TVA Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant - NRC 95001 & 95003 Inspection Reports/Citizen Input

NRC 95001 & 95003  INSPECTION-PUBLIC REPORT

On Wednesday December 5, 2012 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC, held an update and safety/inspection report for the 3 nuclear reactors at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Browns Ferry Nuclear Facility. This report was related to three White findings, 95001 Inspection and one Red finding, 95003 Inspection. Huntsville Times/Al.com report: http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/12/browns_ferry_preparing_for_fin.html 

NRC Browns Ferry Unit 1 information and Reports: http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/bf1.html

NRC Browns Ferry Unit 2 information and reports: http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/bf2.html

NRC Browns Ferry Unit 3 information and reports: http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/bf3.html

 

All U.S. civilian nuclear power reactor reports and status may be found at this NRC link:  http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/index.html 

 

GE Mark 1 Nuclear Reactor Diagram

 

Chattanooga Times Free Press article by Pam Sohn: "The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regulators told TVA nuclear officials Wednesday that it is lifting the white safety findings from the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. TVA chief nuclear officer Preston Swafford and Browns Ferry's plant manager Keith Polson said they will in January ask NRC to schedule a third volley of inspections aimed at lifting the NRC's most serious safety flag -- a red finding that has been hanging over the plant for more than a year."

"The red flag stemmed from a faulty valve on a shutdown cooling system on Unit 1 that went unnoticed for 18 months. RC found that the failure was a one of TVA's safety and maintenance culture there. n Wednesday, plant manager Polson told NRC officials that TVA had created an improvement plan containing over 1,000 action items."To date 72 percent of those actions are complete," Polson said." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/dec/06/browns-ferry-gets-green-light-on-some/

If the TVA requests the final inspection in January 2013 it is expected that the comprehensive final inspection to remove the "Red Flag Finding," the most serious safety finding reflecting degraded conditions, will begin in April 2013 according to NRC officials.

Previous articles about the TVA Browns Ferry Nuclear Facility and the GE Mark 1 type of nuclear reactors on this blog: http://arklite.blogspot.com/search/label/TVA%20Browns%20Ferry This listing contains previous NRC meetings on Browns Ferry and the related issues concerning defects in the GE Mark 1 type of nuclear reactors which exploded and melted down at Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Facility in Japan due toan extended Station Blackout as a result of a natural disaster.

VIDEO Part 1-NRC and TVA Presentations


VIDEO Part 2 Public Presentations The Browns Ferry Incident - If we forget our history, we are doomed to repeat it.

Nu-Start Sees the Light, Bails on TVA

TVA's Bellefonte Units 1 & 2. After stripping of the never completed nuclear plants they are approximately 50% complete. It is estimated that completion will cost between $4-8 Billion (A very conservative estimate.). Recent events have resulted in the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, BREDL, filing a legal action in Federal Court as a result of nuclear licensing violations by the NRC body itself concerning violations of Nuclear Licensing Policy concerning Bellefonte's Units 1 & 2.

Artist's rendition of the 2 proposed AP 1000 Nuclear Plants at Bellefonte.
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Nu-Start has announced they will not participate in the Bellefonte Nuclear Project. This article from the Huntsville Times today. http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/local.ssf?/base/news/1241169332232650.xml&coll=1

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Some important phrases from the article: 1. "The change," it said, "is designed to align industry and regulatory resources with a license application that has specific, near-term construction plans."

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The TVA Act prevents Nu-Start from participating (TVA is not allowed to sell power outside of its service area.) and TVA can not afford half of a reactor much less 4. There are various geological problems with the area.
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These facts plus the Obama administration will soon change the face of the TVA's Board prevents Nu-Start from participating. Nu-Start consists of publicly held stock companies. The Nu-Start entity companies are not going to loose their proverbial buttocks over TVA's hair brain schemes to spend billions of dollars while the TVA has an unmanageable, growing debt situation.
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2. "The switch in designation "doesn't change our plan," TVA spokesman Terry Johnson said Thursday. Building and operating two AP1000 reactors "is still an option for the Bellefonte site," he said."

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Changing their plan? The TVA is in "lala land." TVA is intent on feeding the citizens of Jackson County and the TVA area with copious amounts of propaganda. The TVA's propaganda in conjunction with that from the areas federal, state and in some cases local politicians and bureaucrats will never result in a completed Bellefonte project. Wake up citizens and smell the stench of continued TVA political propaganda! The TVA can not afford 1/2 of a nuclear reactor much less 4 as proposed for Bellefonte. TVA's continuation of the proposed 4 reactor plan for Bellefonte is a continuation of TVA's culture of management deceit.

Bellefonte Nuclear, Suit Filed in Federal Court-Press Release, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League

GROUPS TAKES BELLEFONTE FIGHT TO A HIGHER COURT

Yesterday the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League filed a Petition for Review in the US Court of Appeals of the Bellefonte nuclear power plant in Alabama. The League seeks judicial review of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s reinstatement of construction permits for two nuclear reactors, the so-called Bellefonte 1 and 2.

The League’s petition relies in part on a statement from a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission who voted against the Bellefonte Construction Permit. In January Commissioner Jaczko wrote, “There is an inherent danger in ignoring this obvious fact. Licenses exist for a purpose. We use them to fulfill our statutory mandate of protecting the public health and safety.”

Local residents supporting the League’s petition criticized the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s action. Louise Gorenflo, of the Bellefonte Efficiency and Sustainability Team in Chattanooga, said, “NRC’s mission is to protect public health. But they’re bending over backwards to accommodate TVA and ignoring their role as regulators.”

The League’s Science Director, Louis Zeller, said, “TVA has cannibalized its original plant, rendering it useless. The off-again, on-again history of this plant, the uncertain management, and the unprecedented reinstatement add up to a situation which is both dangerous and illegal.”

James B. Dougherty authored the March 30th petition to the court. This month the League hired Mr. Dougherty to work with them on the Bellefonte challenge.

The Bellefonte construction permit was first issued in 1974; construction was halted twice, in 1985 and 1994, before the permit was withdrawn in 2005. Since then, salvage operations have removed valuable components such as stainless steel pipes.

Points of Contact:
Louis Zeller (336) 982-2691 office, (336) 977-0852 cell
Louise Gorenflo (931) 484-2633
James Dougherty (202) 488-1140

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Update April 1, 2009:
Interesting Article in this mornings Scottsboro Daily Sentinel newspaper. Headline Reads: "Group Tries To Block Bellefonte," true. What is not true is this statement in the article, refering to Units 1 & 2 Construction Permits, "The Commission voted 3-1 in February to reinstate construction permits..." that is not true and reflects the continuing stream of propaganda being pandered to the citizens about this project.
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The truth is, not one, none, zilch, zero, -0- votes of approval were given to reinstate the construction permits. The vote results of the 4 NRC Commissioners were: 1-disapproved and 3 voted both disapproved and approved. There was NO VOTE OF APPROVAL. The single disapproved voter stated, "...there is an inherent danger in ignoring the obvious fact. Licenses exist for a purpose. We use them to fulfill our statutory mandate of protecting the public health and safety." This statement was made due to the NRC's policy concerning terminated and deferred status which states, "... a terminated plant is a nuclear power plant at which the licensee has announced that construction has been permanently stopped, but which still has a valid construction permit." There is no valid construction permit for Bellefonte Units 1 & 2, it was cancelled by the TVA. This policy statement was highlighted in COMMISSIONER SVINICKI's comments and rulings. The Commissioners which voted with Commissioner Svinicki's "disapproved-approved" vote each stated an agreement with her position.
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It is significant that the NRC Staff Reviewer noted there could be no return to a terminated or deferred status of the Construction Permit as there is no Construction License in existence as required by NRC Policy as it was cancelled by the TVA.
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However, the NRC Staff and the 3 Commissioners voting "approved-disapproved," with no single vote of approval, went ahead over the objections of the Senior Staff Reviewer and Commissioner Jaczko's protest and moved to reinstate a non-existing construction permit and placed the TVA's non-existant, previously cancelled permit into a terminated status in violation of the NRC's Policy and Regulatory Guidance.

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This is the reason this case will be heard in the Federal Court System. It is also the reason the 3 Commissioners voted "approved-disapproved." There was no legal form or fashion they could vote Approved as there was no Construction Permit/License in existence, it had been cancelled.

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The 3 errant Commissioners schemed to violate NRC Policy and circumvent procedures in the Nuclear Licensing Process. The question now arises, did the 3 Commissioners actions violate the Atomic Energy Act?