ML17215A511

Forwards Palm Beach Post 840602 Article Entitled, Error Costly at Reactor, Which Cites Criticisms of Util Re Removal of Thermal Heat Shield.Expresses Concern Re Reserve Capacity of Spent Fuel Pools at All Florida Nuclear Plants

ML17215A511
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	06/02/1984
From:	Wells B AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:	Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML17215A509	List: ML17215A510 ML17215A511
References
NUDOCS 8408010342
Download: ML17215A511 (4)

Text

June 2, 1954 Nr. Nunzio Palladino Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Msshinpt on, D. C. 20555 Dear Mr.. Palladia o; Enclosed 1s copy of sn article, from today's Beach Post. It cites crit1cisms leveled at 'alm FPhL in connection with the necessity to remove the thermal heat shield from St.'ucie auclesr plant g..

In addition to the concerns Ms. Blachnsa ex-presses, I am concerned over the reserve capacity of spent fuel pools at all of Florida's auclear plants.

I understand that when these plants were designed they were always to have enough room to contain the fuel rods in case a loss of coolant water in the operstlnp plant should necessitate emergency'emoval of the rods for cooliap in the pool. But.; Xn'the-=.

meaatime, haven't plants beea requ1red to sto re the speat fuel on site that was originally plaaned to be f

seat of site for reprocessinp2 Are larger pools now being required aad do our Florida pools aow have the capacity to handle such an emergency.

they do not, what is "plan O'"

If Yours truly, Betty Lou Yells 1124 Jasm1ae Ave.

Ft. Pierce, Florid a /+50 cc: Ns. Lisa Blackmaa 1691 hard 'Ct.

Vero Beach, Fla. 32960 Senator Lawton Ch1les Federal Buildiae Lakeland, FL 33801 8408010342 840720

'PDR ADQCK H" .

'DR 05000335

~ ~

0

~ ~

n ~

'f;'-f,:;,Of':.;::,', S I

r ri..'. llv it. r

~ ~ i .i ~ ~ -, PrW vari

~ I

~

,<K TCFIINSON.ISLAND"'An 'today "anNYtclear power to'protest what'it calls a',

grou":wHl hold'a

't66Hon "

'tHarMa Powm".g},Light lated~~ lant.

kRktgi ef rthe 56s5qre Chast AIlianee ~ peace;,.-

'o>%tUAete eQDheet'at.l0 a'ai.'foi the hourlong vigH h front of the.-

plant'onISouth Hutchhson Ishnd. They want to call itten-+g tke4'5e deceit dism}ning of a thermal sh1eltf b}tQtEo ~r p~4he'plant,fkdldhg from exposure to th6 radioac-'*;

~. ','..'.',".'miterfah; fnstde,'~ spokesm}uiLlsa Blackman. ':~}

mint toirarn4erresidents thatthe yhetmay--

~ be;ihegerous without that shieM," and to ask why FPL,

cusfomera, not stockboMers, are paying for th'e repair. Qt =.-,

- .-"'bduM be,pubHc>M}wlidge Mt we have a nuke that hasi jmb~~

an~lved said.} It won't be'i~lcm for.:>:

" several:decadki,:becamktbe break'down {of M builds~) =

~q., +~@++ aP1kf LjV~AbV~j~}P

~

-ls'~dual,,but' don'$ gdnk I caie to trust,FPI, to shut ';-, ~

+ . ~ ~ .. r

- d~ the plant ln 40.year's because it becomes a problem.".

",.FPL offichls made several serious mistakes with the '.

shkhg hh. Bhckman sahL First, they left it in the dedgn:<,

f~'.phut after their contract}e3, warded them in a 19S9 memo that it mightcrack;-'.

Coinbustion-Zngi-'eerhg,rMch Ms. Blackman says she has.copied....i ~, .-~w <;-, ~~.

                        .:~~PL didnot want to deal with the paper work and loit::.

thne of changhg its design and getthg approval from Seri Nu86e Itegulatory, Commhsion, she said. She.also.said -~,. FPL~ not replaced the Faulty shield with anything protecti,the Jelldhg from radiation.': Dave Poolverton, FPL director of communications,'aitFff}e that . company did want to avoid the cost of delays aud changes h design, but didn't risk anyone's safety by leavfng"the shield in place. He said he isn't aware of a megio'rom'Combustion Engineering. ' r~ r "There may have been people wh had pro b 1 ems with the shield, and we may have been notified that some other utdltjj had a problem," he said. "But there is not a problem beciuse of the lack of a, thermal shieK The NRC has approved us buHdhg a twin reactor without'a thermal shi,el&'.

                         ~~y've reassessed
               ..: 'Fl~he~on                              a lot of the technology shee then.

wasmade to keep tIe shield, it became"

                                                                                                                                                    "'lm jara.$ 200 mHllon durhg tie                                                   .13  manths-for">

e phut was out }".~ 'ast

                                    "~ t C~tM.stockliCdeNR'ay7"                                                                   'she'-"              ~

i sRK>Qbme,4tdoesn'tmake thehdustzy'responsive when "'..

                ,'hrou't have to pry. for;thelr~eL". ~g >~r;a ": .zi                                                           
                      , >i~~tepayeru, not stocklaldete, aormaHy pay                                                        phd
                ~

o4jRhg

                                   ~  expa}ses and the repahs-'are pens4lfoolvertan a6d.-R?L has hsurance wldch.h pay-sharers}of }the a@pair.md~pbicement fuel'.:
                                     %594>QE()

i ZM~ ~w n')At<~ Uak

                        ".MW'belong's'to}tWo gleups bf ntfHties with nuclear" an operating ei-"

Rf/i-tuAetheh own insurancesystems. One .

                                   %cover'fnaf $ 45 kHHon of the roughly $ 50 mQHon i
                   ~

f 'the tlermaI shield. 'Be other system has,

                    ~   g~thgi
                          ~denied ml Bhckman'a claim a week,'most of the cost of replacement provide'the'Cectrtcity the'plant~1 have been, .
                                         %ooiverton said. ' r
                                                                      ~t                 t keephg the shield in
                                                                                                            " r "~
                                                                                                                   ~

i th~ginal plans was bad bushess decision 4

                                                                                                                         ~t         has,
                  . 58iKKn unfair cost ratepayers.

0' r}}