ML081440592
| ML081440592 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 05/23/2008 |
| From: | Lorson R K Division of Nuclear Materials Safety I |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-I-08-006 | |
| Download: ML081440592 (2) | |
Text
DCS No.: 050002710080523 Date: 05/23/2008 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-I-08-006 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region I staff on this date. Facility Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station 185 Old Ferry Road P.O. Box 500 Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500 Licensee Emergency Classification Notification of Unusual Event Alert Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable Docket No.: 50-271 License No.: DPR-28
SUBJECT:
TRANSFER OF SPENT FUEL FROM SPENT FUEL STORAGE POOL TO ONSITE INDEPENDENT SPENT FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION (ISFSI)
Vermont Yankee resumed activities associated with the transfer of spent fuel from the spent fuel storage pool to the on-site Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) at approximately 9:00 am on May 23, 2008. The spent fuel handling activities had been suspended following identification of a reactor building crane issue on May 12, 2008. Specifically, while lowering a spent fuel transfer cask, the crane operator attempted to stop movement of the crane when the transfer cask was approximately four inches above the refueling floor. However, the crane motion did not stop as expected, and the fuel cask continued to be lowered at the normal rate of speed to the refueling floor. The spent fuel transfer cask was set down on the refueling floor in an acceptable location and supplemental cooling was established per procedure.
Entergy conducted troubleshooting and attributed the crane problem to improperly calibrated relays that function to actuate the crane brakes. Entergy re-calibrated the affected relays, then retested the crane on May 22, 2008. The NRC's Resident Inspectors permanently assigned to the Vermont Yankee site, as well as a specialist inspector from the NRC's Region I office located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, reviewed the crane troubleshooting activities. The adequacy and thoroughness of Entergy's past maintenance of the reactor building crane continue to be reviewed by the NRC, and will be included in an upcoming inspection report.
Following the crane operational issue, a number of local news articles were published that contained inaccurate information (e.g. regarding the sequence of events, speed of cask lowering, and concerns of elevated radiation doses). This issue did not have any health and safety public impact. The NRC continues to inspect activities associated with the ISFSI campaign. The information presented herein is current as of 1:30 p.m., May 23, 2008.
The NRC Region I office has communicated with the State of Vermont, the State of New Hampshire, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding the reactor building crane issue. This preliminary notification is issued for information only.
ADAMS Accession Number ML081440592 Contact: Raymond Lorson, 610-337-5282 DISTRIBUTIONS: BY E-MAIL:
Chairman Klein Comm. Jaczko Comm. Lyons Comm. Svinicki OIP OCA OGC EDO OE NRR NMSS OIG RES ACRS FSME NRO NSIR OPA SECY Regional Offices BY FAX: DOT:Trans INPO NSAC RI Resident Office Licensee: Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station
SUNSI Review Complete: RKL (Reviewer's Initials) After declaring this document "An Official Agency Record" it will be released to the Public. To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box:
" C" = Copy without attachment/enclosure " E" = Copy with attachment/enclosure " N" = No copy DOCUMENT NAME: S:\PN\PN108xxx (xxx is PN number) OFFICE RI/DNMS RI/ORA RI/SLO RI/PAO RI/DNMS NAME Lorson/rkl Barkley/rsb McNamara/ntm Screnci/ds Holian/beh DATE 05/23/08 05/23/08 05/23/08 05/23/08 05/23/08 Region I Form 83 (Rev. Nov. 21, 2006)