Here we see more nuclear security concerns. It was reported in June of this year that 8% of nuclear plants failed their physical security tests. Disturbing since the tests are conducted with notice. Attempts were made to gain access to sensitive critical areas which would cause a maximum of destruction to a nuclear plant.
A short time ago attempted murder and terrorist threats was an issue at Watts Bar related to those speaking up about safety violations. Incidents which were reported extensively this summer in a national news expose on the issue. Nuclear Security is a most serious issue which extends to personnel security as well as physical security.
Another security concern is the nuclear industry attempting to circumvent and influence the regulatory process in support of industry finances not public safety.
McGyverguy says "Jaczko’s concerns with Bellefonte are based on incorrect information." Wrong, very wrong... Bellefonte's construction permit was cancelled. The quality control lapsed; the plant was stripped; the environmental report was incomplete and flawed.
The NRC commissioners approved the reinstatement of an outdated, cancelled nuclear construction permit without one singular vote of approval.
Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, along with other Republican supporters of the foreign nuclear manufacturer's lobby, the NEI, move us into a nuclear debt hole. Alexander and other Republicans who support the multinational nuclear manufacturers support giving hundreds of billions, up to a trillion dollars' in U.S. government funds to foreign nuclear corporations. There are no major nuclear component manufacturers in the U.S.
Nuclear PACs pour money into campaign coffers. Meanwhile, Congress places their orders for nuclear stocks since Congress is exempt from insider stock trading transactions. The NEI pours lobbying money into efforts pointed at the NRC regulation and policy. The NEI lobby also provides staff work for the NRC.
I have requested a Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, request and the NRC wants to charge our nonprofit group hundreds of dollars in fees for the NRC and NEI Contract disclosures. This disclosure covers a public purpose but the NRC attempts to improperly charge exorbitant fees to prevent the disclosure of NEI (lobbyist) contract information with the NRC.
1) A "turbine trip" resulted in a reactor scram, an emergency shut down, it seems the event referenced is the one which occurred on Jun 26, 2011. A turbine trip, NRC event # 46991. 2) The analog electro-hydraulic control signal conditioning card failed causing an indication that the main turbine had tripped resulting in the governor and throttle valves closing. 3)The Control Room Operators misdiagnose the reason for control rod insertion and incorrectly placed control rods in manual. 4) The steam dump system was manually turned off because three of the valves did not close when expected. Result, decay heat removal was via the steam generator atmospheric relief valves.
What does this mean? Either non-attentive or unskilled operators were at the controls of an atomic reactor. They misdiagnosed a problem. Which was an antiquated analog electronic part which failed. Specifically the analog electro-hydraulic control signal conditioning card. The steam dump system was shut down which resulted in a release of radioactive contaminants into the atmosphere. Worse, the TVA has said nothing about the radioactive contaminant release to the public.
This says much about the TVA's nuclear program and management of the program. They are spending billions on the Bellefonte Reactor completion and millions on small modular reactor project research.
To finish Bellefonte the TVA must sell part of their electrical power generation assets. All the while the TVA neglects upgrading existing assets and properly training personnel. Analog systems - TVA is operating on the basis of antiquated technology and deceitful management, a dangerous combination. The results, failures such as the nuclear event on Jun 26, 2011 at the Sequoyah nuclear reactor. Other failures: Kingston, Widows Creek, Browns Ferry; who knows what other problems in which the public is unaware.
The Dec 10, 2010 fire, NRC event 46492 is suspicious in its report. I've never seen a fire adhere to a specific time table to avoid an emergency from being declared. There is a conflict in the event report as to time of the event and the narrative report time of the events begining. The fire cause was identified as a hydrogen leak that ignited in the bus duct housing of the main generator which resulted in the reactor scram.
Another tidbit of information, 3 of the events which resulted in the scram of reactor #1 occurred between the 2 hour period of 9-11PM. Significant, depends, all of the events occurred after 4PM and up to shortly after midnight. I'm wondering if management is assigning inexperienced crews on the evening and later shifts?
"White safety finding," the NRC is being kind. Should be at least a "yellow safety finding."
On Oct. 10, 2011 the TVA submitted a letter to the NRC stating in part the following: "The only modification proposed by TVA to the existing Construction Permit (CPPR-122) is an extension of the latest completion date. As stated previously, this extension would not allow any work to be performed of a type not previously authorized by the existing construction permit. As TVA is not seeking authorization for activities not previously authorized, this request does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated, create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated, or involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety." That is a false statement.
The nuclear facility was stripped of its steam generators, crucial high pressure tubing related to the condensers and who knows what other crucial equipment. No quality controls existed during the 2 year period of the cancelled, non existing nuclear construction permit.
Remarkable and appalling are the TVA and NRC's staff and officials attitude and denial that the plant was cannibalized, stripped and all required nuclear program quality control measures and standards were abandoned for the 2 year period when there was no nuclear construction permit. Why, must be the question asked do TVA and NRC officials completely disregard nuclear safety law, standards and required protocols as a result of what has occurred at the Bellefonte Facility in regards to the plants cancelled construction permit and the subsequent plant stripping/cannibalization of crucial equipment at Bellefonte.
Table top scenarios play a role, they do not take the place of setting up the portable inflatable decontamination units-were they tested, field communications-were they tested-does the general emergency frequency and its transmitter work-does it work 50 miles out, deploying emergency responders and public safety personnel-were they deployed, measuring wind and surface air currents-ground and aloft to chart the path of the radioactive plume-did you do it and was the equipment working 2 miles, 5 miles, 10 miles, 25 miles and 50 miles etc, etc.or were you busy drinking coffee and telling war stories? Was the National Guard called in, how long did it take them to respond? Where is the location of the nearest M.U.S.T Unit, were they alerted-did you coordinate a total response including the National Command Center?????
To be proficient and insure the public is protected you must train,train then train more. No time or finacial resources to make actual deployment of emergency responders and the Guard, then you fail.
When the going gets tough in a scenario where thousands of lives depend on the actions of a few you had best be prepared to meet the impossible, the improbable and the unexpected. Anything less and you fail the test.
Let us hope and pray no disaster such as a severe solar storm or small well trained groups of terrorist knocking out the power grid for more than a week, resulting in en masse "station blackouts" TVA wide, if it does you had better be prepared for the improbable scenario of unexpected probabilities, a mass casualty scenario, are you prepared? Have plenty of body bags 'cause you failed the test.
And Mr. Human, you are an example of that which causes trouble to the community and the TVA. I would suggest you report to your boss and tell them you need to be retrained, you are an example of what not to be in an emergency situation. You are looking for the political attaboy on a media forum, you are dangerous. And besides, the scenario you described was not "a close Fukushima event," no where near 3 reactor meltdowns and an MOX Plutonium fuel energy detonation. Go fill someone else full of bull! Your attitude is an unacceptable, arrogant attitude which more often than not causes the unintended multiplicitous scenario resulting in disaster. I shudder to think you might be someone in a position of responsibility. God help us all.
Garry Morgan,
U.S. Army Medical Department Retired
The construction cost on one nuclear reactor power unit is $8-10 billion dollars. TVA wants to sell one Watts Bar unit for $2.5 billion. This is further evidence of mismanagement within the TVA. To make matters worse, the TVA then intends on leasing back the plant in a scheme which will cost ratepayers hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars.
The TVA has stripped the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant and sold parts for $49 million, reordered the stripped components and paid near $300 million for that which they stripped from the plant after cancelling the nuclear construction permit 2 years earlier.
The validity of the current once cancelled construction permit and reinstatement of the permit which attempts to circumvent nuclear construction safety standards will be argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. This fact seems to be ignored by the errant TVA Board and Executives. The Bellefonte Construction project may be halted soon.
Bellefonte is not needed, the entire scheme is a project to support the nuclear construction industry not the valley's ratepayers. Energy Efficiency measures and further improvement of current generation capacity will produce the projected power requirements within the TVA area.
Does this not violate the TVA Act? More irresponsible management on the part of TVA Executives. Would any TVA executive manager survive in civilian industry by suggesting to sell a nuclear plant then build another nuclear plant which will most likely be leased back from the new owner at a higher cost. It is crazy and reflects gross mismanagement on the part of the TVA of our resources.
Lets look at what the current TVA Executives have accomplished, engineering failures at 2 coal fired steam plants, further debt, gross waste and abuse, failure to implement cost savings measures of energy efficiency and clean air technology in their coal fired steam plants which has cost us the ratepayer billions of dollars in legal payments, executives skewered the IRP to support nuclear power, failure to improve their dam fleets efficiency and a continuing mantra of lies in relationship to nuclear power, not an impressive record.
Further evidence of TVA mismanagement involved the abject failure of TVA's Nuclear Oversight Committee in seeking professional opinion and scientific input from the Nuclear Energy Institutes puppets in support of the nuclear industry. Why would anyone expect anything other than approval of nuclear power from those who fully support nuclear power working in the nuclear industry? An example of furthering gross deceit and neglect of the scientific process of evaluation and problem solving.
The TVA did not specifically disclose this latest excuse of ridiculousness in its board meeting last week. At least fire this current cadre of executive manager misfits whose only concern is the support of the nuclear industry.
TVA executive management supported by the TVA Board has demonstrated it supports failure upon failure, massive deceit and debt, unacceptable. Ratepayers and citizens should be screaming about this current executive scheme in support of incompetence and further debt.
Build another nuclear plant and sell one already on line, what is their plan then, lease back the plant they sold costing ratepayers billions of dollars, get rid of the current executive managers of the TVA, CLEAN HOUSE! They are concerned with supporting the multinational nuclear corporations, not the citizens of the Tennessee River Valley.
There are many issues relevant to the current construction permit. Under the 1970's, current, once cancelled, construction permit modern safety standards are circumvented. TVA has taken the shortcut as it is cost advantageous for the TVA to circumvent modern safety standards. The TVA will compromise public safety for their bottom line? That is an unacceptable management practice. There must be a new nuclear construction permit to insure public safety if the plant is going to be constructed.
In the wake of triple meltdowns, experts say America's nuclear initiative waning
Lets take a closer look at Tennessee Senator's nuclear bucks bag of cash. Sen. Lamar Alexander's link: http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00009888&cycle=2012 Baker, Donelson et al- total- $34,150
This organization is a route for the Nuclear Energy Institute's (NEI) Cash flow. Link: http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000555&year=2011 (note Baker, Donelson et al listing)
Also note Baker, Donelson et al contributions to Sen. Bob Corker, $45,800 http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cycle=2010&type=I&cid=N00027441&newMem=N&recs=20
Tritium detected in groundwater at Sequoyah Nuclear Plant
Here we see more nuclear security concerns. It was reported in June of this year that 8% of nuclear plants failed their physical security tests. Disturbing since the tests are conducted with notice. Attempts were made to gain access to sensitive critical areas which would cause a maximum of destruction to a nuclear plant.
A short time ago attempted murder and terrorist threats was an issue at Watts Bar related to those speaking up about safety violations. Incidents which were reported extensively this summer in a national news expose on the issue. Nuclear Security is a most serious issue which extends to personnel security as well as physical security.
Another security concern is the nuclear industry attempting to circumvent and influence the regulatory process in support of industry finances not public safety.
Garry Morgan, U.S. Army Retired
Power struggle racks Nuclear Regulatory Commission
McGyverguy says "Jaczko’s concerns with Bellefonte are based on incorrect information." Wrong, very wrong... Bellefonte's construction permit was cancelled. The quality control lapsed; the plant was stripped; the environmental report was incomplete and flawed.
The NRC commissioners approved the reinstatement of an outdated, cancelled nuclear construction permit without one singular vote of approval.
Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, along with other Republican supporters of the foreign nuclear manufacturer's lobby, the NEI, move us into a nuclear debt hole. Alexander and other Republicans who support the multinational nuclear manufacturers support giving hundreds of billions, up to a trillion dollars' in U.S. government funds to foreign nuclear corporations. There are no major nuclear component manufacturers in the U.S.
Nuclear PACs pour money into campaign coffers. Meanwhile, Congress places their orders for nuclear stocks since Congress is exempt from insider stock trading transactions. The NEI pours lobbying money into efforts pointed at the NRC regulation and policy. The NEI lobby also provides staff work for the NRC.
I have requested a Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, request and the NRC wants to charge our nonprofit group hundreds of dollars in fees for the NRC and NEI Contract disclosures. This disclosure covers a public purpose but the NRC attempts to improperly charge exorbitant fees to prevent the disclosure of NEI (lobbyist) contract information with the NRC.
NRC flags TVA's Sequoyah nuclear plant over shutdowns
What you do not say "rolando" is very important.
1) A "turbine trip" resulted in a reactor scram, an emergency shut down, it seems the event referenced is the one which occurred on Jun 26, 2011. A turbine trip, NRC event # 46991. 2) The analog electro-hydraulic control signal conditioning card failed causing an indication that the main turbine had tripped resulting in the governor and throttle valves closing. 3)The Control Room Operators misdiagnose the reason for control rod insertion and incorrectly placed control rods in manual. 4) The steam dump system was manually turned off because three of the valves did not close when expected. Result, decay heat removal was via the steam generator atmospheric relief valves.
What does this mean? Either non-attentive or unskilled operators were at the controls of an atomic reactor. They misdiagnosed a problem. Which was an antiquated analog electronic part which failed. Specifically the analog electro-hydraulic control signal conditioning card. The steam dump system was shut down which resulted in a release of radioactive contaminants into the atmosphere. Worse, the TVA has said nothing about the radioactive contaminant release to the public.
This says much about the TVA's nuclear program and management of the program. They are spending billions on the Bellefonte Reactor completion and millions on small modular reactor project research.
To finish Bellefonte the TVA must sell part of their electrical power generation assets. All the while the TVA neglects upgrading existing assets and properly training personnel. Analog systems - TVA is operating on the basis of antiquated technology and deceitful management, a dangerous combination. The results, failures such as the nuclear event on Jun 26, 2011 at the Sequoyah nuclear reactor. Other failures: Kingston, Widows Creek, Browns Ferry; who knows what other problems in which the public is unaware.
The Dec 10, 2010 fire, NRC event 46492 is suspicious in its report. I've never seen a fire adhere to a specific time table to avoid an emergency from being declared. There is a conflict in the event report as to time of the event and the narrative report time of the events begining. The fire cause was identified as a hydrogen leak that ignited in the bus duct housing of the main generator which resulted in the reactor scram.
Another tidbit of information, 3 of the events which resulted in the scram of reactor #1 occurred between the 2 hour period of 9-11PM. Significant, depends, all of the events occurred after 4PM and up to shortly after midnight. I'm wondering if management is assigning inexperienced crews on the evening and later shifts?
"White safety finding," the NRC is being kind. Should be at least a "yellow safety finding."
Bellefonte Nuclear Plant gains permit extension
The Oct. 10, 2011 date above should be On Oct. 10, 2010.
Bellefonte Nuclear Plant gains permit extension
On Oct. 10, 2011 the TVA submitted a letter to the NRC stating in part the following: "The only modification proposed by TVA to the existing Construction Permit (CPPR-122) is an extension of the latest completion date. As stated previously, this extension would not allow any work to be performed of a type not previously authorized by the existing construction permit. As TVA is not seeking authorization for activities not previously authorized, this request does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated, create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated, or involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety." That is a false statement.
The nuclear facility was stripped of its steam generators, crucial high pressure tubing related to the condensers and who knows what other crucial equipment. No quality controls existed during the 2 year period of the cancelled, non existing nuclear construction permit.
Remarkable and appalling are the TVA and NRC's staff and officials attitude and denial that the plant was cannibalized, stripped and all required nuclear program quality control measures and standards were abandoned for the 2 year period when there was no nuclear construction permit. Why, must be the question asked do TVA and NRC officials completely disregard nuclear safety law, standards and required protocols as a result of what has occurred at the Bellefonte Facility in regards to the plants cancelled construction permit and the subsequent plant stripping/cannibalization of crucial equipment at Bellefonte.
Officials lay out scenario for nuclear disaster at Watts Bar
Dear Mr. Human, Mr. Golden and Bureaucrats;
You failed the exercise.
Table top scenarios play a role, they do not take the place of setting up the portable inflatable decontamination units-were they tested, field communications-were they tested-does the general emergency frequency and its transmitter work-does it work 50 miles out, deploying emergency responders and public safety personnel-were they deployed, measuring wind and surface air currents-ground and aloft to chart the path of the radioactive plume-did you do it and was the equipment working 2 miles, 5 miles, 10 miles, 25 miles and 50 miles etc, etc.or were you busy drinking coffee and telling war stories? Was the National Guard called in, how long did it take them to respond? Where is the location of the nearest M.U.S.T Unit, were they alerted-did you coordinate a total response including the National Command Center?????
To be proficient and insure the public is protected you must train,train then train more. No time or finacial resources to make actual deployment of emergency responders and the Guard, then you fail.
When the going gets tough in a scenario where thousands of lives depend on the actions of a few you had best be prepared to meet the impossible, the improbable and the unexpected. Anything less and you fail the test.
Let us hope and pray no disaster such as a severe solar storm or small well trained groups of terrorist knocking out the power grid for more than a week, resulting in en masse "station blackouts" TVA wide, if it does you had better be prepared for the improbable scenario of unexpected probabilities, a mass casualty scenario, are you prepared? Have plenty of body bags 'cause you failed the test.
And Mr. Human, you are an example of that which causes trouble to the community and the TVA. I would suggest you report to your boss and tell them you need to be retrained, you are an example of what not to be in an emergency situation. You are looking for the political attaboy on a media forum, you are dangerous. And besides, the scenario you described was not "a close Fukushima event," no where near 3 reactor meltdowns and an MOX Plutonium fuel energy detonation. Go fill someone else full of bull! Your attitude is an unacceptable, arrogant attitude which more often than not causes the unintended multiplicitous scenario resulting in disaster. I shudder to think you might be someone in a position of responsibility. God help us all.
Garry Morgan, U.S. Army Medical Department Retired
TVA’s nuclear plant sale, lease
The construction cost on one nuclear reactor power unit is $8-10 billion dollars. TVA wants to sell one Watts Bar unit for $2.5 billion. This is further evidence of mismanagement within the TVA. To make matters worse, the TVA then intends on leasing back the plant in a scheme which will cost ratepayers hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars.
The TVA has stripped the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant and sold parts for $49 million, reordered the stripped components and paid near $300 million for that which they stripped from the plant after cancelling the nuclear construction permit 2 years earlier.
The validity of the current once cancelled construction permit and reinstatement of the permit which attempts to circumvent nuclear construction safety standards will be argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. This fact seems to be ignored by the errant TVA Board and Executives. The Bellefonte Construction project may be halted soon.
Bellefonte is not needed, the entire scheme is a project to support the nuclear construction industry not the valley's ratepayers. Energy Efficiency measures and further improvement of current generation capacity will produce the projected power requirements within the TVA area.
TVA to sell nuclear reactor
Does this not violate the TVA Act? More irresponsible management on the part of TVA Executives. Would any TVA executive manager survive in civilian industry by suggesting to sell a nuclear plant then build another nuclear plant which will most likely be leased back from the new owner at a higher cost. It is crazy and reflects gross mismanagement on the part of the TVA of our resources.
Lets look at what the current TVA Executives have accomplished, engineering failures at 2 coal fired steam plants, further debt, gross waste and abuse, failure to implement cost savings measures of energy efficiency and clean air technology in their coal fired steam plants which has cost us the ratepayer billions of dollars in legal payments, executives skewered the IRP to support nuclear power, failure to improve their dam fleets efficiency and a continuing mantra of lies in relationship to nuclear power, not an impressive record.
Further evidence of TVA mismanagement involved the abject failure of TVA's Nuclear Oversight Committee in seeking professional opinion and scientific input from the Nuclear Energy Institutes puppets in support of the nuclear industry. Why would anyone expect anything other than approval of nuclear power from those who fully support nuclear power working in the nuclear industry? An example of furthering gross deceit and neglect of the scientific process of evaluation and problem solving.
The TVA did not specifically disclose this latest excuse of ridiculousness in its board meeting last week. At least fire this current cadre of executive manager misfits whose only concern is the support of the nuclear industry.
TVA executive management supported by the TVA Board has demonstrated it supports failure upon failure, massive deceit and debt, unacceptable. Ratepayers and citizens should be screaming about this current executive scheme in support of incompetence and further debt.
Build another nuclear plant and sell one already on line, what is their plan then, lease back the plant they sold costing ratepayers billions of dollars, get rid of the current executive managers of the TVA, CLEAN HOUSE! They are concerned with supporting the multinational nuclear corporations, not the citizens of the Tennessee River Valley.
Report says Bellefonte Nuclear Plant risks too great
There are many issues relevant to the current construction permit. Under the 1970's, current, once cancelled, construction permit modern safety standards are circumvented. TVA has taken the shortcut as it is cost advantageous for the TVA to circumvent modern safety standards. The TVA will compromise public safety for their bottom line? That is an unacceptable management practice. There must be a new nuclear construction permit to insure public safety if the plant is going to be constructed.