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Showing posts with label Sequoyah Nuclear Plant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sequoyah Nuclear Plant. Show all posts

Monday, April 25, 2016

TVA's Sequoyah Nuclear Facility, 2015 Annual Assessment and SOARCA - April 20, 2016



Safecast Monitoring Info - Chattanooga to Sequoyah Nuclear Facility - https://api.safecast.org/en-US/bgeigie_imports/22879

April 20, 2016, Soddy Daisy, Tn.,TVA Sequoyah Nuclear Facility - NRC 2015 Annual Assessment Questions about the January 2015 Fine Levied Against TVA - Q&A about Event Reports - 5 Scrams on Unit 1 Sequoyah. NRC to increase oversight on Sequoyah Unit 1 due to number of unplanned shutdowns, scrams:http://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1531/ML1531... Also in 2015, TVA was fined for earlier Sequoyah regulatory findings related to no Fire Watches and Falsification of Records by contractor - http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2015/mar/12/tvfined-fire-safety-violations-nuclear-plantc/292823/


April 20, 2016 Part 3 Soddy Daisy, Tn., TVA Sequoyah Nuclear Facility; Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses (SOARCA), Public Information Session.

The SOARCA Process

(NRC-The SOARCA Process - Fair Use for non-profit news reporting.)
Step 1: Selecting Accident Scenarios to Model Step 3: Modeling Offsite Release of Radioactive Material Step 4: Modeling Emergency Response Step 5: Modeling Health Effects Step 2: Modeling Onsite Accident
Overall, the State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses (SOARCA) process includes five general steps, as illustrated in the flowchart to the right. See the following pages for discussions of the methods and rationale that the project team uses in each step to determine the realistic consequences of the select severe accident scenarios:


Bias in Health Effects Modeling?
April 20, 2016 Soddy Daisy, Tn., Sequoyah Nuclear Facility; Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses (SOARCA), Public Information Session. This video highlights offsite health consequences of a severe accident, modeling; focus here is on skewered health risk factors - fact vs fallacy in NRC's modeling program. NRC - SOARCA site modeling of health effects indicates bias in modeling of health effects in support of the nuclear industry. The bias is evidenced in this video. 

NRC Reference: http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/research/soar/soarca-health-effects.html There is no reference in the NRC link to the BIER VII Report which strongly supports the  linear no-threshold (LNT) model. However, the NRC site states - "The risk of a latent cancer fatality (LCF) from chronic exposure to low doses of radiation is very uncertain." The NRC site goes on to state it utilized the BIER V Report, which has been updated by the BIER VII Report which is ignored by the NRC. Inquiries addressed to NRC personnel and Sandia National Laboratory present indicated they apparently did not include specific groups of people in their health consequences modeling, e.g. infants, pregnant women young women of child bearing age and children who are most susceptible to ionizing radiation exposure.


April 20, 2016 Soddy Daisy, Tn., TVA Sequoyah Nuclear Facility Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses (SOARCA), Public Information Session. Presentation by David Lochbaum, Union of Concerned Scientists. 

My apologies for the sound quality. The training room has a speaker system, however it is never used for public meetings such as this. I have complained to the NRC about the poor sound quality and I have ask for them to utilize the sound system. Unfortunately they are not responsive to having good sound so that participants may actually hear the presentation. 


Sunday, September 21, 2014

Nuclear Regulatory Commission(NRC) - Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Public Hearing - Concerning TVA's Sequoyah Nuclear Facility (NNSA Public Hearing Links on TVA Tritium Production)

(photo - wikipedia, Fair Usage rights for non-profit news reporting)
4 part video presentation, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for license extension-

The Sequoyah Nuclear Plant is a nuclear power plant located on 525 acres (212 ha) located 7 miles (11 km) east of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, and 20 miles (32 km) north of Chattanooga, abutting Chickamauga Lake, on the Tennessee River. The facility is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

The plant has two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors. Sequoyah units 1 & 2, as well as their sister plant at Watts Bar, both have ice condenser containment systems. In case of a large loss-of-coolant accident, steam generated by the leak is directed toward borated ice which helps condense the steam creating a lower pressure, allowing for a smaller containment building.

The operating license of Sequoyah's Unit 1 expires in 2020. Unit 2's operating license expires in 2021.[2]

TVA's Sequoyah operating license was modified in September 2002 to allow TVA to irradiate tritium-producing burnable absorber rods at Sequoyah for the U.S. Department of Energy. The process of irradiating tritium-producing rods produces tritium, which is used in nuclear weapons and for various forms of research into nuclear fusion for commercial power production. Wiki article:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoyah_Nuclear_Generating_Station

NRC information on the License Extension - http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/sequoyah.html  It is remarkable that there is no date on the cover or other substantial documents listed on the NRC site references listed on the link referenced.

The Sequoyah plant has two pressurized water reactors. The current operating licenses are due to expire Sept. 17, 2020, for Unit 1 and Sept. 15, 2021, for Unit 2. The operator, Tennessee Valley Authority, submitted its renewal application Jan. 15, 2013.  

The NRC’s review of the application consists of a technical safety review and an environmental review. The draft supplemental environmental impact statement is Supplement 53 to NUREG-1437, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants. It is now available on the NRC’s electronic document database, ADAMS http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. under accession number ML14211A454.

In a related Federal Register notice, the NRC provided detailed instructions on how to submit written comments on the draft supplemental environmental impact statement. Comments will be accepted through Sept. 29, 2014 .Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2013–0037   Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey; Office of Administration, Mail Stop: 3WFN–06–A44M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Drucker, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, telephone: 301–415–6223, email to David.Drucker@nrc.gov ; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–
0001.  GPO Federal Notice Record link:  http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-08-11/pdf/2014-18966.pdf

NRC Aug 12, 2014 · Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2  http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1437/supplement53/

TVA's home page on Sequoyah: http://www.tva.gov/power/nuclear/sequoyah.htm  No indications on  Sequoyah's home page concerning any documents relating to a license extension.
TVA  info on license renewal and environmental impacts
https://www.tva.gov/environment/reports/sqn-renewal/index.htm

Videos, NRC EIS Public Hearing  regarding a 20 year license extension of TVA Sequoyah Nuclear Facility, 4 part video presentation with  Citizen Input Regrding the EIS on September 15, 2014 at Soddy Daisy, Tn. Municipal Complex.

VIDEOS
NRC EIS Public Hearing Pt.1-TVA Sequoyah Nuclear 9-15-14 

NRC EIS Public Hearing Pt.2 TVA Sequoyah Nuclear 8-15-14 

NRC EIS Public Hearing Pt.3 TVA Sequoyah Nuclear 9-15-14 

NRC EIS Public Hearing Pt.4-TVA Sequoyah Nuclear 9-15-14 

BEST-MATRR's investigations into health, cancer and radiation in the Tennessee River Valley current summary:  Government health statistics and scientific investigations point toward this fact - radiation from man made ionizing radiation sources such as nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel facilities, nuclear weapons facilities and nuclear experimental facilities have increased ionizing radiation levels in the environment within the Tennessee River Basin area. Since the addition of nuclear facilities in the Tennessee River Valley, the cancer incident rates and mortality rates have steadily increased.  (National Cancer Institute statistics and maps http://seer.cancer.gov/statistics/scp.html  and BEST/MATRR Report: http://best-matrr.org/pdfs/AL_BFN_Report_2013-final-dig2.pdf  )" BEST-MATRR's investigations are ongoing in East Tennessee and North Alabama.

NNSA Public Hearing - The public comment period ends on September 22, 2014. 
http://nnsa.energy.gov/aboutus/ouroperations/generalcounsel/nepaoverview/nepa/tritiumseis
Videos in Chattanooga, Links:
NNSA introduction - Public Hearing, NNSA, Tritium Production 9-10-14 

Public comments, part 1:  NNSA-SEIS, 9-10-14 Public Hearing Chattanooga, Tn. Part 1 

Public comments, part 2:  NNSA-SEIS, 9-10-14 Public Hearing Chattanooga, Tn. Part 2 

Public comments, part 3   NNSA-SEIS 9-10-14 Public Hearing Chattanooga, Tn. Part 3 

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Annual Assessments Videos for TVA's Sequoyah and Watts Bar Nuclear Plants

TVA SEQUOYAH NUCLEAR PLANT
 
Sequoyah Videos
Part 1


                               Part 2 with citizen comments



TVA WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT


Watts Bar Video with citizen comments

Sunday, February 9, 2014

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
 

Saturday, April 6, 2013

TVA Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, NRC Relicensing - Videos on Citizen Presentations

TVA photo of the Sequoyah Nuclear Reactors


April 3, 2013, Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Scoping Session (public comments) for the relicensing of Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Sequoyah Nuclear Plant (SQN) located near Soddy-Daisy, Tn.

Sequoyah Nuclear Plant seeks 20-year NRC license extension: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/apr/04/sequoyah-seeks-20-year-nrc-license-extension/

Design of the Sequoyah Nuclear Reactor.
 

Informational links on TVA's Sequoyah Nuclear Plant

1) Demographics, population - http://archive.knoxmpc.org/locldata/popdata/tn_counties_hist_pop.pdf increase of population since 1980 in surrounding counties averages 15-20%

2) ROP Inspection Reports: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/listofrpts_body.html scroll down to Sequoyah

3) TVA Financial Report: http://investor.shareholder.com/tva/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1376986-12-43 pg 73, 98 decommissioning fund; debt market pg 45, 46; selected financial info pg 50; pg 88 - note at the top of the page on the spread sheet the amount of decreasing net income over the past 2 years, since 2010 TVA's net income loss is in excess of $900 million dollars; that is very significant. Debt repayment, decreased sales of power and the problems with TVA's retirement are all significant factors.

4) Temp Instruction & Inspection Reports http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/insp-manual/temp-instructions/

5) Press reports/issues in the news: a) Tritium detected in groundwater at Sequoyah Nuclear Plant- http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/21/tritium-detected-in-sequoyah-groundwater/ b) Flood Protection - http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/mar/18/tva-cited-failing-adequately-protect-sequoyah-watt/ Non-certified parts c) http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/mar/29/tva-cited-for-not-testing-nuclear-parts/?local d) EPZ evacuation http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/dec/17/tva-state-promote-nuclear-accident/ e) Knoxville News Sentinel Sequoyah file: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/topic/sequoyah-nuclear-plant/?page=1 e) Ripping the top off of Sequoyah: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/oct/06/ripping-the-top-off-sequoyah-tennessee-nuclear/ notethe close location of the homes to the nuclear plant. No substantial contamination says experts. How do they know if there was no monitoring of low level radiation in the neighborhoods surrounding the plant?

6) Original GAO staff study outlining many problems with the Ice-Condenser design of Sequoyah - http://archive.gao.gov/f0402/097098.pdf

7) UCS Sequoyah history - http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/nuclear_power/sequoyah-1-i.pdf

8) NRC Investigation of Tritium leak into groundwater 2010 report http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1100/ML110050288.pdf 2007 report http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1100/ML110050288.pdf

9) Scram problems http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/15/nrc-flags-sequoyah-plant-over-shutdowns/

10) TVA Nuclear History and records disposition http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/rcs/schedules/independent-agencies/rg-0142/n1-142-89-016_sf115.pdf Sequoyah info begins on pg 48

11) Current, complete TVA SEIS document including history: http://www.tva.com/environment/reports/sqn-renewal/

12) Emergency Evacuation, a) Homeland Security Evac Evaluation, in the executive Summary pg 4; http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1111/ML111160547.pdf b) 2012 TVA Sequoya info: http://www.tva.com/power/nuclear/pdf/sqn_2012_emergencyinfo.pdf The 10 mile EPZ in not sufficient taking into consideration the lessons learned from Fukushima. c) TVA 2012 EVAC Study, Nov 2012 http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1236/ML12362A476.pdf
 
VIDEOS OF CITIZEN COMMENTS
 
PART 1
 


PART 2




PART 3




Part 4

 

Presentation by Attorney Brian Paddock




Economics Before Safety