January 24, 2022 Scottsboro, Alabama - Flawed State of Alabama Hazard Mitigation Plan, Tornadoes and GE Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors, Reported to Emergency Management Agency, FEMA and TARCOG - UPDATE - Jan. 25, 2022 - Reply From TARCOG/FEMA

 

TVA Browns Ferry Nuclear Facility near Tanner, Alabama TVA info: Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (tva.com) Photo by TVA a US Government corporate entity. Fair Use for non-profit news reporting, education and commentary. 

13 years reporting on the GE Mark 1 Reactors, The TVA Browns Ferry Nuclear Facility saga:   https://arklite.blogspot.com/search/label/TVA%20Browns%20Ferry

FLAWED STATE OF ALABAMA HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN INVOLVING TORNADO THREATS AND THE BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR FACILITY, A 3 UNIT GE MARK 1 NUCLEAR FACILITY

REPORT TO FEMA AND TARCOG

 Reference: https://tarcog.us/2022/01/division-f-regional-hazard-mitigation-plan-final-draft-available-for-public-comment/?fbclid=IwAR2Omt9S7eCu6szZs24eUozrucbKVeWUL-H-AiOUsB1RsyW5MGxJZKhcNN4

My name is Garry L. Morgan, U.S Army Medical Department Retired, member of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, BREDL and BEST, Bellefonte Efficiency and Sustainability Team. - I am providing feedback regarding a failure to identify a specific hazard, severe tornado threat to the Browns Ferry Nuclear Facility, near Tanner, Alabama, Limestone County, in the Hazard Mitigation Plan, Division F involving North Alabama, and request this failure to identify the significant hazard be corrected. Info below.

There is a serious deficit regarding Hazard Profile Section 4, Division F in regards to Tornado Activity and the TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN). A near miss occurred on April 27, 2011 in Limestone County. The F-5 tornado took out incoming power to the nuclear reactors, there was one backup generator failure. --- BFN is a GE Mark 1 Reactor design, there are no hardened overhead secondary containments covering the 3 GE Mark 1 Reactors and fuel pools at BFN. The overhead area is sheet metal attached to steel I beams. --- The area experienced no electrical power for an extended period, some areas were without power in excess of 5 days. --- A direct hit of the reactor building by an EF4-5 tornado would likely be a catastrophic event involving all of North Alabama and portions of South Tennessee. A release of radioactive material in the immediate area and downwind would be a high probability. --- TVA's, Tennessee Valley Authority, and NRC's, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, assessment of the event was unreliable, and their reporting accuracy to the public was flawed. ( News Reports of flawed assessments, as reported by nuclear industry specialists: Browns Ferry: Shrinking the safety margin at Alabama's largest nuclear plant - al.com link: https://www.al.com/wire/2013/07/browns_ferry.html  note the sheet metal coverings over the nuclear fuel pool in the photos within the article listed;  and TVA resuming power generation at Browns Ferry nuclear plant - al.com link: https://www.al.com/breaking/2011/05/tva_to_resume_power_generation.html note-there was an emergency generator failure which TVA did not disclose to the public.) --- Failure to include tornado events and mitigation regarding BFN is an error which must be corrected.

Regards,

Garry L. Morgan, USAMEDD Retired

BREDL/BEST  

(contact info redacted, submitted in original document)

April 27, 2011 Tornado Tracks

BEST/MATRR Tornado Track Map, 4/27/2011 - Fair Use for education, news reporting and commentary. 

Link: https://bestmatrrdangers.blogspot.com/

Reply From TARCOG/FEMA

Thank you so much for providing us with this critical information.

We certainly did not intent to leave this particular event out of the regional document.

While we have noted other tornadic events throughout the region, it seems this one was not reported to NOAA as specifically having impacted the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN).

It also appears that finding this information would have been a bit difficult, as your note states that certain segments of the event were not published to the public.

Are there any additional events that we need to be made aware of regarding any other facilities?

If so, please pass along that information as well.

We thank you again for giving us this evidence and we assure you this event will be added to the regional mitigation document.

(original email document signed)

Scottsboro, Alabama - March 4, 2019 - Jackson County Commission Work Session, 3 Part Video and Careful of the Pending Resolution, It Is a Tax Increase, or an Attempt to Divert Schools Taxes

North Side of the Jackson County Courthouse, photo by G. Morgan

Agenda (all commissioners approved the agenda)

Click on image to expand view.

1) County Roadside cleanup - Much was discussed involving communities and businesses in the roadside cleanup. Since Jackson County has plenty of money in its General Account, NOT, it was discussed that the county should buy Game Cameras with solar power, cellular modem for communications with the "Cloud." No total number of the camera units were discussed, the high tech cameras would be utilized for catching garbage dumpers. Cost $499.00 per unit, not including labor for installation in an elevated position.

2) The Pending Resolution - There was no description on the agenda of what was pending. It became obvious after a few minutes why there was no description about the issue. Shhh, don't tell, all of this pending is an  attempt to raise taxes, even if it includes taking schools taxes, Commissioners mentioned, they will not miss it if we take the growth increase in schools tax or a small percentage of the tax. 

 New Board Room with video/audio equipment, elevated platform for the Commissioners. A "Pending Resolution," but that is not all for my expressed concern, such as voting on issues during work sessions, even though the item voted on was not on the agenda, not even an emergency declaration. Sitting the rules aside is always an option at the new commission's thrown of secrecy to spend funds, transfer equipment and materials not stated on an agenda or discussed previously. At least not in an open meeting. SHHH, we got secrets.

Beware, hidden in the new thrown chamber are the "tax snakes," some call them "Pending Resolutions." 1/2 CENT TO 1 CENT SALES TAX WAS STATED.

Executive Magazine's "Tax Snakes" illustration - Fair Use for non-profit news reporting and commentary. 

On one hand the commission complains it is in trouble financially due to the flood damage, no doubt repairing the damage will cost the county's citizens near $3 million dollars, according to the county engineer. Unfortunately there is only $2 million in the account to cover costs, according to Mr. Venable. Never fear, we will build a new commission board room, complete with a Commission Chair who doesn't want to clarify the "Pending Resolution" meaning. Which apparently includes taking a portion of the county schools tax. However, only if the commissioners can con the Legislative Delegation into submitting their scheme of the "Pending Resolution" to the state legislature

. 

CLARIFICATION VIDEO -  Schools tax diversion, surely not? 

3 PART VIDEO OF THE COMMISSION MEETING

Part 1 video, there is a suggestion to spend money on Game Cameras, with a cellular connection, cloud storage, and solar power, high expense to deter and photograph trash dumpers; how many cameras? These cameras are $500.00 each, not including the cloud storage capabilities as mentioned in the discussion.


Part 2 "Watch for Snakes," the tax snake. Agenda Item 2, "Pending Resolution." A sneaky way of introducing proposals to increase taxes and/or redistribute taxes from County Education Tax coffers without stating the item on the agenda.


Agenda Item 3) Part 3 video, HRRR, High Risk Rural Roads Safety Project, County Road 77. Jackson County roads damage as a result of flooding, photos of flooding. Description of FEMA requirements and time frames.