States Are the Nuclear Industry’s Best Hope

Thirty-seven years after a partial meltdown of one of its two reactors made it a symbol of the potential for radioactive catastrophe, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant is still operating—for now. The Dauphin County, Pa., facility represents the perilous economic condition of a nuclear industry besieged by competition from inexpensive natural gas and subsidized wind and solar power. Three Mile Island’s owner, Chicago-based Exelon, said in a statement that unless the government intervenes to keep the plant running, the notorious facility’s “long-term future past 2019” is in doubt.

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Exelon: Request for Withholding Information Regarding Guarantees of Payment of Deferred Premiums

BRAIDWOOD STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2; BYRON STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2; CALVERT CLIFFS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2; CLINTON POWER STATION, UNIT NO. 1; DRESDEN NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3; LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2; LIMERICK GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2; NINE MILE POINT NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2; OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION; PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3; QUAD CITIES NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2; R. E. GINNA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT; AND THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1 -REQUEST FOR WITHHOLDING INFORMATION REGARDING GUARANTEES OF PAYMENT OF DEFERRED PREMIUMS (CAC NOS. MF8821-MF8842)  

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NRC Proceeding "Susquehanna 50-387, 50-388 & 72-28-LT-2"

Letter of Concern Regarding November 21st Decision

NUCLEAR REGULAGTORY COMMISSION

BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

Pursuant to 10 C.F.R. § 2.305, I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing “Letter of Concern Regarding November 21, 2016 Decision, Submitted by Sabatini Monatesti,” dated December 15, 2016, have been filed through the Electronic Information Exchange, the NRC’s E-Filing System, in the above-captioned proceeding, this 15th day of December, 2016.

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DEP Increases Drought Warning to Eight Counties, 26 Counties Remain on Drought Watch

DEP Increases Drought Warning to Eight Counties, 26 Counties Remain on Drought Watch

 

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has placed four more counties on drought warning status following a meeting today of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force.

 

While recent precipitation over the past few weeks has helped dry conditions in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, the central part of the state still has persistent 90-day precipitation deficits of up to 4 inches from normal as well as low groundwater and stream levels.

Mifflin, Juniata, Snyder, and Union Counties were moved from drought watch to drought warning status. Snyder has a precipitation deficit of 11 inches from normal over the past year.

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NRC Proposes $14,000 Fine for Virginia Firm for Not Obtaining Approvals to Perform Work

NRC Proposes $14,000 Fine for Virginia Firm for Not Obtaining Approvals to Perform Work

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $14,000 civil penalty for a Manassas, Va., firm for performing work in the District of Columbia without first obtaining approval from the NRC to do so.

EMSI Engineering Inc. conducted the activities, which involved using portable nuclear gauges to take soil-density measurements at construction sites, on approximately 200 occasions between April 9, 2009, and Nov. 18, 2015.

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SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 BASELINE SECURITY INSPECTION REPORT 2016403

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 BASELINE SECURITY INSPECTION REPORT 05000387/2016403AND 05000388/2016403 
 
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Three Mile Island News Release

Three Mile Island Generating Station Unit 1 Offline for Planned Maintenance

LONDONDERRY TWP., PA. (Dec. 1, 2016) – Operators took Three Mile Island Generating Station Unit 1 offline early this morning to perform planned maintenance on one of several pumps that provide water to the reactor. This maintenance cannot be performed with the plant online.  

Three Mile Island is located 12 miles south of Harrisburg, Pa. in Dauphin County. The plant produces enough carbon-free electricity for more than 800,000 homes. TMI makes a significant impact on the central Pennsylvania economy, including injecting more than $60 million per year through salaries paid to employees. Join us on Twitter and You Tube.


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Nuclear Power Is Not "Green Energy": It Is a Fount of Atomic Waste

Nuclear Power Is Not "Green Energy": It Is a Fount of Atomic Waste

Monday, November 14, 2016 By Arnie Gundersen, Truthout | News Analysis

Starting in 1971, I became a card-carrying member of the "nuclear priesthood." I began as a licensed nuclear reactor operator and progressed through the industry to become a senior vice president. I believed, with religious fervor, that by helping to build and operate atomic power reactors, I would be creating power that was "too cheap to meter." The historic 1973 gasoline shortages and long lines of cars queued at the pumps made it clear to me and hundreds of other nuclear engineers that nuclear power was the only solution to the "energy shortage." In the 1970s and '80s, solving this apparent energy shortage was our only mantra. At that time, there was no scientific data connecting fossil fuels to climate change.

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NRC Approves Transfer of Susquehanna Nuclear Plant Licenses from Talen Energy to Riverstone Holdings

NRC Approves Transfer of Susquehanna Nuclear Plant Licenses from Talen Energy to Riverstone Holdings

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the indirect transfer of the operating licenses for the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, from Talen Energy Corp. to the portfolio companies of Riverstone Holdings, as part of Riverstone’s proposed acquisition of Talen.

The Susquehanna plant has two boiling water reactors and a dry cask spent fuel storage installation located in Berwick, Pa. The reactors are licensed to operate through July 17, 2042, for Unit 1 and March 23, 2044, for Unit 2. The plant is operated by a subsidiary of Talen, Susquehanna Nuclear LLC, which holds a 90-percent ownership stake in the plant. The indirect transfer does not affect the remaining 10 percent, held by Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc.

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Three Mile Island News Release

Three Mile Island Generating Station Unit 1 Offline for Planned Maintenance

LONDONDERRY TWP., PA. (Dec. 1, 2016) – Operators took Three Mile Island Generating Station Unit 1 offline early this morning to perform planned maintenance on one of several pumps that provide water to the reactor. This maintenance cannot be performed with the plant online.

Three Mile Island is located 12 miles south of Harrisburg, Pa. in Dauphin County. The plant produces enough carbon-free electricity for more than 800,000 homes. TMI makes a significant impact on the central Pennsylvania economy, including injecting more than $60 million per year through salaries paid to employees. Join us on Twitter and You Tube.

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TMI Siren Test on Thursday

TMI EMERGENCY SIREN TEST SCHEDULED FOR DEC. 1
Sirens to sound for three minutes at 12:15 p.m.

LONDONDERRY TWP, PA (Nov. 29, 2016) — Exelon Generation will conduct its semi-annual, full volume test of the emergency warning sirens surrounding Three Mile Island Generating Station on Thursday, Dec. 1 at approximately 12:15 p.m. This is one of two semi-annual tests performed each year.


The TMI emergency warning siren system consists of 96 sirens located in parts of Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties that are located within a 10-mile radius of TMI. The sirens are not a signal to evacuate, but a warning to tune to a local Emergency Alert Broadcast television or radio station. County emergency management authorities activate the sirens, which can be used in the event of any emergency, including severe weather.

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NRC Begins Scoping Effort for Environmental Review of Proposed WCS Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility

NRC Begins Scoping Effort for Environmental Review of Proposed WCS Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking comments from the public on the issues to be covered in the environmental review of an application from Waste Control Specialists to construct and operate a facility to store spent nuclear fuel in Andrews County, Texas. The NRC will prepare an environmental impact statement to document its evaluation of those impacts and is now taking public comments on the scope.

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Susquehanna - ORDER (On Communication Received and Providing Opportunity to Respond)

ORDER

 

(On Communication Received and Providing Opportunity to Respond)

On November 1, 2016, Mr. Sabatini Monatesti submitted an e-mail and an attachment to members of the Board assigned to preside over an appeal from the NRC Staff’s denial of a request for access to sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI) in the above captioned proceeding.

The submission does not appear to have been properly filed through the Commission’s E-filing system as required by 10 C.F.R. § 2.305(c).

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THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1 - STAFF REVIEW OF SPENT FUEL POOL EVALUATION ASSOCIATED WITH REEVALUATED SEISMIC HAZARD IMPLEMENTING NEAR-TERM TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION 2.1 (CAC NO. MF3905)

THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1 - STAFF REVIEW OF SPENT FUEL POOL EVALUATION ASSOCIATED WITH REEVALUATED SEISMIC HAZARD IMPLEMENTING NEAR-TERM TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION 2.1 (CAC NO. MF3905)

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All News & West Coast Tour!

Attention: West Coast friends -

John LaForge is currently on a speaking tour in your area! Attend one of these upcoming book talks to learn more about the dangers of nuclear weapons--and please help us spread the word.

Thurs., Oct. 13: Berkeley, CA - 7 pm at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists

Fri., Oct. 21: Poulsbo, WA - 6:30 pm at Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action.

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What is in PA's landfills?

What is in PA's landfills?

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SUN DAY Campaign: Renewables Now Exceed Nuclear in Energy Supply & Electrical Capacity

SUN DAY CAMPAIGN
(a campaign for a sustainable energy future)

News Advisory

U.S. RENEWABLES NOW OUTPACE NUCLEAR POWER
IN ENERGY PRODUCTION AND ELECTRICAL CAPACITY

For Release:  Wednesday - October 5, 2016

Contact:  Ken Bossong, 301-270-6477 x.11

Washington DC – Two new reports from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) confirm that nuclear power is rapidly losing the race with renewable energy sources.

EIA's latest "Monthly Energy Review" (with data for the first half of 2016) notes that during the first six months of this year, renewable sources (i.e., biofuels, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind) accounted for 5.242 quadrillion Btus (quads) of domestic energy production.  This includes thermal, liquid, and electrical forms of energy.  By comparison, nuclear power provided only 4.188 quads.  That is, renewables outpaced nuclear by more than 25%. [1]

Meanwhile, FERC's latest "Energy Infrastructure Update" (with data through the end of August 2016), states that the total available installed generating capacity in the U.S. from the combination of utility-scale (i.e., greater than 1-MW) hydropower, wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal has grown to 215.82 gigawatts (GW) or 18.39% of total generating capacity.  Nuclear power's installed capacity is only107.06 GW or 9.12% of the total. Thus, renewable energy generating capacity is now more than double that of nuclear. [2]

However, actual electrical generation by nuclear plants for the first seven months of 2016 is 19.9% of total generation. That is still higher than that provided by renewable sources which contributed 15.8% (a figure which does not include electricity produced by distributed renewables such as rooftop solar). [3]

But while nuclear power's share of net electrical generation has remained essentially flat over the past decade -- e.g., it was 19.4% in 2006, renewable energy's share is growing rapidly -- increasing from 9.5% ten years ago to 15.8% today [4] -- with EIA forecasting continued strong growth in the years ahead. [5]

"If renewable sources maintain their current growth rates, they could fully eclipse nuclear in the trifecta of not only energy supply and generating capacity but also electricity production within the next five or six years," concluded Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign.  

# # # # # # #
[1] U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Monthly Energy Review," September 27, 2016
http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec1_3.pdf
[2] Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, "Energy Infrastructure Update," September 30, 2016
http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2016/aug-energy-infrastructure.pdf
[3] U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Electric Power Monthly"(see Table ES1.B), September 26, 2016
http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly
[4] Ibid. (see Table 1.1)
[5] U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Short-Term Energy Outlook," September 7, 2016 http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/steo/report/renew_co2.cfm

NRC Issues Confirmatory Order to Power Resources, Inc.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release

NRC Issues Confirmatory Order to Power Resources, Inc.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Confirmatory Order to Power Resources, Inc., of Casper, Wyo., documenting actions that the company has agreed to take to ensure it maintains complete and accurate records of radiation surveys of personnel exiting its facilities.

The order formalizes commitments company officials made to the NRC following an investigation of activities at the company’s North Butte facility in Campbell County, Wyo. The NRC preliminarily determined that a former operations supervisor falsified a record of exit surveys that was supposed to be conducted on Sept. 12, 2013. In fact, the surveys required by NRC regulations were not conducted.

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SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ACCEPTANCE OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTION RE: LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO ADDRESS SECONDARY CONTAINMENT ACCESS OPENINGS (CAC NOS. MF8214 AND MF8215)

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ACCEPTANCE OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTION RE: LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO ADDRESS SECONDARY CONTAINMENT ACCESS OPENINGS (CAC NOS. MF8214 AND MF8215)

Download ML16263A344

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station - Material Control and Accounting Letter 2016-405

PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION – MATERIAL CONTROL AND ACCOUNTING PROGRAM INSPECTION REPORT NO. 05000277/2016405 AND 05000278/2016405

Download ML16265A018

FOIAed records on NRC/NAS cancer study

Dear Colleagues:

Teri Sforza, a reporter at the Ocean County Register, requested records on the NAS cancer study from the NRC under the Freedom of Information Act. Within the past few days, the NRC placed their response to Teri in ADAMS. There are four files, each nearly 100 Mb in size (way to big to email). The ML numbers for these files along with links to the files in ADAMS are:

ML16259A145 or https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML16259A145

ML16259A146 or https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML16259A146

ML16259A147 or https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML16259A147

ML16259A149 or https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML16259A149
 
I've only reviewed one of the four files so far, but there seems to be useful stuff hidden amongst lots of admin noise.


Thanks,
Dave Lochbaum
UCS

NRC Schedules Public Meeting to Discuss Results of Augmented Inspection at Westinghouse‌

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
No: II-16-034 August 19, 2016

NRC Schedules Public Meeting to Discuss Results of Augmented Inspection at Westinghouse‌

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a public meeting in Columbia, S.C., on Tuesday, Sept. 27, to discuss the results of an Augmented Inspection Team review of the unexpected accumulation of an excessive amount of uranium-bearing material in a component of the Westinghouse fuel fabrication facility.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Gervais Street Room of the South Carolina State Museum at 301 Gervais St. The meeting is open to the public and the NRC staff will be available to answer questions after the meeting.

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Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Unit 2-Request for Additional Information Regarding Temporary Change of Unit 2 Technical Specifications 3.7.1 & 3.8.7 to Allow Replacement of Unit 1 480 Volt Engineered Safeguard System Load Center Transformers (MF7298)

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Unit 2-Request for Additional Information Regarding Temporary Change of Unit 2 Technical Specifications 3.7.1 & 3.8.7 to Allow Replacement of Unit 1 480 Volt Engineered Safeguard System Load Center Transformers(MF7298)

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SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION: PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION INSPECTION REPORT 05000387/2016008 AND 05000388/2016008

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION – PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION INSPECTION REPORT 05000387/2016008 AND 05000388/2016008

Download ML16246A291

TMI Mid Cycle Letter ROP 17

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR BEAVER VALLEY POWER STATION UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 (REPORT 05000334/2016005 AND 05000412/2016005)

Download ML162135A334

Peach Bottom Mid Cycle Letter ROP 17

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 (REPORT 05000277/2016005 AND 05000278/2016005)

Download ML16237A008

SUSQUEHANNA Mid Cycle Letter ROP 17

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC
STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 (REPORT 05000387/2016005 AND 05000388/2016005)

Download ML16237A002

Talen Energy Abandons Bell Bend Nuclear Plant Project

Talen Energy abandons Bell Bend nuclear plant project

BERWICK, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) - Talen Energy announced Wednesday it's withdrawing its license application for a second proposed nuclear power plant in Luzerne County.

The company sent a written request to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, saying it sees no "viable path" to obtaining a license for its proposed Bell Bend nuclear power plant.

The company first filed an application in October 2008 to build the plant adjacent to the company's existing Susquehanna nuclear power plant.

In it's letter to the NRC, Talen Energy says the project became unworkable when AREVA, the company that developed the reactor design for Bell Bend, asked the NRC in February 2015 to suspend the design certification process.

Since that time Talen had suspended it's license application, now it's asking the application be withdrawn entirely.

NRC Issues Confirmatory Action Letter to Power Resources, Inc.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
No: IV-16-018 August 31, 2016

NRC Issues Confirmatory Action Letter to Power Resources, Inc.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Confirmatory Action Letter to Power Resources Inc. of Casper, Wyo., documenting actions that the company has agreed to take before resuming shipments of radioactive sludge to a Utah facility.

The letter formalizes commitments company officials made to the NRC following two incidents in which containers of radioactive barium sulfate sludge, a byproduct of uranium ore processing, arrived at the facility in Blanding, Utah, with some external contamination from leakage during transport. The incidents occurred in August 2015 and March 2016.

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Three Mile Island Community Information Night

You are invited to the Three Mile Island Community Information Night on Thursday, Sept. 8 from 5 pm to 8 pm. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

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Did You Get An Invite? - TMI Information Night

Peach Bottom Independent Spent Fuel Storage IR

PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION – INDEPENDENT SPENT FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION SECURITY INSPECTION REPORT 07200029/2016401

Download ML16239A129

Peach Bottom Units 2&3 Security Inspection Report 2016404

PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION UNITS 2 and 3 - SECURITY INSPECTION REPORT 05000277/2016404 AND 05000278/2016404

Download ML16239A058

SUMMARY OF JULY 26, 2016, PUBLIC MEETING ON STATUS OF ASSOCIATED EFFECTS SUBMITTALS RELATED TO THE REEVALUATED FLOOD HAZARDS AT EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC SITES AS PART OF THE RESPONSE TO NEAR-TERM TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION 2.1, "FLOODING"

SUMMARY OF JULY 26, 2016, PUBLIC MEETING ON STATUS OF ASSOCIATED EFFECTS SUBMITTALS RELATED TO THE REEVALUATED FLOOD HAZARDS AT EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC SITES AS PART OF THE RESPONSE TO NEAR-TERM TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION 2.1, "FLOODING"

Download ML16228A062

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2– INTERIM STAFF EVALUATION RELATING TO OVERALL INTEGRATED PLAN IN RESPONSE TO PHASE 2 OF ORDER EA-13-109 (SEVERE ACCIDENT CAPABLE HARDENED VENTS) (CAC NOS. MF4364 AND MF4365)

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2– INTERIM STAFF EVALUATION RELATING TO OVERALL INTEGRATED PLAN IN RESPONSE TO PHASE 2 OF ORDER EA-13-109 (SEVERE ACCIDENT CAPABLE HARDENED VENTS) (CAC NOS. MF4364 AND MF4365)

Download ML16231A509

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 – SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION NEEDED FOR ACCEPTANCE OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTION RE: REQUEST TO ADDRESS SECONDARY CONTAINMENT ACCESS OPENINGS (CAC NOS. MF8214 AND MF8215)

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 – SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION NEEDED FOR ACCEPTANCE OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTION RE:  REQUEST TO ADDRESS SECONDARY CONTAINMENT ACCESS OPENINGS
(CAC NOS. MF8214 AND MF8215)

Download ML16237A144

SUMMARY OF JULY 26, 2016, PUBLIC MEETING ON STATUS OF ASSOCIATED EFFECTS SUBMITTALS RELATED TO THE REEVALUATED FLOOD HAZARDS AT EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC SITES AS PART OF THE RESPONSE TO NEAR-TERM TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION 2.1, "FLOODING"

SUMMARY OF JULY 26, 2016, PUBLIC MEETING ON STATUS OF ASSOCIATED EFFECTS SUBMITTALS RELATED TO THE REEVALUATED FLOOD HAZARDS AT EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC SITES AS PART OF THE RESPONSE TO NEAR-TERM TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION 2.1, "FLOODING"

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PA DEP News Release : 2014 Air Emissions Inventory for Unconventional Natural Gas Operations Released

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
08/17/2016

CONTACT:
Neil Shader, DEP


2014 Air Emissions Inventory for Unconventional Natural Gas Operations Released


Harrisburg, PA – According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) latest inventory of air emissions for the unconventional natural gas operation industry, several categories of contaminants have increased. The inventory represents 2014 emissions from Marcellus Shale natural gas production and processing operations as well as compressor stations that receive gas from coal gas, conventional, and unconventional well sites. Air emissions from the industry are required to be reported to DEP under Pennsylvania’s Air Pollution Control Act.

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NRC Sends Confirmatory Action Letter to Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Facility Outlining Corrective Actions

NRC Sends Confirmatory Action Letter to Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Facility Outlining Corrective Actions‌

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has sent a Confirmatory Action Letter to the Westinghouse nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Columbia, S.C., acknowledging corrective action commitments the company will complete before restarting some of its uranium processing operations.

In May, during an annual maintenance shutdown, plant employees discovered an accumulation of uranium-bearing material in a scrubber system, which is designed to remove unwanted material from a number of plant processes. There were no actual safety-related consequences as a result of the accumulation of the material, but the potential for such consequences may have existed. After an analysis showed the amount of uranium was much higher than anticipated, the NRC launched an inspection to review the issue.

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Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 – Interim Staff Evaluation Relating to Overall Integrated Plan in Response to Phase 2 of Order EA-13-109 -Severe Accident Capable Hardened Vents

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 – Interim Staff Evaluation Relating to Overall Integrated Plan in Response to Phase 2 of Order EA-13-109 -Severe Accident Capable Hardened Vents

Download ML16099A272

PA DEP News Release : PA Natural Gas Production Increased In 2015

PA Natural Gas Production Increased In 2015

Harrisburg, PA - Pennsylvania’s natural gas production volume trended upward in 2015, according to the newly released Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) 2015 Oil and Gas Annual Report.

In 2015, more than 4.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas were produced in Pennsylvania compared to about 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas produced in 2011. Currently, Pennsylvania is the second largest supplier of natural gas in the nation.

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Nuclear News + Events + Actions

Today the EPA made the recommendation NOT to approve the Yeelirrie uranium mine proposal, you can read the EPA response to submissions here and the EPA report here. Congratulations to all those involved and all of you who lodged submissions. The local pastoralists and Traditional Owners are overjoyed.

Welcome to all the new people to the weekly news list who signed up at the event Collisions over the weekend. We raised $2700 to go towards the Australia Nuclear Free Alliance meeting in Kalgoorlie this September THANKYOU.

The Walkatjurra Walkabout - leaving Perth on the 7th of August - Registrations are still open if you can't make it please support this stella effort to protect Wangkatja country by donating here. These funds are so important to support local involvement in the walk please donate today. 

Remember to tune in to Understorey – and the Radioactive Show this week for all the latest nuclear and peace news. 

ACTION & EVENTS

WALKATJURRA WALKABOUT: 7th August 2016
Registrations are open and filling up fast - get on board here: RegistrationsIf you want to support the walk but you can't make it - please donate here: Donations
BUMP COLLECTIVE MEETING - ON HOLD UNTIL AFTER THE WALK - STAY POSTED FOR DATES
World's End Studio - at the top of 15 Mrs Trivett Pl, Fremantle WA 6160, AustraliaThe BUMP Collective in an autonomous collective - we organise events and actions against the nuclear industry. We always love to welcome new people and creative ideas. BYO food and drink to the meeting.

DONATE

Walkatjurra Walkabout: Funds go to support local involvement in the month long walk through Wangkatja Country in opposition to several uranium mine proposals in the Goldfields. Donate here. 

2016 Australia Nuclear Free Alliance Meeting - Kalgoorlie: For the first time ever this significant national meeting is coming to WA. Please support Aboriginal delegates travel to be part of this important event. Donate here.

NEWS

URANIUM
Uranium Prices Remain Below Cost of Production, Recovery is Years AwayJuly 27, 2016. Uranium prices continue to hover at an eleven-year low, with the commodity’s collapse to the price weeks ago failing to inspire any renewed buying interest, and according to a recent forecast from UBS, a turnaround in the market could be years off.http://www.economiccalendar.com/2016/07/27/uraniu! m-prices-remain-below-cost-of-production-recovery-is-years-away/

Michael West: Taxpayers to foot the bill for mine closures26 July 2016. Mine rehabilitation – to avoid toxic seepage – is a costly business which taxpayers look likely to fund
https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/taxpayers-to-foot-the-bill-for-mine-closures,9280

Garma festival: Indigenous leaders call for land ownership settlement, slam land rights 'failures' Indigenous leaders at the Garma festival in northeast Arnhem Land have called for land ownership settlement, slamming the 'failures' of the Land Rights Act and Native Title Act that have allowed mining companies access to indigenous land.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-31/garma-festival:-indigenous-leaders-call-for-land/7675658

SA ROYAL COMMISSION - NUCLEAR WASTE / NUCLEAR POWER 

SA nuclear waste dump referendum vote 'still possible'The final decision on South Australia's proposed nuclear waste dump might not be made this year and a referendum could still be held, Premier Jay Weatherill says.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-28/referendum-on-sa-nuclear-waste-dump-still-possible/7668412?section=environment 

SA's nuclear debate: Choosing a waste storage site would take years and require extensive consultation | Adelaide NowCHOOSING a site for a proposed high-level nuclear waste repository might take up to five years if the plan is backed by the community, says former Royal Commissioner Kevin Scarce.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sas-nuclear-debate-choosing-a-waste-storage-site-would-take-years-and-require-extensive-consultation/news-story/44c936d8b67d4906becb800e9640aded 

The Advertiser editorial: The choice we make can't be taken lightly

SOUTH Australians are facing the extraordinary choice of whether to create a storage facility for the world’s high-level nuclear waste.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/the-advertiser-editorial-the-choice-we-make-cant-be-taken-lightly/news-story/503c8cfec0cf7b588bb87d8a44bd9e2b

 

ACF Media Release July 27, 2016: Global nuclear industry promoters influencing SA nuclear waste plan

Key adviser to SA recent nuclear Royal Commission is a nuclear ‘true believer’ who was behind a failed attempt to open a global radioactive waste dump in Australia in the 1990s.

https://www.acf.org.au/global_nuclear_industry_promoters

SA nuclear waste dump: Conservation Foundation questions MCM impartiality in key reportDave Sweeney from the Australian Conservation Foundation said a key player in Pangea's work, Charles McCombie, and his new firm MCM, ...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-26/australian-conservation-foundation-questions-mcm-impartiality/7662840

INTERNATIONAL 

A short history of nuclear fissionAn Italian physicist, Enrico Fermi, was the first to achieve it but just recently nuclear fission’s popularity has been decreasing https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/28/a-short-history-of-nuclear-fission 

Kieran Cooke: Offshore wind powers ahead as prices drop 30% below nuclearJuly 19, 2016. The cost of offshore wind power in the North Sea is 30% lower than that of new nuclear, writes Kieran Cooke - helped along by low oil and steel prices, reduced maintenance and mass production. By 2030 the sector is expected to supply 7% of Europe's electricity.http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/2987919/offshore_wind_powers_ahead_as_prices_drop_30_below_nuclear.html & http://www.enn.com/sci-tech/article/49786
History repeating: Trump, Putin and Brexit all signs another world war is comingJuly 30, 2016. THE rise of Trump and Putin plus the shock outcome of the Brexit vote are signs the world is hurtling towards nuclear war. Here’s why. 
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/history-repeating-trump-putin-and-brexit-all-signs-another-world-war-is-coming/news-story/e88a623c6b84988c44ff25e0d9c72f9e

Coup attempt in Turkey raises a nuclear concern at US air base24 July, 2016. Incirlik Air Base was an operational centre of the attempted coup. It is also America’s largest foreign stockpile of nuclear weapons.http://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/1994052/coup-attempt-turkey-raises-nuclear-concern-us-air-base
CANADA 
Feds say no to Kiggavik uranium mine, back Nunavut Impact Review BoardIndigenous and Northern Affairs Minister supports the Nunavut Impact Review Board's decisionhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/kiggavik-uranium-mine-federal-minister-backs-nirb-1.3695851
FRANCE 
EDF board member resigns, attacking Hinkley Point nuclear project as financially 'risky' A board member of EDF has quit ahead of its meeting to approve the Hinkley Point nuclear plant, c! alling the project "very risky" and suggesting it could drag  the French utility giant into an "abyss".http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/07/28/edf-board-member-resigns-attacking-hinkley-point-nuclear-project/

French nuclear company EDF to get cash infusionThe French government has said it will go ahead with a 4-billion-euro share issue for state-controlled electricity firm EDF. The move will help finance the construction of two controver! sial nuclear reactors in the UK.http://www.dw.com/en/french-nuclear-company-edf-to-get-cash-infusion/a-19428058


JAPAN
Japan Atomic again flubs maintenance checks at Monju reactorJul 22, 2016. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency again failed to conduct checks on a device at its experimental Monju fast-breeder reactor a! nd overlooked a warning signal from a maintenance management system fo r about three months, it was learned Friday.http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/22/national/japan-atomic-again-flubs-maintenance-checks-at-monju-reactor/

Japan business lobby says Abe govt can't rely on nuclear energyJul 22, 2016. Japan's use of nuclear power is unlikely to meet a government target of returning to! near pre-Fukushima levels and the world's No.3 economy needs to get serious about boosting renewables, a senior executive at a top business lobby said.http://uk.reuters.com/article/japan-energy-idUKL4N19N1D4
Citizen science takes on Japan's nuclear establishment.As other Tokyo office workers poured into restaurants and bars at quitting time one recent evening, Kohei Matsushita went to the eighth floor of a high-rise for an unusual after-hours activity: learning how to assemble his own Geiger counter from a kit http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-japan-safecast-snap-story.html & http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-3752169746675898187
NORTH KOREA
North Korea admits 'our nuclear weapons aren't a threat to the UK'Jul 22, 2016. The rog! ue state claimed that Theresa May's comments on the nuclear threat that Kim Jong-un poses were "absolutely astonishing"http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/north-korea-admits-our-nuclear-8469712

SOUTH AFRICA 
R** Saliem Fakir: Is Eskom building a case for nuclear power?July 28 2016. IT IS disconcerting that Eskom is advising! the government to freeze a globally acclaimed renewable energy progra mme based on a perceived misunderstanding of the benefits of the renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) programme.http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/2016/07/28/is-eskom-building-a-case-for-nuclear-power

SOUTH KOREA & UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
South Korea signs $880 million nuclear reactor staffing deal in UAEJuly 25, 2016. The reac! tors, still under construction, are Korean-designed and made. < /span>http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2016/07/25/South-Korea-signs-880-million-nuclear-reactor-staffing-deal-in-UAE/9691469456937/


UKRAINE
R** Chernobyl’s atomic wasteland may be reborn with solar energy.Ukraine’s looking toward the sun to put a radioactive wasteland back into business
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-27/chernobyl-s-atomic-wasteland-may-be-reborn-with-solar-energy & http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/7215800581468106948 

UKBradwell & Sizewell futures unclear after delayed Hinkley decision A late move by the government to review all of the component parts of the propo! sed nuclear power deal in the region has cast doubt that it will go ahead in its current form.http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/story/2016-07-28/bradwell-sizewell-futures-unclear-after-delayed-hinkley-decision/

Nuclear power plants must be value for money, say MPs26 July 2016. Future nuclear power projects in Wales must be value for money and create jobs where they are built, MPs have said.http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-36883145

Campaign against Anglesey nuclear train transporting radioactive waste24 Jul 2016. Demonstrations have been held against radioactive waste being transported by rail along the North Wales coast.http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/campaign-against-anglesey-nucl! ear-train-11652484

Russia, China and South Korea 'should be invited to build UK nuclear plants' 23 July 2016. Russian, Chinese and South Korean nuclear companies should be offered subsidy contracts to build reactors in the UK if they are cheaper than other projects already under development, a prominent nuclear lobbyist has said. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/07/23/russia-china-and-! south-korea-should-be-invited-to-build-uk-nucle/

Record 46% of UK's electricity generated by clean energy sources in 2015Official figures show low-carbon sources accounted for almost half of national electricity supply last year - outstripping coal for the first time
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/28/record-46-of-uks-electricity-generated-by-clean-energy-sources-in-2015 

Hinkley Point C in fresh doubt after government delays approval Ministers to conduct fresh review into much delayed project, with no green light expected until autumn despite EDF’s confirmationhttps://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/28/hinkley-point-c-to-go-ahead-after-edf-board-approves-project 

'I'm not scared by nuclear': locals divided over Hinkley Point CBusinesses and education providers on the Somerset coast see opportunities but residents remain concerned over safety and waste
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/28/im-not-scared-by-nuclear-locals-divided-over-hinkley-point-c 

Damian Carrington: Hinkley's nuclear plant fails all tests - bar the politicsHuge, expensive and difficult to build, Hinkley is a throwback to the last century, just as the world is embracing the smart energy systems of the future
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2016/jul/28/hinkley-point-c-nuclear-plant-fails-all-tests-bar-the-politics 

R** The Guardian view on Hinkley C: wrong project, wrong priceThis project will suck up billions that ought to be invested in reducing demand and developing renewables
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/28/the-guardian-view-on-hinkley-c-wrong-project-wrong-price

Flamanville: France's beleaguered forerunner to Hinkley Point COver-budget and behind schedule, the €10.5bn nuclear reactor has faced problems that some say could be repeated in the UK https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/27/flamanville-france-edf-nuclear-reactor-hinkley-point-c 

John Sauven: Hinkley Point C is no more than a doomed attempt at face-savingWith all the costs and risks involved, the spectre of George Osborne’s energy policy could haunt Britain for decades https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/27/hinkley-point-c-no-more-than-doomed-attempt-face-saving 



USA 

Georgia Power gets green light on new nuclear plant.State energy regulators gave Georgia Power Co. the go-ahead Thursday to start laying the groundwork for a new nuclear power plant south of Columbus, Ga.
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2016/07/28/georgia-power-gets-green-light-on-new-nuclear.html & http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-5364447484801522532

R** New York could show the way to rescue U.S.nuclear plants.New York state and nuclear power have never been best friends, but the state is expected to decide as soon as Monday on a proposed subsidy plan that could furnish the rest of the country with a model for saving a struggling industry while reducing carbon emissions
http://in.reuters.com/article/usa-nuclearpower-new-york-idINL1N1AD195 & http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/7215800581468107011
Times Union Editorial: A hefty nuclear subsidyNew York's proposed clean energy plan includes billions in nuclear plant subsidies.http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-opinion/article/Editorial-A-hefty-nuclear-subsidy-8416153.php

Focus: Why San Onofre's nuclear waste stays on the beachPolicy stalemate leaves toxic spent fuel strandedJuly 22, 2016. Some 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste at the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is all stored up with no place to go.http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jul/22/san-onofre-stranded-waste/

US must stop playing with nuclear hellfire26th July 2016. Thanks to an increasingly aggressive US foreign policy pursued over decades, NATO nuclear missiles and armed forces are poised on Russia's border, writes Conn Hallinan - forcing it to abandon its 'no first use of nuclear weapons' pledge in view of the massively asymmetrical threat it faces. The world must step back from the brink of nuclear annihilation.http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/2987941/us_must_stop_playing_with_nuclear_hellfire.html

NASA books nuclear-certified Atlas 5 rocket for Mars 2020 rover launch July 25, 2016. CAPE CANAVERAL — America’s next Mars rover, a $2.1 billion nuclear-powered vehicle to search for evidence that life once existed there, will be launched to the Red Planet in the summer of 2020 by a powerful Atlas 5 rocket.https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/07/25/nasa-books-nuclear-certified-atlas-5-rocket-for-mars-2020-rover-launch/

PA DEP News Release : DEP Lists Susquehanna River as Impaired for Multiple Uses, Develops New Analytic Methods for Semiannual Impaired Waterways Report

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a series of warnings about the Susquehanna River and its tributaries. Nearly five miles of the Susquehanna between Harrisburg and Columbia and 1,665 miles of the rivers tributaries were deemed unsuitable for recreational activity due to harmful coliform bacteria. The bacteria forms naturally, however its overabundance in the river is attributed to agricultural and storm water runoff. While the dwindling population of small mouth bass was mentioned during the announcement, none of the new impairments were related to the widespread sickness seen in the fish.

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NRC Sends Augmented Inspection Team to Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Plant

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
No: II-16-032 August 1, 2016

NRC Sends Augmented Inspection Team to Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission today is sending an Augmented Inspection Team to the Westinghouse nuclear fuel fabrication plant in Columbia, S.C., to assess the unexpected accumulation of an excessive amount of uranium-bearing material in a plant component.

An Augmented Inspection Team, or an AIT, is formed to review the circumstances surrounding significant events at NRC-licensed facilities. The six-member NRC inspection team includes fuel facility inspectors and a manager from the agency’s Region II office in Atlanta as well as specialists from NRC Headquarters in Rockville, Md.

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PA DEP News Release : DEP Lists Susquehanna River as Impaired for Multiple Uses, Develops New Analytic Methods for Semiannual Impaired Waterways Report

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
08/1/2016

CONTACT:
Neil Shader, DEP

DEP Lists Susquehanna River as Impaired for Multiple Uses, Develops New Analytic Methods for Semiannual Impaired Waterways Report

Harrisburg, PA - A new report from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) lists four miles of the Susquehanna River as impaired for recreation. The recreation impairment listing joins an impairment for fish consumption for the Susquehanna River, though the listings are not related to smallmouth bass populations in the river. The report also sets forth a groundbreaking protocol to scientifically assess a large river system.

“DEP has dramatically increased the monitoring efforts of the Susquehanna River, and is developing analytic protocols that set the bar for scientific study of large river systems,” said DEP Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “DEP carefully considered the scientific data in preparing this report, and the additional impaired listings in 2014 and 2016 of the Susquehanna River to the impaired waterways list is the recognition of that increased monitoring.”

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NRC Proposes $7,000 Fine Against New Jersey Company for Violations at San Francisco Shipyard

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
No. I-16-025 July 29, 2016
Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331

NRC Proposes $7,000 Fine Against New Jersey Company for Violations at San Francisco Shipyard

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited Tetra Tech EC, Inc., for an apparent violation of NRC requirements that occurred at the U.S. Navy’s Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard site in California.
The agency has proposed a $7,000 fine.

Hunter’s Point is being remediated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, with Environmental Protection Agency oversight. Tetra Tech was contracted by the Department of the Navy to assist with the regulatory free-release and closure of the radiologically-impacted buildings and sites at the shipyard, under the Navy’s Base Realignment and Closure mandate. The NRC has jurisdiction over the northeast portion of the shipyard. NRC oversight involves ensuring that contractors with NRC service provider licenses, such as Tetra Tech, are conducting remediation activities safely. NRC is not overseeing the decommissioning of the site.

The Navy identified discrepancies in the soil sample survey data and Tetra Tech conducted an investigation to identify the inaccurate records. After the company reported the discrepancies to the NRC, an NRC investigation was conducted, which determined that two Tetra Tech workers, who worked within NRC jurisdiction, deliberately falsified soil samples on a number of occasions in late 2011 through the summer of 2012. When tasked with obtaining soil samples to ascertain the amount of residual radioactivity in certain locations within Parcel C, the workers instead obtained soil samples from other areas that were suspected to be less contaminated and then created documents indicating the work had been done as expected. The company has since taken actions to prevent recurrence.

Tetra Tech has been issued a notice of violation for failing to make surveys within Parcel C that were reasonable to evaluate concentrations of residual radioactivity in the soil.

“Although the NRC investigation did not find information to suggest buildings, land or materials were inappropriately released for unrestricted use, the failure to perform reasonable surveys is a significant concern because that potential did exist,” said Region I Administrator Dan Dorman.

Tetra Tech is not required to respond to the notice of violation because the company has already provided information on the reason for the violation and the actions taken to prevent recurrence. The company has 30 days to pay the proposed civil penalty or to request in writing that all or part of it be withdrawn.

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NRC Proposes $7,000 Fine for Georgia Firm for Violations Involving Radiography Work

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
No. I-16-024 July 28, 2016
Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331

NRC Proposes $7,000 Fine for Georgia Firm for Violations Involving Radiography Work‌

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing a $7,000 civil penalty for a Georgia-based company for failing to comply with agency requirements while performing industrial radiography work at a job site in Virginia.

On Oct. 20, 2015, a radiographer for Applied Technical Services (ATS) Inc., of Marietta, Ga., was using radiography equipment to check on a pipe weld at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Langley Research Center when the NRC conducted an unannounced safety inspection and identified several concerns. Issues found during that inspection also triggered an investigation by the NRC’s Office of Investigation.

Based on the results of both the inspection and investigation, the NRC has identified three violations of NRC regulations: 1) a failure to post conspicuous radiation or high radiation signs to establish a clear boundary in an area where industrial radiography was being performed; 2) a failure to conduct a radiological survey of the camera guide tube after taking a pipe weld image; and 3) a failure to comply with a condition of the company’s nuclear materials license from the State of Georgia that requires continuous direct visual surveillance of the radiography work to guard against unauthorized entries into the radiation area.

ATS is a consulting engineering firm that holds nuclear materials licenses from both the NRC and Georgia. Georgia, as an NRC Agreement State, issued the company a license allowing it to perform radiography work within its borders and in other Agreement States. When the firm is working at federal facilities, such as the NASA site, it falls under the jurisdiction of the NRC.

The NRC is also issuing a Severity Level III Notice of Violation to the radiographer for deliberately failing to post warnings in the area where the industrial radiography was being performed.

“Contrary to NRC regulations, radiography work was being performed in this case without the proper precautions in places. These steps are required for the protection of both the public and those performing the activities,” NRC Region I Administrator Dan Dorman said. “While no one was harmed by this breach of requirements, the lack of adherence to these important requirements is unacceptable.”

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Missing Portable Nuclear Gauge Recovered in Connecticut

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
No. I-16-023 July 27, 2016
Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331

Missing Portable Nuclear Gauge Recovered in Connecticut
A Connecticut company has notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that a portable nuclear gauge reported stolen early Tuesday has been recovered. The gauge, which was located by police

Tuesday afternoon at a pawn shop in Bridgeport, Conn., was not damaged.
An inspector from Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection traveled to the shop Tuesday to inspect the gauge. Once the inspector confirmed the device was undamaged, it was returned to its owner.

The NRC is following up on the event. This includes an NRC inspection being conducted today at the offices of HAKS Material Testing Group in Bridgeport.

On Tuesday morning, HAKS Material Testing Group reported to the NRC that the gauge was stolen from a technician’s vehicle while it was parked in Bridgeport. The vehicle’s trunk was broken into, chains securing the gauge in place were cut and it was removed.

The gauge is used for such industrial purposes as measuring the density of soil at construction sites. It contains small amounts of radioactive material that is shielded within the device when it is not in use.

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Nuclear Gauge Reported Stolen in Connecticut; Recovery is Sought

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
No. I-16-022 July 26, 2016
Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331

Nuclear Gauge Reported Stolen in Connecticut; Recovery is Sought‌
A Connecticut company has notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that a portable moisture-density gauge containing sealed sources of radioactive material has been stolen.

HAKS Material Testing Group, of Bridgeport, Conn., reported that the device was stolen early on Tuesday, July 26, from a technician’s vehicle while it was parked in Bridgeport. The vehicle’s trunk was broken into, chains securing the gauge in place were cut and it was removed.

The device contains small amounts of cesium-137 and americium-241. The gauge is used to make measurements by projecting the radiation from the two radioactive sources into the ground and then displaying the reflected radiation on a dial on its top.

The gauge, which is stored in a robust transportation case, consists of a shielding container with a plunger-type handle protruding from the top. The handle is used to extend and then retract the radioactive sources from the shielded position. When not in use, the handle is normally locked, with the sources in the retracted, safely shielded position. The rectangular base of the gauge is yellow.

As long as the sources are in the shielded position, the gauge would present no hazard to the public. However, any attempt to tamper with the radioactive sources in the device could subject the person to radiation exposure. Handling of the unshielded sources outside their container would carry a risk of potentially dangerous radiation exposure.

Anyone seeing the gauge should leave it alone and report its location to the NRC’s Operations Center at (301) 816-5100. The center is staffed 24 hours a day and accepts collect calls. An NRC inspector will be sent to the company’s offices to gather more information on the loss of the gauge.

Law-enforcement authorities are investigating the theft. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has been notified about the loss of the gauge.

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PA DEP News Release : New GIS Application and Tutorial to Help Users Find Information

New GIS Application and Tutorial to Help Users Find Information

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today released an updated version of a GIS application that allows users to learn information and download reports about oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania. DEP also released a new video tutorial that explains how to use the PA Oil and Gas Well Mapping application and what information is available to retrieve. The video is available on DEP’s YouTube Channel.

“This updated Oil and Gas Well Mapping application puts information about both conventional and unconventional oil and gas wells at your fingertips,” DEP Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell said. “Making such data available and easy to use promotes transparency and allows the public to generate the information they want on demand.”

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NRC Issues $7,000 Civil Penalty to Acuren USA

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
*Press Release Issued Friday*
No: IV-16-016 July 8, 2016
CONTACT: Victor Dricks, 817-200-1128

NRC Issues $7,000 Civil Penalty to Acuren USA
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a $7,000 civil penalty to Acuren USA for violations of NRC regulations related to its industrial radiographic operations at a facility in Kenai, Alaska. The company is licensed to use radioactive materials in devices for making images of pipe welds.

Inspectors walking around the outside of the facility during an unannounced inspection on April 10, 2014, observed high readings on their radiation survey meters in an area without boundaries or physical controls to prevent entry by the public during radiography operations.

An initial dose estimate performed by the inspectors indicated that had a member of the public been standing next to the building during the time the radiography operations were conducted on that day, they could have been exposed to radiation in excess of NRC annual limits (100 millirem). In addition, the inspectors were concerned that over the course of a year, members of the public employed in a nearby office had the potential to receive a dose in excess of NRC annual limits. The NRC determined that no members of the public had received radiation exposures as a result of the company’s failure to establish required controls. The company has taken numerous corrective actions designed to ensure safe operations at the Kenai facility.

NRC staff met with company officials May 12 to discuss results of the NRC inspection before determining that seven violations of NRC regulations had occurred, including two that were willful. The violations were identified in an NRC inspection report issued March 24.

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Green Infrastructure Projects Help Pennsylvania’s Urban Communities Address Environmental Challenges

Lancaster, PA –  Members of the Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), along with legislators, local, state and federal environmental officials, today toured eight innovative projects in Lancaster to learn how the city has addressed environmental challenges such as stormwater management through the use of green infrastructure.

Green infrastructure uses natural materials such as soil and plants to help increase the amount of water that’s absorbed when it rains. It is particularly beneficial in cities or towns that often have more impervious surfaces and fewer natural areas.

“Managing stormwater is one of the biggest environmental challenges our cities and towns face today,” DEP Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell said. “Finding new and innovative ways to reduce water runoff will improve our local water quality as well as help us meet our goals for reducing pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.”

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Strange trip at Susquehanna nuclear power plant

Attached are pages from the Susquehanna Unit 2 technical specifications, two of the single-line electrical drawings, and Chapter 13 of the FSAR. I could not find drawing E-9 Sheet 71 which has the breakers within Motor Control Center 2B246. But drawing E-9 Sheet 20 is attached which shows the breakers for MCC 1B246. Assuming that Unit 1 is configured similar to Unit 2 in this regard, the components in that MCC should be identical or close. The event notification stated that the fault on MCC 2B246 disabled a drywell unit cooler, causing drywell pressure to increase. MCC 1B246 powers drywell unit coolers on Unit 1.

The attached pages address some of the questions posed:
1) Shift Technical Advisors are required to be on-shift to provide advise to the operators. I worked several years as an STA at Browns Ferry and the STAs at Grand Gulf reported to me when I was the Reactor Engineering Supervisor. The STAs worked 24/7, but they did not have to be in the control room at all times. Basically, STAs have to be summonable by the operators. That's typically defined as being available within 10 minutes of being called. The STAs don't have to be in the control room. But the STAs are not supposed to become "hands on." They are supposed to remain detached so as to be free to look around, gather dots, and connect them. If the STA was out in the plant trying to restore power or take steps to cope with the loss of power, the STA erred by straying from assigned responsibilities.

2) The tech specs say that the drywell pressure causes an automatic trip when pressure rises to 1.88 psig or less. The event report says that operators manually tripped the reactor as pressure neared 1.3 psig on the rise. I suspect that this is not the signal that any one bypassed because it's wicked hard to bypass this one.

3) The event report states that operators turned HPCI off after it had automatically initiated. The TMI operators turned off an automatically stated makeup system, which contributed much to that meltdown. NRC may be irked with the haste at which HPCI was turned off, but turning if off would be standard BWR procedure for such a situation.

4) Bad deed to avoid increased NRC oversight doesn't make sense. The unplanned scrams performance indicator shows some margin for another scram or two:

The NRC recently sent a Chilled Work Environment letter to TVA due to about half the operators feeling that management would retaliate against them for raising safety concerns. Seems that in November 2015, TVA sanctioned several operators. TVA contends that the sanctions were for misdeeds occurring about five weeks earlier. The operators contend the sanctions were in response to concerns the operators raised a day or two before the sanctions were levied. Since the NRC issued its CWE letter in March 2016 after asking around, it seems that NRC believed the operators' story instead of managements.

I relay this history because it may apply to the morale of the work force at Susquehanna. If the work force believes that the 10 terminations were for the wrong reason, it won't matter if they were for the right reason.

Besides 10 seems like way too many managers to mess up a single event. With 10 people you can play 5 on 5 basketball. It typically only takes 1 to 3 managers to mess up an event. They may have been wanting to trim 10 positions and found 7-9 draftees to complement the 1-3 volunteers.

Thanks,
Dave Lochbaum

UCS

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