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)

NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2016 Performance Evaluation of TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Facility near Tanner, Alabama

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, 3 GE Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors near Tanner, Alabama

(photo by TVA, Fair Use for non-profit news and commentary)

NRC Open House Public Meeting for the 2016 Performance Evaluation at Calhoun College's Aerospace Center near Tanner, Alabama May 3, 2017 from 6PM to 7PM. 

NRC ANNOUNCEMENT ON TVA's BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR FACILITY (in part)

Under the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process, the agency assesses plant performance through the use of color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators, which are statistical measurements of plant performance that can trigger additional oversight if exceeded. Any inspection findings or performance indicators that are greater than green (very low safety significance) trigger increased NRC oversight. Routine inspections are performed by resident inspectors assigned to the plant. Reviews are also carried out at the sites by specialist inspectors assigned to the agency’s Region II office in Atlanta. The annual assessment letter for Browns Ferry, as well as the notice for the meeting, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information for Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3 is also available.

Unit 1 Performance: https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/bf1/bf1-chart.html

Unit 2 Performance: https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/bf2/bf2-chart.html

Unit 3 Performance: https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/bf3/bf3-chart.html

Assessment Letter: https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/letters/bf_2016q4.pdf

VIDEO

TVA Quarterly Board Meeting in Knoxville, Tn., Browns Ferry Extended Power Uprate Problems, A Compromise of Defense-in-Depth August 25, 2016

TVA President/CEO Bill Johnson provides the Presidents Report to Board Board Members and Ratepayers Thursday, August 25, 2016. TVA Board Member Lynn Evans is on Mr. Johnson's right.

Information on TVA Board Members and future board meeting dates and places may be found at https://www.tva.com/About-TVA/Our-Leadership/Board-of-Directors

Several Ratepayers and citizens expressed their concerns with the TVA Board. The Majority of the citizen input involved Floating Homes on TVA waters. Information on the TVA's Floating Homes Policy may be found at this link: https://tva.com/Environment/Shoreline-Construction/Floating-Houses

A historical listing of TVA's presentations and financial statements may be found at: http://www.snl.com/IRW/Presentations/4063363

Information on TVA's August 25th  2016 Board Meeting including the Agenda may be found at https://www.tva.com/About-TVA/Our-Leadership/Board-of-Directors/Meeting-Archive/TVA-Board-Meeting-August-25-2016

TVA on site videos of the meeting by BEST/MATRR Member Garry Morgan

President's Report

Chief Financial Officers Report



Selected Citizen Comments, Part 1
 
Selected Citizen Comments, Part 2 - People and Environmental Issues


Comments by Garry Morgan and Gretel Johnston Regarding the Extended Power Uprate at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Link to Report Discussed by Mark Leyse http://best-matrr.org/16-0803_Leyse's%20Browns%20Ferry%20Comments.pdf


Summary of the TVA Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Extended Power Uprate Problem compiled by Garry Morgan as presented to the TVA Board of Directors. 

Presented to you are comments of Mark Leyse, Nuclear Safety Advisor, for BEST/MATRR. The  information presented to you in the enclosed report to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board and the Chief Executive Officer, indicates there is an error in the computer safety model analysis of the Extended Power Uprate (EPU) for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN).

This error undermines the defense in depth safety requirements of the Browns Ferry Nuclear 

Facility. This same report has been presented as comments to the Nuclear Regulatory  Commission (NRC).

Non-conservative computer safety model analyses were performed in order to justify the  Extended Power Uprate (EPU) for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN).  As explained in the  comments presented, experimental data indicates that the EPU analyses under-predict the  rates of the chemical reaction between zirconium and steam that would occur in the event of a  loss-of-coolant accident (“LOCA”).  This means that the analyses under-predicts the rates in  which energy (heat) is released, hydrogen generated, and zirconium fuel-cladding oxidized by  the zirconium-steam reaction. The computer safety model is supposed to over-predict temperatures in order to ensure an adequate margin of safety.

By overlooking the deficiencies of the computer safety models, the TVA and the NRC have  undermined defense-in-depth safety principles, requiring the application of conservative  models in the computer safety model analysis. The health and safety of citizens living in the  area surrounding the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant should not be compromised by TVA using  these non-conservative safety models to help qualify for the proposed Extended Power Uprates  at the aging Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 2015 Assessment on TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, April 19, 2016

April 19, 2016, Decatur, Alabama at Calhoun College,TVA Browns Ferry Nuclear Facility Annual Assessment for 2015, Part 1 and 2 videos, Annual Report posted below via PDF, courtesy of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Many thanks to the members and donors of BREDL/BEST/MATRR who make these reports possible. . Special thanks to Nancy and Meghan Muse for their timely entrance, you saved me from a NRC shutdown of questions in the public venue. "Let us hear the questions, the research," you said. Very important statement from you. Vitally important that multiple citizens attend these meetings and comment.

NRC Statement by Alan Blamey, Region 2 Chief of the reactor projects stated,"[We]determined that overall, Browns Ferry Units 1, 2, and 3 operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives."

NRC Assessment Letter
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2016/apr/13/nuclear-regulatory-commission-gives-top-ratings-browns-ferry-plant/359960/#document_1567

A big change, big improvement from this 2011 story regarding problems at the 3 GE Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors. http://blog.al.com/huntsville-times-business/2011/09/tvas_browns_ferry_reactor_need.html

VIDEOS of Assessment questions

PART 2


PART 1


About TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant - https://www.tva.gov/Energy/Our-Power-System/Nuclear/Browns-Ferry-Nuclear-Plant 

Significant recent news story - Radiation triggers high alert at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant - http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2016/apr/07/high-radiation-triggers-alert-browns-ferry/359266/

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2014 Performance Report on TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant May 14, 2015

TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant - Fair Use Rights for non-profit news reporting. Picture credits "wiki" and "NRC."

NRC conducted a Public Meeting May 14, 2015 to discuss NRC’s 2014 Assessment of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. The annual assessment letter  for the Browns Ferry plant, as well as current performance information for Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3 is available on the NRC website.

Assessment Letter -  http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/bf_2014q4.pdf  

Unit 1  http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BF1/bf1_chart.html

Unit 2  http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BF2/bf2_chart.html

Unit 3  http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BF3/bf3_chart.html

Press Report - Al.com: "...The NRC will continue to monitor [the] utility's ability to sustain quality performance and the inspection emphasis in the coming year will include a focus on what TVA is doing toward ensuring its long-term performance."
http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2015/05/browns_ferry_nuclear_plant_giv.html

NRC Performance Report - TVA's Reply

Public Comment Part 1


Public Comment Part 2

TVA's Browns Ferry Continues Leaking Radioactive Tritium - TVA OIG Report on Ground Water Protection

TVA image, Fair Use for Non-profit News Reporting

photo by G. Morgan

Full Report on Ground Water Protection and regulatory failures at Browns Ferry Alabama relating to radioactive substances leaks.

Tritium Leaks at Browns Ferry, January 15, 2015 Chattanooga Times Free Press article - http://www.timesfreepress.com/…/tvreports-tritium-l…/282080/

Recent Tritium Leak History
September 2013: http://legacy.decaturdaily.com/decaturd…/…/060903/leak.shtml
April 2010: http://www.timesfreepress.com/…/tva-reports-tritium-…/12541/
June 2010 Report, this report covers other radionuclide releases including tritium into the environment: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1100/ML110050287.pdf

TVA OIG, Office of the Inspector General, Report
September 2014 TVA-OIG Report 15056, TVA's Ground Water Protection Program:  https://oig.tva.gov/reports/PDF/14rpts/2014-15056.pdf
What the OIG found - 1) TVA does monitor groundwater and actions were taken to correct the leaks or spills; 2) the Office of the Inspector General could not verify that "Standard Programs and Processes were followed." 3) Weaknesses of the past 5 years were not corrected. 4) "...External assessments of the program were downgraded or excluded when the NPG, Nuclear Power Group, performed its' fleet assessments." 5) When external assessments were provided to the TVA (e.g. INPO, WANO, EPRI) it was discovered there is no process in place to implement recommendations and action items brought forth by the external consultants.

TVA Claims = False Statements - (current Times Free Press article) "But TVA officials said radiation occurs naturally in the environment and its own sampling has not shown levels above EPA standards." TVA's comment is contradicted by the NRC Event Report as indicated below.

NRC Event Report - The tritium leaked was in excess of 20,000 pCu/l. Quote from NRC Event report 50725 dated 01/08/2015 - http://www.nrc.gov/…/event-stat…/event/2015/20150109en.html… : "On January 7, 2015, at approximately 0700 CST, a leak to the environment was identified. Tritium was present at a concentration of 7.52E-3 uCi/mL, which is above the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standard of 20,000 picocuries per liter. No other radioactive isotopes were identified. The leak rate was estimated at approximately 0.5 gpm and determined to be from the condensate head tank. Water was accumulating on the concrete-lined reactor/refuel air zone air intake plenum with some accumulation of water on the ground in the area. The intake plenum contains three floor drains. Actions were immediately taken to terminate the leak once the flowpath was identified. The flowpath was terminated two hours and 45 minutes after identification. Based on system review and analysis, any tritiated water that would have made it to the floor drains would then be mixed with incoming raw water at two million gallons per minute. This mixed volume of water would then be circulated through the plant and discharged to the river with a resultant tritium concentration that is much less than detectable levels and well below US EPA drinking water standards. The station has established increased monitoring of groundwater at designated sample wells."

My Comments in Today's Times Free Press Article:
"But a representative of an anti-nuclear group said any radiation release is potentially dangerous.
Garry Morgan, a retired U.S. Army medical officer who has monitored radiation around Browns Ferry for Mothers Against Tennessee River Radiation, said the release was similar to one reported at Browns Ferry in April 2010. Other tritium leaks have occurred at the Sequoyah and Watts Bar plants in Tennessee."

"Any leak of a radionuclide contaminant into the environment indicates a failure of oversight and/or attention to detail, maybe both, on the part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Tennessee Valley Authority," Morgan said Saturday."

"He said health surveys by his group show that the increase in cancer mortality rates in the Tennessee River valley grew to 20 percent above the U.S. average since Browns Ferry began generating power in 1974. Morgan has sampled radiation levels around TVA nuclear plants for six years and claims the elevated cancer rate in the region "is attributable to chemical and radionuclide contamination." Again, the link: http://www.timesfreepress.com/…/tvreports-tritium-l…/282080/

SUMMARY
This is a continuation of an old story - TVA leadership failing to identify problems and following through with corrective actions. Unfortunately, the NRC is failing to protect the people by not requiring strict adherence to Nuclear Regulations regarding the operations of nuclear power facilities. Strict attention to detail, identification of all problems and the resolution of those problems must be accomplished to insure the safety of citizens surrounding nuclear power and nuclear fuel facilities.

GARRY MORGAN, U.S. Army Medical Department, Retired
BREDL/BEST/MATRR
http://www.matrr.org

TVA photo, Fair Use for Non-profit News Reporting

NRC Performance Assessment of TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant on May 21, 2014 - Public Comments and Questions

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) held the 2013 Safety Performance and  Regulatory Performance Public Meeting regarding TVA's  Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at Calhoun Community College near Decatur, Alabama, approximately 10 miles from the Browns Ferry nuclear plant. There are 3 defective GE Mark 1 nuclear reactors operating at Browns Ferry. The same model of reactor which exploded and melted down at Fukushima Daiichi Japan.

VALVE ISSUES DANCE - My question - "Have the valve problems been fixed as identified in the 2010 INPO Browns Ferry Report and the 95003 Red finding?" NRC- "...that is impossible to answer...we can't tell you if the valve problems in the INPO report have been fixed...we are required to review the report...we will get back to you...no safety issues were brought to the NRC by INPO...we had already reviewed the issues..."



Video Presentations of the Meeting

Decatur, Al., Calhoun College, May 21, 2014 Browns Ferry 2013 Annual Performance Assessment by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Part 1


Decatur, Al., Calhoun College, May 21, 2014 - Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Browns Ferry 2013 Annual Performance Assessment - TVA 's reply, Part 2 - Regulatory Performance Public Meeting


Citizen Presentations and Questions
May 21, 2014 Calhoun College near Decatur, Al., Part 3 NRC Regulatory Performance Public Meeting Citizen Comments-Questions, presentation by Mr. Henry Jones


May 21, 2014 Calhoun College near Decatur, Al., Part 4 NRC Regulatory Performance Public Meeting Citizen Comments- Questions, presentation by Ms. Gretel Johnston.


May 21, 2014 Calhoun College near Decatur, Al., Part 5 NRC Regulatory Performance Public Meeting Citizen Comments-Questions, presentation by Mr. Garry Morgan. The NRC could not say that the multi unit valve failure safety issues and problems identified in the INPO report have been resolved. Although it is required that when INPO identifies safety issues they are required to notify the NRC, the NRC officials present stated they have not seen the INPO 2010 Browns Ferry Report. Reference: Blog article on the INPO report:  http://arklite.blogspot.com/2014/04/browns-ferry-disclosures-shhh-secrets.html


May 21, 2014 Calhoun College near Decatur, Al., Part 6 NRC Regulatory Performance Public Meeting Citizen Comments- Questions, presentations by Ms. Nancy Muse; Mr. Don Safer-telephone; Ms. Jackie Posey.


Browns Ferry Performance Assessment report by Al.Com's Brian Lawson
"Members of the public who attended the meeting urged the NRC to remain vigilant in scrutinizing TVA operations. Those who spoke questioned Browns Ferry's wind rating and vulnerability to tornado conditions, whether the identification of individual problems at the plant are seen by regulators as unique events or signs of increased overall risk, how TVA's aging analog components are compatible with new digital systems and why the plant continues to suffer from power source problems...One of the last people to speak told McCree that Browns Ferry employees should be given a realistic description of what happened to the Fukushima plant in Japan in 2011 and the effect the disaster had on the people and economy of the region. Much of the plant melted down after an earthquake and tsunami."

"McCree said he spoke to Polson before the meeting and Polson agreed to show Browns Ferry workers a recently produced NRC film about a visit to Fukushima."

NRC VIDEO


"It can happen" - Nuclear Melt Downs! Not one person from the NRC in the video could say what actually happened - 3 nuclear reactors melted down. "Don't allow this to happen...this happened...something happened...unanticipated events, the accident" say the regulatory officials. Don't allow what to happen, what accident? Is the NRC afraid to say 3 nuclear melt downs occurred in 3 GE Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors where engineers said this could not happen.  Browns Ferry contains 3 defective GE Mark 1 Reactors; is the NRC as our regulator in denial that a nuclear reactor can meltdown in the United States of America?

Browns Ferry Disclosures - Shhh secrets, have the problems been corrected?

TVA photo of Browns Ferry

Shhh, the TVA and the nuclear industry have secrets at Browns Ferry Alabama that they do not want the public to know about. Secrets that jeopardize public safety and health of over 1 million citizens who reside in the plume paths of the three defective GE Mark 1 Browns Ferry Nuclear Reactors.

Art - Nuclear Whistle-Blowers by Pete Ryan

25 identified serious problems at TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Reactors. The Browns Ferry 2010 INPO, Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, (Established by the nuclear power industry in December 1979, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations is a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Atlanta. http://www.inpo.info/AboutUs.htm#values ) report discloses that the TVA and the NRC endangered the public. The degraded conditions at TVA's Browns Ferry nuclear facility was much greater than previously released by the TVA or the NRC. The NRC's Red Finding did not disclose the seriousness of TVA's Browns Ferry nuclear facility problems. There is the appearance of a cover-up of serious safety systems and management failures.

INPO Browns Ferry Disclosures, July 2010:
(Item 1, pages 30-31 from Field notes) 1) The TVA and the NRC knew of several valve failures, not just one. Valve failures was an ongoing serious issue in all three Browns Ferry Nuclear Plants since 2006. (Items 2-25 pages 1-17, Executive Summary)
2) Notable gaps in operator fundamentals remain.
3) Weaknesses in the review and recognition of risk associated with some work activities have negatively impacted plant operations.
4) The conduct of maintenance has improved, however, behavior gaps continue to adversely affect safety system performance and cause rework and injuries.
5) Management is not holding key personnel accountable.
6) On-line risk continues to be adversely affected.
7) Chemistry performance has declined, performance gaps are not fully understood. Several unplanned and unmonitored radioactive releases have occurred.
8) Significant gaps in equipment health and component reliability have not been resolved.
9) High-Pressure core injection system experienced multiple failures and are not meeting industry goals.
10) Reactor core cooling system failures attributed to age related degradation.
11) Multiple safety systems failures in the emergency system cooling water and residual heat removal service water.
12) Multiple scrams and transients were the results of long standing equipment problems not corrected, industry goals are not being met.
13) Source of increasing unidentified dry well leakage not identified.
14) Several long standing emergency generator problems have not been resolved.
15) Equipment reliability programs and processes are not being implemented in a manner that will result in a timely resolution to problems, equipment failures or the prevention of new problems.
16) Initiatives to improve equipment reliability are inhibited by supervisors and management.
17) Preventive maintenance is not being implemented to prevent equipment failures.
18) Inadequate consideration for design inputs for plant modifications resulted in multiple scrams.  
19) A significant vulnerability remains with the lack of testing for safety related cables.
20) Industry standards for radiological protection are not being met.
21) A number of organizational and human performance issues exist because personnel were not effective at identifying, properly characterizing, and resolving issues with appropriate corrective actions.
22) Gaps in operational risk assessment, equipment reliability, and human performance remain. As a result, the station is vulnerable in its ability to sustain event-free operations.
23) Workforce behaviors and cultural norms are not aligned with a strong nuclear safety culture.
24) Management acceptance of degraded conditions that challenges safety system reliability.
25) Station is adversely impacted by weaknesses in supervisory and individual behaviors which has the potential to impact future station performance. Workers in several work groups tend to deviate from station standards and station supervisors often do not correct these behaviors.

Have the failures at Browns Ferry been corrected? Have management changes at the TVA improved nuclear safety culture failures? Will the nuclear industry and its regulator continue to cover-up safety issues and problems which jeopardize human health and safety?

Peer Review Reports, regardless of the author, which identify safety conditions which jeopardize public health and safety must be reported to the public.

The placement of the nuclear industry's and nuclear operators financial gain ahead of public safety, health and welfare is immoral, unethical and in the case of degraded nuclear safety systems, including human factors, probably illegal.

There is a later Peer Review report by the World Association of Nuclear Operators, WANO, concerning Browns Ferry. WANO is also a non-profit organization. http://www.wano.info/about-us/
I have requested inspection of the report from the TVA, below is their reply.

TVA claims that the inspection of this report by me would harm TVA's future participation in WANO. I did not request a copy of the report, I requested permission to inspect the report.

The denial also states that the WANO report contains proprietary methodology and would harm WANO's competitive financial position in the nuclear power industry. WANO is a non-profit organization.

SUMMARY:
INPO and WANO's work is copyright protected. However, U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use Rule: "Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, nonprofit educational purposes and research. Link: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

No organization may keep work practices secret which creates a danger to the public at large.  Proprietary information, restricted commercial/financial information and copyright restrictions are bogus red herring arguments which are unsupportable excuses to not inform the public about serious management and safety culture failures at a nuclear power facility.

We are not speaking about the failure of a valve in one safety system as the NRC and TVA would like the public to believe. We are speaking about the intentional cover-up of multiple unsafe operations as a result of failed management and a failed safety culture at a nuclear power plant. How does the public know the serious deficiencies described in the INPO report have been corrected?

The recent NRC 95003 Red Finding at Browns Ferry involved a valve problem, not the complete breakdown of TVA management at Browns Ferry, which the INPO report vividly describes.

Maybe the NRC, TVA, INPO, WANO and others should "practice what they preach" as it applies to law and policy. NRC Safety Culture Policy Statement - http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/safety-culture/sc-policy-statement.html

TVA Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant - The continuing Saga: When did the NRC and the TVA Know about the Defective Valves and Management Failures? Did the NRC Intentionally Deceive the Public

 

When and how long had the Tennessee Valley Authority's, TVA, Browns Ferry been experiencing degraded conditions as a result of failed valves? Was there an intentional cover-up by the TVA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC? Do nuclear Peer Review organizations such as WANO, World Association of Nuclear Operators, or INPO, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, have a moral, ethical and legal responsibility to disclose the existence of serious issues which may jeopardize public health and welfare of the public relating to nuclear power operations?

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) 

BRIEFING ON BROWNS FERRY UNIT 1

OCTOBER 18, 2011

9:O0 A.M.

TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS

Public Meeting

Link: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/commission/tr/2011/20111018.pdf

 

All the players were present, the NRC Commissioners and TVA Senior Executives. Quote from page 1 of the report -

"CHAIRMAN JACZKO: Good morning, everyone. The Commission meets today to discuss the safety challenges experienced by the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant and the steps being taken to strengthen safety at the plant.  In particular, in May 2004, Brown's Ferry Unit 1 was placed in Column IV of the  Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix after it received a "Red" finding when a  reactor core cooling valve failed." Is that an error?

 

In the next paragraph Commissioner Jaczko goes on to say:

"This is not the only significant issue the Browns Ferry plant has experienced in recent years. In 2003, all units at Browns Ferry were placed in Column III after receiving a "Yellow" finding for fire protection issues. Given this recent history of issues, I'm sure that we can all agree that we want to see the plant perform more safely. To achieve that, there needs to be a strong commitment from the licensee’s entire organization, from its senior leadership to its frontline engineers to do what needs to be done for safety."

 

Had the plant actually received "Red finding" in 2004, or was this an error on the part of the NRC Chairman, Commissioner Jaczko? Attention to detail is important for the nuclear industry. The report continues; BILL BORCHARDT's comments on page 4 of the PDF linked: "...Browns Ferry Unit 1 entered Column IV of the Action Matrix in the fourth quarter of 2010." VICTOR MCCREE's comments on page 5: "...Unit 1 was assessed as being in the multiple repetitive degraded cornerstone, or Column IV, of the Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix. Unit 1 was placed in this cornerstone column due to a "Red" finding in the mitigating systems cornerstone...On October 23rd, 2010, operators of Browns Ferry Unit 1 attempted to place Loop II of the residual heat removal low pressure coolant injection, or, RHR LPCI system in service to support refueling activities."

 

Maybe Commissioner Jaczko misspoke about the 2004 "Red Finding. Meanwhile, according to the NRC, the "Red Finding" is lifted and Browns Ferry Unit 1 is returned to the "Green" operating column stating, "The results of the inspection indicated that Browns Ferry was being operated safely." NUCPRO's listing of the Browns Ferry Assessment Letter: March 10, 2014 http://www.nucpros.com/content/browns-ferry-annual-assessment-letter

 

When did TVA and the NRC know there were valve problems at Browns Ferry?

Nuclear facilities have the privilege of receiving Peer Review Inspections by two separate groups of nuclear engineers. One of the groups is WANO, World Association of Nuclear Operators. Another group is INPO, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. Unfortunately for the public, when the INPO or WANO reports are issued  they have a statement that they are restricted from public view.  The TVA claims that the public is not entitled to see the reports nor entitled to a copy of the report for proprietary and financial reasons. TVA's position is highly suspect and reflective of TVA's attempt to continue with cover-ups and secrecy involving its nuclear program failures. However, the WANO and INPO groups themselves mark the reports as restricted.

 

The restrictive markings, when covering up serious safety issues which reflect negligent actions on the part of management of nuclear power plants, are effectively covering up issues which are of grave public concern. In the case of the Browns Ferry GE Mark 1 Nuclear plants the issues covered up, if not corrected, place the public at a higher risk of physical injury as a result of TVA negligence and a failure to correct the negligent actions by the regulator, the NRC.  

 

The WANO and INPO reports contain information that should be and must be made public. There is an ethical, moral and legal responsibility of the government agencies and the professional nuclear engineering organizations to make public those defective items identified which may in fact cause a catastrophic failure thus endangering the public. Such is the case of multiple defective valves which insure a nuclear reactor is cooled properly in the course of normal operations and emergency events.

 

The reports contain information regarding the safety of operating nuclear reactors. In the case of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Facility the INPO report dated July 2010 indicates the TVA, and presumably the NRC knew of the repetitive valve failures at all of the 3 Browns Ferry Units going back to 2006. On pages 30 and 31 (of 83pages) all 3 Browns Ferry Units experienced various valve failures.

The following photo of the pages are hereby listed as news, criticism and educational use, this posting is a not for profit listing under the Fair Use Rule of Section 107 of United States Law.

 

This listing also casts grave doubt on the inappropriate classification of such documents and the Federal Government's and the INPO/WANO institutions responsibilities to divulge such information to the public. The INPO report discloses long time safety failures at Browns Ferry and brings to light the regulators failure, NRC, as well as the TVA's failure as to safety culture and executive management. This failure extends to the NRC having access to such reports and keeping the reports restricted. The restriction of the reports are immoral, unethical, and possibly illegal, as they disclose serious public safety hazards regarding nuclear reactors at the TVA Browns Ferry nuclear facility. 

 

Nuclear Power Plant Safety and the protection of the publics health and welfare should be a TEAM PROCESS to protect the public. Not a process of cover-ups and secret documents to protect the nuclear power industry, executives, defective systems and incompetent managers. 

 

The INPO report began its description as Follows for the defective valves at Browns Ferry on page 28: "High and Low Pressure Injection systems have experienced repeat and age related failures." It goes on to describe management failures and "insufficient actions to prevent reoccurrence of equipment failures." The exact findings are hereby submitted as a "Fair Use Right" for the purpose of news reporting, education, criticism and the exposure of systemic negligence in a safety culture involving nuclear power use by the TVA.

 

Click on images for an expanded view.

 

 

Due to the seriousness of the issues involved and the appearance of a cover-up and or negligent activities on the part of the NRC and the TVA in this matter, the INPO report relating to valve failures at the TVA Browns Ferry GE Mark 1 Nuclear Facility is disclosed.

 

The July 2010 INPO report goes on to describe other equipment failures as a result of a failed safety culture and management neglect.

 

Nuclear Engineer Henry Jones discusses the existence of Peer Review Reports and their implications.

NRC Regulatory Performance Report on the 3 TVA GE Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors at Browns Ferry Alabama, Video Report in 4 Parts, January 30, 2014

World Association of Nuclear Operators, WANO Browns Ferry Risk Assessment Report, Jan. 29, 2013 quote from Mr. Jones: "...Warned, a combination of human performance and safety systems weaknesses results in a high potential for a significant plant event."

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 'red finding' removed, but plant still under intensive inspection status. http://blog.al.com/breaking/2014/01/tva.html  "Federal regulators have removed a critical "red" finding from TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, but the plant remains in a state of heightened inspections due to other problems...The announcement that Browns Ferry had completed work related to the 2011 red finding that identified a significant safety problem, was made during a public meeting hosted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Athens,[ Al.]" on January 30, 2014.

NRC Regulatory Performance Meeting regarding the 3 TVA Browns Ferry GE Mark 1 nuclear reactors. This is Part 1, NRC and TVA input.

Part 2, Citizen Comments


Part 3, Citizen Comments

WAFF-TV Investigative Report on Browns Ferry Relating to the Radioactive Emissions and Health Hazards Surrounding the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama

Update: Dec 7. 2013 - The videos have been removed from the WAFF site. The WAFF link below remains active. TVA's 2012 radiation report is active at this link -  TVA's latest radiological report (pdf) It is interesting to note that current radiation levels are reported on charts to be lower than pre-operational levels. TVA attributes this to a lack of nuclear weapons testing. However, there have been two(2) nuclear reactor accidents which have contributed massive amounts of radiation contamination worldwide. This fact and subsequent radiation measurements as a result of the nuclear accidents are omitted. For this reason the report from the TVA is suspect. TVA radiological measurements are from 2012; unfortunately the TVA and the NRC fails to report their findings to the public in a timely fashion.

WAFF Investigates: Health concerns at Browns Ferry
HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - By Margo Gray 
A local citizens' advocacy group is calling out the nuclear industry and taking on Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant.
http://www.waff.com/story/24036660/waff-investigates-health-concerns-at-browns-ferry
 The members of BREDL/BEST/MATRR appreciate WAFF and Ms. Gray for the opportunity to inform the public about nuclear power health risks and specifically about our concerns with the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant  - Garry Morgan, Project Director-BEST/MATRR Community Radiation Monitoring Project. 

WAFF Investigates: Health concerns at Browns Ferry
WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL  (deactivated by source - WAFF)

Featured in the video is a nuclear industry mouthpiece - "The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) is an organization that exists to debunk what they call junk science, and Doctor Josh Bloom says that's exactly what this report is. "They are using selective data and they are picking out the numbers that supports their case and they are ignoring the others and trying to bury them," said Bloom." One of several ad hominem attacks.  Update- May 12, 2015: American Council on Science & Health has been identified as an anti-environmental group submitting bogus reports to support various corporate interests including the nuclear industry. http://www.polluterwatch.com/anti-environmental-archives

The data in the Browns Ferry Report is from the National Cancer Institute and the Center for Disease Control, and compiled by an Epidemiologist. https://bredl.org/pdf4/AL_BFN_Report_2013-final-digit.pdf

ACSH is a member of CASE, a Nuclear Energy Institute, NEI, entity, fully funded by the NEI.
http://casenergy.org/2009/09/the-american-council-on-science-and-health-acsh/
ACSH falsely claims that nuclear energy is sustainable, clean energy in this handout - http://www.acsh.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/20080911_nuclear_energyfinal.pdf 

"The ACSH is known as an "industry-friendly" group according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)...2013, Mother Jones magazine received leaked internal financial documents from ACSH, which revealed that 58% of the organization's donations in the period from July 1, 2012, to December 20, 2012 came from corporations and large private foundations, many of which themselves had close ties to industries with financial stakes in the specific issues on which ACSH issues industry-favorable opinions."^[32]   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Council_on_Science_and_Health

Source Watch's file on ACSH - Alar, Death Panels and  Michael Crichton   http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Council_on_Science_and_Health

BEST/MATRR Video of Interview with cancer maps as posted below.

TVA Spokesman Jim Hopson on Browns Ferry WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL  (deactivated by source WAFF)
Note - quote in the Jim Hopson video near the end: "..according to the World Health Organization there have been no deaths from nuclear radiation." Department of Labor's EEOICP statistics dispute that claim - http://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/regs/compliance/weeklystats.htm
Near 100,000 workers costing tax payers near $10 billion dollars due to nuclear energy industry workers sickness and death. This does not include all nuclear facilities. These statistics have only been compiled since 2001 upon passage of the law authorizing compensation for nuclear energy workers. Prior to 2001 data/statistics on nuclear energy worker related sickness and deaths were classified.

Concerning Mr. Hopson's ad hominem fallacy: He says, we have made "unsubstantiated claims" against workers. Our report does not in any way form or fashion make any unsubstantiated claims against the rank and file workers at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. Our group has expressed our thanks to the TVA Board and the NRC for the hard work of TVA's rank and file workers. The reliability of TVA's Management Culture relating to the management of TVA's nuclear program is an entirely different matter. Hopson also wrongfully stated in the WAFF interview, "They (referring to our report) are saying the dedicated Browns Ferry workers are baby killers..." This ridiculousness is typical TVA deceit, these type of attacks have been seen on other occasions and are reflections on the TVA's deceitful corporate culture.

The TVA has demonstrated management negligence in their nuclear power operations which jeopardizes the health and welfare of the valley's citizens. This is documented in BEST/MATRR's report, reference Appendix 4 - "Request to the NRC to Suspend the Operating License of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Reactors" by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, BREDL. BEST/MATRR is part of the BREDL group. The report may be viewed on our web site at http://www.matrr.org

As in this case, TVA's public relations personnel and TVA's Management do not always describe situations accurately and are deceitful in their presentations concerning the risks (including health risks) and cost of nuclear power. Mr. Hopson is the one making the unsubstantiated claim. The report speaks for itself.

TVA nor the State of Alabama will agree with the report. If they did they would have to increase the warning zones concerning nuclear power to 100 miles and install radiation sensors at downwind locations up to 100 miles. No governmental or non-profit organizations interviewed which attacked our report explained the high cancer incidence and mortality rates. All had financial connections to the nuclear industry while denying facts about nuclear power hazards and risks.
BREDL/BEST/MATRR states radiation may be a contributing factor to high cancer rates and suggested the government perform further testing. They can not prove that an inaccurate statement but yet they wage an aggressive series of false attacks.

Director, Alabama Office of Radiation Control WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL  (deactivated by source WAFF)

The State of Alabama does not test downwind environs more than 10 miles away from Browns Ferry. The majority of our test data reflected background radiation readings. However, during rain events downwind from the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant the radiation counts per minute were greatly increased as reflected in our report.

If the state of Alabama has consistent real time monitoring surrounding Browns Ferry, why are they not publishing the data on a daily basis or displaying the counter display via a web site?

It is important to point out that the State of Alabama Governor sits on a board which supports nuclear power. The Retirement System of Alabama also has input to this board. What is this board? The Southern States Nuclear Compact, also known as the Southern States Energy Board, Codified into Alabama Law under Conservation and Natural Resources - http://www.sseb.org/files/legislation-alabama.pdf   also  http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/alcode/9#sthash.4P4Sv5E2.dpuf 

The Southern States Energy Board (SSEB), of which Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is the Chairperson, supports nuclear power as a means to further development in the South and Alabama. http://www.sseb.org/reference/policy-positions/    The SSEB also calls the EPA's efforts to improve our water and air quality a "Train Wreck."  “Train Wreck”-SSEB Resolution

The SSEB receives advice and support from many lobbyists and corporations including most of the U.S. nuclear energy industry and the nuclear energy industry lobbyist, the NEI. http://www.sseb.org/members/industry-partnership/

The bottom line -  The State of Alabama via the SSEB is in bed with the nuclear power industry. The health and welfare of the public takes a back seat to the financial incentives provided to the state and its politicians by the nuclear power industry and supporting organizations.

Neither the Alabama State Department of Health, the TVA or nuclear power's mouth piece - ACSH could explain why the cancer rate for north Alabama is high. But yet, these groups emphatically state nuclear power is not a cause, ignoring facts presented in federal CDC and NCI statistical reports. Our data and studies demonstrate the nuclear industry in the Tennessee River Valley appears to be a contributing factor.

                ALABAMA CANCER MAPS - National Cancer Institute

The second highest killer other than cigarette smoking for lung cancer is radon. Get you homes checked for radon contamination, it is dangerously high in this area. http://www.adph.org/cancercontrol/

Alabama Brain Cancer Incidence Rates

Ionizing radiation is the only established environmental cause of brain tumors (Preston-Martin 1996). Occupational exposure to radiation has been consistently linked to adult brain tumors (Alexander and DiMarco 2002), and has also been linked to childhood brain tumors in the offspring of people exposed to radiation at work. One study looking at geographic and time-related patterns of brain tumors in children found that rates of the disease significantly decreased in downwind communities when nuclear power plants ceased their operations (Mangano et al. 2002).  More information: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/brain_cancer

NRC DOSE LIMITS CHART

Ionizing Radiation is cumulative. All ionizing radiation has the potential to cause cellular mutations.

http://radioactivepoison.blogspot.com/ 

“There is no safe level of exposure and there is no dose of (ionizing) radiation so low that the risk of a malignancy is zero”--Dr. Karl Morgan, the father of Health Physics"

The nuclear power industry and government organizations such as the TVA and Department of Energy like to boast that there have been no deaths as a result of civilian nuclear power in the U.S. Facts found in statistical analysis of U.S. cancer incidence and death rates point toward another conclusion - nuclear power is killing people. http://www.acereport.org/downloads/Download_02_attachment_02.pdf