Whistle Blower Actions Correct TVA Flooding Issues at Watts Bar and Sequoyah - NRC Regulatory Performance Inspection Reports and Citizen Comments

 

How resilient are TVA nuclear plants? Are they susceptible to flooding which would cause a non-design basis disaster such as occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility in Japan?

This is what the recent inspections were about.  Flooding is an issue, according to the TVA and the NRC inspectors, deficiencies have been corrected.

During the Watts Bar meeting the NRC was asked about the reason we are having this issue about flooding. They were reminded that the reason the flooding issue is an issue is because an NRC whistleblower came forward. NRC Region 2 Officials deny that ever happened and stated it was their senior resident inspector at Watts Bar who brought the issue forward.

Union of Concerned Scientists on the NRC, Flooding Issue and Whistleblowers: "Dam failures are common..."  http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/nuclear_power/floods-from-dam-failure-10-19-12.pdf

 

VIDEO

                                            Dam Failure Incident Map

 

BACKGROUND ON THE ISSUE

October 2012 - "NRC Whistleblowers: Risk of Nuclear Melt-Down In U.S. Is Even HIGHER Than It Was at Fukushima...Massive Cover-Up of Risks from Flooding to Numerous U.S. Nuclear Facilities...Numerous American nuclear reactors are built within flood zones" http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/10/nrc-whistleblowers-higher-risk-of-nuclear-melt-down-in-u-s-than-fukushima.html

 

REACTOR MELTDOWN IS ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY

An engineer with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) … Richard Perkins, an NRC reliability and risk engineer, was the lead author on a July 2011 NRC report detailing flood preparedness. He said the NRC blocked information from the public regarding the potential for upstream dam failures to damage nuclear sites...Perkins, in a letter submitted Friday with the NRC Office of Inspector General, said that the NRC “intentionally mischaracterized relevant and noteworthy safety information as sensitive, security information in an effort to conceal the information from the public.” The Huffington Post first obtained the letter.

 

Huntsville Times, al.com - "A tornado or a ravaging flood could just as easily be like the tsunami that unleashed the final blow at Fukushima." http://blog.al.com/times-views/2011/03/editorial_mother_nature_not_ea.html

As a result of the NRC Engineer's disclosure improvements are made. What is wrong with a regulatory system where it takes brave individuals who must file complaints about their bosses supporting the nuclear industry instead of protecting the public's health and welfare?

ISSUES CORRECTED SAYS NRC -
"Regulators remove negative findings against TVA nuclear plants...TVA's nuclear power program, rated among the country's worst two years ago after regulators discovered safety problems at all three of the utility's plants, is on the mend.The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is lifting negative findings against each of TVA's operating nuclear plants this month after inspections late last year showed TVA has resolved questions over potential flood risks to the riverfront power plants."
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2014/feb/06/tva-nuclear-program-improvesregulators-remove/

SEQUOYAH


NRC Inspection Report - Public Session


Sequoyah Public Comments Make Radiation Visible


WATTS BAR
NRC Inspection Report - Public Session



Watts Bar Public Comments