Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Peach Bottom Unit 1 - Inspection Report 05000171-13-009

EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC, PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION UNIT 1 _ NRC INSPECTION REPORT NO. O5OOO171I2O13OO9


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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1 - CLOSURE OF CONFIRMATORY ACTION LETTER NRR-07-029 (TAC NOS. MD4191& MF0081)

THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1 - CLOSURE OF CONFIRMATORY ACTION LETTER NRR-07-029 (TAC NOS. MD4191& MF0081)

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NRC Amends Security Requirements for Spent Nuclear Fuel in Transit

No: 13-039
May 20, 2013
CONTACT: Dave McIntyre, 301-415-8200

NRC Amends Security Requirements for Spent Nuclear Fuel in Transit

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is amending its security regulations for the transport of spent nuclear fuel.

The amendments establish generically applicable security requirements similar to current measures imposed by the agency in Orders to licensees following the terrorist attacks of September 2001. The amendments establish acceptable performance standards and objectives for the protection of spent nuclear fuel shipments from theft, diversion, or radiological sabotage. The changes were published today in the Federal Register.

Details of the measures imposed by Orders over the past several years are protected as Safeguards Information. In general, the Orders resulted in enhancements in the following areas: preplanning and coordination with states and local law enforcement agencies; improved communications among movement control personnel; requirement for armed escorts throughout the shipment route; the development of normal and contingency response procedures; and more thorough background investigations of individuals associated with the shipment. The final rule addresses all of these areas.

A proposed rule and draft guidance documents were published Oct. 13, 2010, for public comment. The NRC received 17 comment letters. Comments are addressed in the current Federal Register notice.

The final rule will be effective Aug. 19.

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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION – NRC TEMPORARY INSTRUCTION 2201/004, “INSPECTION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERIM CYBER SECURITY MILESTONES 1-7,” REPORT 05000277/2013404 AND 05000278/2013404

PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION – NRC TEMPORARY INSTRUCTION 2201/004, “INSPECTION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERIM CYBER SECURITY MILESTONES 1-7,” REPORT 05000277/2013404 AND 05000278/2013404

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Monday, May 20, 2013

Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3, Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, and Limerick Generating Station, Units 1 and 2 - Reassignment of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Branch Chief

Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3, Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, and Limerick Generating Station, Units 1 and 2 - Reassignment of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Branch Chief

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Nukes cracking up: Michigan and NC

Inspectors find radioactive leak at Entergy nuclear plant
May 16, 2013 by legitgov

Inspectors find radioactive leak at Entergy nuclear plant 16 May 2013 U.S. inspectors have found the source of a [radioactive] water leak that forced the shutdown of Entergy Corp.'s Palisades Nuclear Power Plant is on the Lake Michigan shoreline. The inspection has turned up a crack about half-inch-long around a nozzle. New Orleans-based Entergy idled the plant May 5 , 2013, after operators found a tank leaking faster than regulations allow. Some slightly [?] radioactive water entered Lake Michigan, but the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says there's no health risk. ['Slightly radioactive.' Is that like being 'a little bit pregnant?']

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Crack forces shutdown of nuclear reactor at Shearon Harris

NEW HILL, N.C. — A quarter-inch crack in a reactor sensor at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant in southwest Wake County has forced Duke Energy to take the plant offline, officials said Thursday.

No radioactive material leaked from the plant, and the public health and safety is not in danger, spokeswoman Kim Crawford said.

"There are no indications that there was any leakage," Crawford said. "We made the conservative decision to take the unit offline and make the repair."

Crawford said she couldn't say how long the reactor would be out of commission, but she said the utility has plenty of capacity and wouldn't need to purchase electricity from outside sources to meet demand.

"We're not anticipating any issues," she said. "While our plant is offline, we'll continue to serve our customers."

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DEP Recovers Missing Nuclear Gauge Lost by Company

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA., 17120

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05/16/2013

CONTACT:
Lisa Kasianowitz, DEP
717-315-8780


DEP Recovers Missing Nuclear Gauge Lost by Company


The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced today that it recovered in Maryland the missing nuclear gauge a Franklin County company lost in West Virginia on May 3. The device has not been tampered with or damaged.

“We are relieved that the nuclear gauge has been recovered and that no radioactive materials were released,” DEP Bureau of Radiation Protection Director David Allard said. “The agency thanks the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, West Virginia officials, the public and the citizen who discovered the gauge along the road for the combined effort to find it.”

The nuclear gauge has been returned to Valley Quarries Inc. of Chambersburg, Franklin County, which lost the Troxler Model 3430 gauge when it fell off the company’s truck on I-81 in West Virginia between mile markers 17 and 24.

The gauge is normally stored in a locked yellow transportation container when not in use at construction sites for taking measurements in the ground, but it apparently fell out of the container on the back of the company’s truck during transport to another work site.

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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

DEP Seeks Missing Nuclear Gauge Lost Between Pennsylvania, West Virginia

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA., 17120

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05/14/2013

CONTACT:
Lisa Kasianowitz, DEP South-central Regional Office
717-315-8780

DEP Seeks Missing Nuclear Gauge Lost Between Pennsylvania, West Virginia

HARRISBURG -- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and West Virginia state officials are searching for a missing portable gauge containing sealed sources of radioactive material that was lost in West Virginia on May 3, and are asking anyone with information on the missing gauge to report it to DEP.

“It is critical for anyone who has information about the lost nuclear gauge to contact the Pennsylvania DEP, Nuclear Regulatory Commission or a local law enforcement agency immediately,” DEP Bureau of Radiation Protection Director David Allard said. “As long as the device is not tampered with or damaged, it presents no hazard to public safety.”

The gauge, a Troxler Model 3430 with serial number 32506, was lost when it apparently fell off the back of a truck on I-81 between the Pennsylvania and West Virginia border between mile markers 17 and 24. The bright yellow gauge is commonly used in road construction for taking measurements in the ground, and it is about the size of a shoe box, with electronic controls and a metal rod extending from the top surface.

The gauge is normally stored in a locked yellow transportation container when not in use at construction sites, but it apparently fell out of the container on the back of the company’s truck during transport.

Valley Quarries Inc. of Chambersburg, Franklin County, is licensed by DEP to possess and use the gauge. Staff from the company was using it in West Virginia at the time it was lost.

Anyone who finds the gauge should leave it alone and report the location to DEP during normal working hours at 717-787-2480 or 412-442-4227. After normal working hours and on weekends, call 1-800-541-2050 or 412-442-4000. In the event of an emergency, dial 911. A trained individual will be dispatched immediately to recover the gauge.

The company is offering a reward for information leading to its return.
To view a picture of the missing gauge, visit DEP’s website at www.dep.state.pa.us and click on “Radiation Protection.”

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Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 - Approval of Request to Use a Provision of a Later Addenda of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Code for Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants (TAC No. ME9510)

Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 - Approval of Request to Use a Provision of a Later Addenda of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Code for Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants (TAC No. ME9510)

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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station - NRC Integrated Inspection Report 05000387/2013002 and 05000388/2013002

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION – NRC INTEGRATED INSPECTION REPORT 05000387/2013002 AND 05000388/2013002

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Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 - Transmittal of Draft Safety Evaluation

PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3­ TRANSMITTAL OF DRAFT SAFETY EVALUATION FOR PROPOSED AMENDMENT RE: USE OF NEUTRON ABSORBING INSERTS IN SPENT FUEL POOL STORAGE RACKS (TAC NOS. ME7538 AND ME7539)

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Duke Suspends Effort to License Nuclear Units; NRC Shoot s Down Texas Nuclear Plant Expansion

Duke Energy Suspends Effort to License North Carolina Nuclear Units:
Reuters, May 2, 2013

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSL2N0DJ2QG20130502?irpc=932
Duke Energy, the largest U.S. electric utility, says it has notified regulators that it will drop plans to build two new nuclear reactors in North Carolina due to slow growth in power demand. Progress Energy, which Duke acquired last year, proposed building two AP1000 reactors at the Harris nuclear plant site in Wake County, North Carolina, and submitted an application in 2008 for a construction and operating license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The company's supply forecast indicates additional nuclear generation won't be needed at Harris for at least 15 years. However, Duke said it will continue to work to obtain NRC licenses for two new reactors in Levy County, Florida, and another two reactors in Gaffney, South Carolina. Four new reactors are currently under construction at two sites in the southeastern United States: two at Scana Corp's Summer nuclear station in South Carolina and two at Southern Co's Vogtle station in Georgia.

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NRC Shoots Down Texas Nuclear Plant Expansion Citing Too Much Foreign Ownership:
Dallas News, by James Osborne, April 30, 2013

http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/2013/04/nrc-shoots-down-texas-nuclear-plant-expansion.html and
San Antonio Express-News, by Nolan Hicks, April 30, 2013
http://nukefreetexas.org/2013/05/regulators-too-much-foreign-ownership-for-nuclear-expansionPlans to build two new reactors at the South Texas Project nuclear facility outside Bay City have hit a road block. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruled that a partnership between NRG and Toshiba Corp. through the holding company Nuclear Innovation North America violated a U.S law prohibiting foreign control of nuclear power plants. The holding company plans to appeal the ruling to the NRC’s Atomic Safety Licensing Board, arguing that NRG controls 90 percent of the holding company, a NRG spokesman said. NRG and Toshiba remain hopeful they can convince the atomic safety board to overrule NRC staff. But they will likely face an uphill climb. No date for a hearing has been set.

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station - NRC Integrated Inspection Report 05000277/2013002 and 05000278/2013002

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station - NRC Integrated Inspection Report 05000277/2013002 and 05000278/2013002

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Electric Power Research Institute Final Draft Report XXXXXX, “Seismic Evaluation Guidance: Augmented Approach for the Resolution of Fukushima Near-Term Task Force Recommendation 2.1: Seismic”

Electric Power Research Institute Final Draft Report XXXXXX, “Seismic Evaluation Guidance: Augmented Approach for the Resolution of Fukushima Near-Term Task Force Recommendation 2.1: Seismic,” As an Acceptable Alternative to the March 12, 2012, Information Request for Seismic Reevaluations

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Nuclear Hot Spots Map for the Great Lakes released today


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New Binational Great Lakes Nuclear Map Identifies “Nuclear Hot Spots”

May 6, 2013
Great Lakes United and the International Institute of Concern for Public Health (IICPH) released today the Great Lakes Nuclear Hot Spots Map, providing a detailed regional, binational view of nuclear facilities in the Great Lakes Region. As the map shows, with the exception of Lake Superior, each of the Great Lakes has numerous nuclear sites related to nuclear power generation, most of which are located within one kilometre of the Lakes. This raises concerns about the cumulative impacts of radioactive releases over the years from so many sites. It also shows the numerous places where a serious nuclear accident could occur in the region.
This map marks the first comprehensive update of this information in 15 years and highlights the lack of information about radioactive releases from these facilities. In 1998, the International Joint Commission’s (IJC) Task Force on Inventory of Radionuclides released an assessment of nuclear facilities around the basin. At the time, the Task Force concluded that releases from nuclear facilities were substantial, but that the extent of knowledge about the releases and their impacts was “limited”.   http://www.ijc.org/files/publications/C131.pdf
The map includes all aspects of nuclear power production in the Great Lakes region, including the 38 operating nuclear power plants, 12 closed plants, and four new plants proposed in Canada. It also includes the facilities that process uranium ore and manufacture the pellets, as well as tailings sites from uranium mining from mining, and facilities that store, and dispose of radioactive waste. Every site on the map is a radioactive waste site, whether operating or not.
The Great Lakes Nuclear Hot Spots Map provides a critical resource for communities concerned about the potential for radioactive waste releases into the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. Additionally, it shows the sites under consideration by the Canadian Government for storing Canada’s nuclear fuel waste. Most of the proposed sites lie within the Great Lakes basin. With the potential for new disposal sites within easy access of the Great Lakes, communities are concerned that nuclear waste could be brought in via ships, creating substantial risks of spills along Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River shipping lanes and during loading and unloading near shore.
The Citizens’ Clearinghouse on Waste Management contributed funding to this project.
For more information contact:
John Jackson, Great Lakes United at jjackson@glu.org or (519) 744-7503
Anna Tilman, IICPH at annatilman@sympatico.ca or (905) 841-0095
               

Monday, May 6, 2013

NRC Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Changes to Petition-for-Rulemaking Process

NRC Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Changes to Petition-for-Rulemaking Process

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on a proposal to streamline and clarify its process for addressing petitions for rulemaking. Proposed changes to that process, to be published in the May 3 Federal Register, aim to improve transparency and make the process more efficient and effective.

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