I think it is a instrumentation transformer...not the main line transformer.
Much smaller and easily fixable...
Wolf Creek faces shutdown if fire-damaged generator isn’t fixed in 2 day
10/07/2014 11:13 AM
10/07/2014 11:15 AM
The Wolf Creek nuclear power plant has about two days to fix a fire-damaged generator or shut the plant down for repair, officials of the plant’s operating company said.
The plant, near Burlington, went on alert for about two hours Monday afternoon after fire broke out in one of its emergency generator rooms, according to a statement from the Wolf Creek Operating Corp., which runs the plant on behalf of its owners, Westar Energy, Kansas City Power & Light and Kansas Electric Power Cooperative.
The damaged generator is one of two that provide emergency backup power if the plant loses its regular supply of both on- and off-site power, the statement said.
No radiation was released by the incident and the plant has continued to run at full capacity.
The plant’s permit regulations require that the damaged generator be repaired within three days, or the plant shut down until repairs are completed.
Westar and KCP&L each own 47 percent of the plant and are entitled to that much of its power output. KEPCo owns the remaining 6 percent and gets that much of the power.
When the plant is off line, the utilities have to cover for it by producing more energy –– and burning more fuel –– at their coal and gas plants, and/or buying power from other utilities.
Westar estimates that a plant shutdown costs the company about $280,000 a day and KEPCo estimates its cost is about $35,000. KCP&L refuses to release any information about its additional costs when Wolf Creek is down.
Last week, the plant avoided a possible shutdown when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the operating company an extension on repair time for a malfunction unrelated to Monday’s generator fire.
Wolf Creek had asked for additional time to fix a broken sump tunnel level transmitter, a detection unit immediately underneath the plant’s reactor that would provide a warning of a reactor coolant leak.
The plant has to be shut down to fix that problem, because the radiation level under the reactor is too high for people to work there when it’s running, even if they’re in protective suits.
Both Wolf Creek and an outside expert contacted by The Eagle agreed that the plant could safely operate without the sensor for longer than the 30-day repair time specified in the plant’s operating permit, because any leaks would be detected by other sensors monitoring temperature, humidity and radiation in the reactor building.
The NRC granted Wolf Creek’s request for permission to run without the sensor until the next scheduled shutdown for refueling, which is planned to begin in late February.
The Wolf Creek nuclear power plant has about two days to fix a fire-damaged generator or shut the plant down for repair, officials of the plant’s operating company said.
The plant, near Burlington, went on alert for about two hours Monday afternoon after fire broke out in one of its emergency generator rooms, according to a statement from the Wolf Creek Operating Corp., which runs the plant on behalf of its owners, Westar Energy, Kansas City Power & Light and Kansas Electric Power Cooperative.
The damaged generator is one of two that provide emergency backup power if the plant loses its regular supply of both on- and off-site power, the statement said.
No radiation was released by the incident and the plant has continued to run at full capacity.
Westar and KCP&L each own 47 percent of the plant and are entitled to that much of its power output. KEPCo owns the remaining 6 percent and gets that much of the power.
When the plant is off line, the utilities have to cover for it by producing more energy –– and burning more fuel –– at their coal and gas plants, and/or buying power from other utilities.
Westar estimates that a plant shutdown costs the company about $280,000 a day and KEPCo estimates its cost is about $35,000. KCP&L refuses to release any information about its additional costs when Wolf Creek is down.
Last week, the plant avoided a possible shutdown when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the operating company an extension on repair time for a malfunction unrelated to Monday’s generator fire.
The plant has to be shut down to fix that problem, because the radiation level under the reactor is too high for people to work there when it’s running, even if they’re in protective suits.
Both Wolf Creek and an outside expert contacted by The Eagle agreed that the plant could safely operate without the sensor for longer than the 30-day repair time specified in the plant’s operating permit, because any leaks would be detected by other sensors monitoring temperature, humidity and radiation in the reactor building.
The NRC granted Wolf Creek’s request for permission to run without the sensor until the next scheduled shutdown for refueling, which is planned to begin in late February.
Originally posted on 9/29
Power Reactor Event Number: 50510 Facility: WOLF CREEK
Region: 4 State: KS
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] W-4-LP
NRC Notified By: MIKE NORRIS
HQ OPS Officer: MARK ABRAMOVITZNotification Date: 10/06/2014
Notification Time: 15:00 [ET]
Event Date: 10/06/2014
Event Time: 13:36 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 10/06/2014Emergency Class: ALERT
10 CFR Section:
50.72(a) (1) (i) - EMERGENCY DECLAREDPerson (Organization):
DON ALLEN (R4DO)
KRISS KENNEDY (R4DR)
BILL DEAN (NRR)
MARC DAPAS (R4RA)
JEFFERY GRANT (IRD)
SAMSON LEE (NRR)
Event Text
Unit SCRAM Code RX CRIT Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode 1 N Y 100 Power Operation 100 Power Operation
ALERT DECLARED - FIRE IN A DIESEL GENERATOR POTENTIAL TRANSFORMER
At 1336 CDT, Wolf Creek declared an Alert due to a fire. The fire in the "B" Emergency Diesel Generator potential transformer was extinguished using a portable CO2 fire extinguisher. Plant personnel were exposed to the smoke and were evaluated with no injuries noted. The plant continued to operate at 100% power throughout the event.
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector, State of Kansas Division of Emergency Management, and the Coffey County Sheriff
Notified DHS SWO, DOE Ops Center, FEMA Ops Center, HHS Ops Center, NICC Watch Officer, USDA OPS Center, EPA EOC, FDA EOC, and Nuclear SSA via email.
* * * UPDATE AT 1648 EDT ON 10/6/2014 FROM AARON LUCAS TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *
The Alert was terminated at 1542 CDT because the fire had been terminated within fifteen minutes and a walkdown of the area was clear.
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.
Notified the R4DO (Allen), IRD (Grant), NRR (Lee), DHS SWO, DOE Ops Center, FEMA Ops Center, HHS Ops Center, NICC Watch Officer, USDA OPS Center, EPA EOC, FDA EOC, and Nuclear SSA via email..
Utilities' attitude should change to boost safety: center head
The head of Japan's newly established private Nuclear Risk Research Center said Wednesday that a "major change" is required in the attitude of Japanese plant operators in enhancing the safety of nuclear power in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima crisis.
George Apostolakis, a former commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, took the post of chief of the center which was set up the same day. The entity will engage in research and risk assessment to reduce nuclear risks, and promote continued self-initiated safety enhancement by nuclear plant operators.
During a meeting with industry minister Yuko Obuchi, Apostolakis said he hopes "the attitude (among Japanese utilities) of 'meeting regulations is enough' has ceased to exist" after the worst nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl.
"The regulations specify the minimum amount of safety that is acceptable. It's a responsibility of the owners (of nuclear plants) to go beyond that," he said.
Obuchi said the nuclear industry was caught up in a "safety myth" where utilities tended to be complacent about safety once regulatory requirements were met.
Sept 29"But after experiencing the Fukushima accident, we know that's not going to work any longer," she added.
After the Fukushima meltdowns, utilities, especially Tokyo Electric Power Co. -- the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant -- came under fire for not taking enough safety measures based on the "safety myth," and failing to include such a severe accident in their assumptions
I gave Mr Oesterle (1-301-415-1014) a quick call today, left a recording...basically saying these events around the tunnel instrumentation constitutes agency corruption.
I am thinking $3 million dollars...
If federal regulators don’t grant the request, it means Wolf Creek would have to be shut down for two to three days, which would likely cost Kansas utilities, and eventually their customers, more than $1 million.
I was calling yesterday to ask how to contest the licence Amendment. As i said, I left a message, then made another call getting the project manager. He said somebody was in the room with him, he promised he would call me back.
This must be a world record getting a document added into the NRC document system. Notice I called on the Sept 29 and the document is dated 29, it was publicly disclosed on the Sept 30...
I wonder if he got wind I wanted to contest the LAR, would they have to shut the plant because it was going to the system...
September 29, 2014
SUBJECT: WOLF CREEK GENERATING STATION- ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT UNDER EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES RE: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION 3.4.15, "RCS LEAKAGE DETECTION INSTRUMENTATION," COMPLETION TIME EXTENSION (TAC NO. MF4777)
Dear Mr. Heflin:
Sept 29The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 211 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-42 for the Wolf Creek Generating Station. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated September 10, 2014. This amendment is being issued under exigent circumstances in accordance with paragraph 50.91 (a)(6) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Rumor has it they are looking around for Entergy or Exelon to manage the siteMID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTERFOR WOLF CREEK GENERATING STATION (REPORT 0500482/2014006)
Wolf Creek puts poor quality components inside their containment for sump water level detection. The radiation causes shorts …unit freezes up.
First
freeze up happen in Nov 2013.
Another
one occurred and they called it inoperable on May 28, 2014.
Rules
say fix it or be shutdown in month.
This document was date Sept 18, 2014:
Added to adams on
Sept 22, I just noticed it on Sept 29….
The NRC says the
comment period ends on Sept 26…
I
thought the comment came out today, with the end of the comment period seven
days ago…that is why I called in a huff I made certain of the dates.
So
I asked why was the comment period close before the document came out…I was in
error.
But
the comment I got back was more puzzling than anything else, he said, "it was
written under exigent circumstances".
No
doubt it was ginned up exigent circumstances…
They
knew about this problem since Nov 2013…
I got a call into project manager on this and I am awaiting his call back. Got a list of issues and
I got a call into project manager on this and I am awaiting his call back. Got a list of issues and
***During the facility-administered annual operating tests of licensed operators, the licensee training staff evaluated crew and individual operator performance during dynamic simulator scenarios and individual operator performance during job performance measures. There were two crew failures and 11 individual failures. The licensee remediated and retested the staff prior to returning them to licensed duties. Analysis. In accordance with Inspection Procedure 71111.11, each of the following was a performance deficiency against expected licensed operator knowledge and abilities: 1) Greater than 20 percent of the crews failing their scenarios and 2) greater than 20 percent of the licensed operator staff failing their operating tests. Using the Inspection Manual Chapter 0612, Appendix B, "Issue Screening," the inspecton determined that the finding was more than minor because the performance deficiency was associated with the Mitigating Systems Cornerstone attribute of human performance, and affected the cornerstone objective of ensuring the availability, reliability, and capability of systems that respond to initiating events to prevent undesirable consequences. The inspector determined that this finding could be evaluated using Inspection Manual Chapter 0609, Appendix I, "Licensed Operator Requalification Significance Determination Process." This finding was of very low safety significance (Green) because the finding was related to the requalification
I'd like to know how they come up with the 40% failure rate is unsafe?exam results, did not result in a failure rate of greater than 40 percent, and the licensed operators were remediated prior to returning to shift. This finding has a cross-cutting aspect in the area of human performance associated with
Green. The inspector reviewed a self-revealing finding associated with licensed operator performance on the annual requalification operating tests. Specifically, 2 of 8 crews (25 percent) failed the simulator scenario portion of the operating test; and 11 of 46 licensed operators (23 percent) either failed the scenario or failed the job performance measure portions of the operating tests. The licensee remediated and retested the staff prior to returning them to licensed duties. Wolf Creek entered this finding into their corrective action program as Condition Report 75336.
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