear
Programs).The Columbia Generating Station experience illustrates that the newer design breakers with theSure-Close
TM mechanisms operating the MOC switches depend more heavily on the state ofmaintenance of the linkage than do the older design breakers coupled directly to the MOC
switches. Older design breakers will eventually cause damage to poorly maintained MOC
switches and linkages. In severe cases, poorly maintained MOC switches and linkages could
stall the older design breaker main contacts with potentially serious results.This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If you have anyquestions about the information in this notice, please contact one of the technical contacts
listed below or the appropriate project manager from the NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation (NRR). /RA/William D. Beckner, Program Director
Operating Reactor Improvements Program
Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs
Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationTechnical contacts:V. Hodge, NRRSteven Alexander, NRR301-415-1861301-415-2995 E-mail: cvh@nrc.govE-mail: sda@nrc.govAttachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
ML023300015 DOCUMENT NAME: G:\RORP\OES\STAFF FOLDERS\Hodge\event reviews\col_brkr\21016 short col_brkr inf.wpdOFFICEOES:RORP:DRIPTech EditorIQMB:DIPMEEIB:DENAMECVHodgePKleene*SDAlexander*ASGillDATE11/07/200205/07200211/07/200211/19/2002OFFICEC:EEIB:DESC:RORP:DRIPPD:RORP:DRIPNAMEJACalvoTReisWDBecknerDATE11/20/200211/22/200211/25/2002
______________________________________________________________________________________OL = Operating License
CP = Construction PermitAttachment 1 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUEDNRC INFORMATION NOTICES
_____________________________________________________________________________________InformationDate of
Notice No. SubjectIssuanceIssued to
_____________________________________________________________________________________2002-33Notification of PermanentInjunction Against Neutron
Products Incorporated of
Dickerson, Maryland11/21/2002All teletherapy and radiationprocessing licensees. 2002-29(Errata)Recent Design Problems in Safety Functions of Pneumatic
Systems11/06/2002All holders of operating licensesor construction permits for
nuclear power reactors.2002-32Electromigration onSemiconductor Integrated
Circuits10/31/2002All holders of operating licensesfor nuclear power reactors except
those who have ceased
operations and have certified that
fuel has been permanently
removed from the reactor vessel.2002-31Potentially Defective UF
6Cylinder Valves (1-inch)10/31/2002All licensees authorized topossess and use source material
and/or special nuclear material for
the heating, emptying, filling, or
shipping of uranium hexafluoride
(UF 6) in 30- and 48-inchcylinders.2002-30Control and Surveillance ofPortable Gauges During Field
Operations10/30/2002All NRC licensees authorized topossess, use, transport, and store
portable gauges.2002-29Recent Design Problems inSafety Functions of Pneumatic
Systems10/15/2002All holders of operating licensesor construction permits for
nuclear power reactors.2002-28Appointment of RadiationSafety Officers and Authorized
Users Under 10 CFR Part 3509/27/2002All medical licensees.Note:NRC generic communications may be received in electronic format shortly after they areissued by subscribing to the NRC listserver as follows:To subscribe send an e-mail to <listproc@nrc.gov >, no subject, and the followingcommand in the message portion:subscribe gc-nrr firstname lastname
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| list | - Information Notice 2002-01, Metal Clad Switchgear Failures and Consequent Losses of Offsite Power (8 January 2002, Topic: Emergency Lighting, Overexposure)
- Information Notice 2002-02, Recent Experience with Plugged Steam Generator Tubes (17 July 2002)
- Information Notice 2002-03, Highly Radioactive Particle Control Problems During Spent Fuel Pool Cleanout (10 January 2002, Topic: Significance Determination Process, Overexposure, Regulatory Conference)
- Information Notice 2002-04, Wire Degradation at Breaker Cubicle Door Hinges (10 January 2002)
- Information Notice 2002-06, Design Vulnerability in BWR Reactor Vessel Level Instrumentation Backfill Modification (18 January 2002, Topic: Reactor Vessel Water Level)
- Information Notice 2002-07, Use of Sodium Hypochlorite for Cleaning Diesel Fuel Oil Supply Tanks (28 January 2002)
- Information Notice 2002-09, Potential for Top Nozzle Separation and Dropping of a Certain Type of Westinghouse Fuel Assembly (13 February 2002)
- Information Notice 2002-10, Manual Reactor Trip and Steam Generator Water Level Setpoint Uncertainties (28 June 2002, Topic: Safe Shutdown, Unanalyzed Condition, Operability Determination, Operability Assessment)
- Information Notice 2002-11, Recent Experience with Degradation of Reactor Pressure Vessel Head (12 March 2002, Topic: Boric Acid, Stress corrosion cracking, Pressure Boundary Leakage)
- Information Notice 2002-12, Submerged Safety-Related Electrical Cables (21 March 2002)
- Information Notice 2002-13, E-mail from H. Nieh, Oedo to A. Levin, Ocm, Et Al., Issuance of Information Notice 2002-13, Fwd: E-mail from D. Pickett T Davis-Besse Communication Plan (4 April 2002, Topic: Boric Acid, Unidentified leakage)
- Information Notice 2002-14, Ensuring a Capability to Evacuate Individuals, Including Members of the Public, from the Owner-Controlled Area (8 April 2002, Topic: Siren, Potassium iodide)
- Information Notice 2002-15, Hydrogen Combustion Events in Foreign BWR Piping (12 April 2002, Topic: Water hammer)
- Information Notice 2002-17, Attachment: Recent Misadministrations Caused by Incorrect Calibrations of STRONTIUM-90 Eye Applicators (30 May 2002, Topic: Brachytherapy)
- Information Notice 2002-18, Effect of Adding Gas Into Water Storage Tanks on the Net Positive Suction Head for Pumps (6 June 2002, Topic: Brachytherapy)
- Information Notice 2002-19, Medical Misadministrations Caused by Failure to Properly Perform Tests on Dose Calibrators for Beta-and-Low-Energy Photon-Emitting Radionuclides (14 June 2002, Topic: Brachytherapy, Overexposure)
- Information Notice 2002-21, Axial Outside-Diameter Crackling Affecting Thermally Treated Alloy 600 Steam Generator Tubing (1 April 2003, Topic: Boric Acid, Stress corrosion cracking)
- Information Notice 2002-22, Degraded Bearing Surfaces in Gm/Emd Emergency Diesel Generators (28 June 2002, Topic: Brachytherapy)
- Information Notice 2002-23, Unauthorized Administration of Byproduct Material for Medical Use (21 March 2006)
- Information Notice 2002-24, Potential Problems with Heat Collectors on Fire Protection Sprinklers (19 July 2002, Topic: Fire Protection Program, Brachytherapy)
- Information Notice 2002-25, Challenges to Licensees' Ability to Provide Prompt Public Notification and Information During An Emergency Preparedness Event (26 August 2002, Topic: Inadvertent Siren Activation, Siren, ANS Design Report)
- Information Notice 2002-25, Challenges to Licensees' Ability to Provide Prompt Public Notification and Information During an Emergency Preparedness Event (26 August 2002, Topic: Inadvertent Siren Activation, Siren, ANS Design Report)
- Information Notice 2002-26, Vermont Yankee July 2008 Evidentiary Hearing - Intervenor Exhibit NEC-JH 56, NRC Information Notice 2002-26, Supplement 2: Additional Flow-Induced Vibration Failures After a Recent Power Uprate (9 January 2004, Topic: Safe Shutdown, Power Uprate)
- Information Notice 2002-27, Recent Fires at Commercial Nuclear Power Plants in the United States (20 September 2002, Topic: Safe Shutdown, Temporary Modification)
- Information Notice 2002-28, Appointment of Radiation Safety Officers and Authorized Users Under 10 CFR Part 35 (27 September 2002, Topic: Brachytherapy)
- Information Notice 2002-29, (Errata): Recent Design Problems in Safety Functions of Pneumatic Systems (6 November 2002, Topic: Uranium Hexafluoride)
- Information Notice 2002-30, Control and Surveillance of Portable Gauges During Field Operations (30 October 2002, Topic: Brachytherapy, Moisture Density Gauge, Moisture-Density Gauge, Stolen)
- Information Notice 2002-31, Potentially Defective UF6 Cylinder Valves (1-inch) (24 March 2003, Topic: Uranium Hexafluoride)
- Information Notice 2002-31, Potentially Defective Uf6 Cylinder Valves (1-inch) (24 March 2003, Topic: Uranium Hexafluoride)
- Information Notice 2002-32, Electromigration on Semiconductor Integrated Circuits (31 October 2002)
- Information Notice 2002-33, Notification of Permanent Injunction Against Neutron Products Incorporated of Dickerson, Maryland (22 November 2002, Topic: Uranium Hexafluoride)
- Information Notice 2002-34, Failure of Safety-Related Circuit Breaker External Auxiliary Switches at Columbia Generating Station (25 November 2002, Topic: Uranium Hexafluoride)
- Information Notice 2002-35, Changes to 10 CFR Parts 71 and 72 Quality Assurance Programs (20 December 2002, Topic: Uranium Hexafluoride)
- Information Notice 2002-36, Incomplete or Inaccurate Information Provided to the Licensee And/Or NRC by Any Contractor or Subcontractor Employees (27 December 2002, Topic: Uranium Hexafluoride)
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