Monday, January 12, 2015

Millstone NRC Security Inspection Report: Documents One or More Findings Greater Than Very Low

Thanks for the update? 

Millstone Power Station may face possible enforcement action after inspection


Waterford – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has notified officials at the Millstone Power Station that the plant faces possible enforcement action after a Nov. 24 inspection uncovered two findings related to security requirements, one preliminarily determined to be higher than very low safety significance, and the other of “very low” significance.
NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said today that the agency has asked Millstone owner Dominion Resources to participate in a conference to discuss the findings. It plans to issue a final determination on the findings within 90 days.
In a letter to David Heacock, president and chief nuclear officer of Dominion, the NRC said that “one or more of the findings are also apparent violations of NRC requirements and are being considered for escalated enforcement action.” The NRC may determine that additional inspections, regulatory actions and oversight of the plant is warranted, the letter said.
Sheehan said the deficiencies were “promptly corrected or interim compensatory measures put in place” as soon as they were found by the inspectors.
Ken Holt, spokesman for Millstone, confirmed that the security issue has been “addressed and corrected.” The company has agreed to participate in the conference with the NRC, he said.
Both he and Sheehan said they could not comment further because the inspection involved security systems and procedures, which are protected from public disclosure.
You think this security violation is just a coincidence with recent past violations on the inability of them trouble shooting and fixing the TDAFP for years and them yanking out the switch yard transmission system slots safety circuit without NRC permission leading to a two plant LOOP.  
Bottom line, why can't they publicly disclose one, two, three or ten security violation without this secrecy veil over it??? 
Are they protecting these plants against terrorist, or are they protecting licencees from the public? 
"The attached report documents one or more findings that have preliminarily been determined to have greater than very low security significance...regulatory actions and oversight."
I think the NRC is allowing hidden and not corrected security violation...covering up systematic weakness with the licencees in managing security. You get it, if they immediately disclosed all security violation or maybe after a delay of a few weeks or months, that would force them to completely fix it in this time frame. As it now stands, the NRC could/does secretly allow them months or years to fix it without the public knowledge. This is basically nuclear plant security deregulation dressed up as withholding nuclear plant security information to protect against telegraphing security vulnerability to terrorist.
There is a much greater danger here. It is the government hiding security vulnerabilities from the public in order to protect the licencees from spending a few more pennies for the proper security. Say in a crisis, maybe in a terrorist event at a nuclear plant, we find the plant's security stance was a lot less than was advertised in the licencees and government happy-land PR to the people for profits. The greatest national security vulnerability for all of us is we lose faith in government in a widespread national security crisis.           
I think we would all be much more safe if all security violations were reported to the public. Post 9/11 and specifically the 2008 sleeping guards at Peach Bottom, the NRC and licencees were thinking the media and whistle-blowers were talking advantage of our national insecurity with  9/11 terrorism and issues with nuclear plant security problems. They were drumming up insufficient security stories and this threatening the Nuclear Renaissance. Instead of beefing up the bad actor licencees, they decided in the greater good of us all security events would no longer be reported publicly.  

This just goes to the power of the licencees over the real public good and I think it is corruption. 

January 5, 2015
Mr. David Heacock
President and Chief Nuclear Officer
Dominion Resources
5000 Dominion Boulevard
Glen Allen, VA 23060-6711
SUBJECT: MILLSTONE POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 - NRC SECURITY
INSPECTION REPORT 05000336/2014201 AND 05000423/2014201
PRELIMINARY GREATER-THAN-GREEN FINDING 
Dear Mr. Heacock: 
On November 24, 2014, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed a security inspection at your Millstone Power Station (MPS), Units 2 and 3 and the inspectors discussed the results of this inspection with Mr. Scace and other members of your staff.
Inspectors documented the results of this inspection in the enclosed inspection report. The attached report documents one or more findings that have preliminarily been determined to have greater than very low security significance that may require additional inspections, regulatory actions and oversight. 
Each finding was assessed based on the best available information, using the Physical Protection Significance Determination Process for Power Reactors. The deficiencies were promptly corrected or compensated for, and the plant was in compliance with applicable
physical protection and security requirements within the scope of this inspection before the inspectors left the area. The NRC will inform you in writing when the final significance has been determined.

One or more findings are also apparent violations of NRC requirements and are being considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with the NRC’s Enforcement Policy, which appears on the NRC’s Web site at:
http://nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/enforcement/enforce-pol.html.



The enclosure transmitted herewith contains Safeg

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