Junk Plant Cook: Steam Explosion Damaging Turbine Building

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update 10 pm

This is a lot better than a main steam line. These guys are notorious for vapor bubble eroding the piping. How thin was the pipe wall the last time it was tested? Was it scheduled for replacement?   

The Cook nuclear power plant in Bridgman has shut down its Unit 2 reactor due to a rupture in a moisture separator reheater. The problem occurred after midnight Wednesday. Cook plant spokesperson Bill Schalk says the rupture led to the release of non-radioactive steam. 

I know there are whistleblower out there who has issues with main steam line high energy line breaks (HELB), where the licensees aren't keeping up to plant designs. These plants have a host of barriers to prevent a damage to other safety equipment. Cooper is the plant. Basically and more troublesome, the NRC resident inspectors don't have the skills to evaluate MSL HELB accidents.    

Cook reported it as "no radioactive" release!

update 1:43pm

Sounds like they assume there is a radioactivity release. If a wall fell down, it bypasses radioactivity detection. Did the wall falling down damage equipment.

Got to hear out of the News, no release of radiation...

Cook Nuclear Plant Main Steam Line Break AST Radiological Analysis

This calculation evaluates the control room dose to plant operators and the offsite radiological consequences at

the Exclusion Area Boundary (EAB) and Low Population Zone (LPZ) for a main steam line break (MSLB) event using the Alternative Source Term (AST) Methodology.

Update 12:45

Mlive

Bridgman's D.C. Cook nuclear plant steamline ruptures

By Rosemary Parker | rparker3@mlive.com The Kalamazoo Gazette
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on July 06, 2016 at 11:23 AM, updated July 06, 2016 at 11:25 AM

BRIDGMAN, MI – A steam line rupture in the turbine building at D. C. Cook Nuclear Plant Wednesday morning damaged a wall in the plant's Unit 2 turbine building, but has had no effect on the nuclear reactor or public safety, authorities said.

Viktoria Mitlyng, senior public affairs officer for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Chicago area office, said the steam pipe rupture happened on the secondary, non-nuclear side of the plant, where the the turbine is located.

"As far as we know no one was hurt" in the pipe rupture, Mitlyng said. The incident happened at 12:38 a.m. July 6.

The steam line that ruptured was fairly large, she said. She was not immediately sure the extent of damage to the turbine room wall.

The plant operates two units. Unit 1 continues to operate at full power Wednesday; Unit 2, where the incident occurred, was taken off line manually until repairs are made.

NRC inspectors are on site evaluating the plant's response to the situation, and investigators are looking into what caused the steam pipe rupture.

At this point there is no evidence of foul play, Mitlyng said. 

Attempts to reach a representative of the plant by telephone were not successful.

Rosemary Parker is a reporter for MLive. Contact her at rparker3@mlive.com.

***These guys typically electrical short tons of electrical equipment.

Here is a 1986 game changer in the nuclear industry:

Surry Accident Raises A-Plant Deterioration Issue:

By Michael Specter December 22, 1986

The industrial accident that killed four workers at Virginia Power's nuclear plant here two weeks ago has forced industry officials and federal regulators to confront the deterioration of the United States' aging nuclear power stations.
 
The workers were conducting routine maintenance Dec. 9 when, with a pop heard throughout the sprawling plant, a pipe at Surry Unit 2 ruptured, twisting metal girders and dumping 30,000 gallons of superheated water in the turbine building. Eight men, including the four who later died, were injured.
 
Since Surry opened in 1973, the walls of the pipe, which is expected to last the 40-year life of the reactor, have in some spots gone from a half-inch thick to thinner than a credit card, and no one knows why. Tests on the corresponding pipe in Surry's other nuclear unit revealed similar erosion.

Sounds like a burst of a big steam line. Could it be the main steam line. I doubt any plant in the USA has ever gone down the explosion procedures over a steam pipe break. Most of the times this comes from either the high or low pressure "heaters". Basically then walled pipes.    

Power Reactor	Event Number: 52065
Facility: COOK Region: 3 State: MI Unit: [ ] [2] [ ] RX Type: [1] W-4-LP,[2] W-4-LP NRC Notified By: BRANDY WARK HQ OPS Officer: DONG HWA PARK	Notification Date: 07/06/2016 Notification Time: 01:02 [ET] Event Date: 07/06/2016 Event Time: 00:38 [EDT] Last Update Date: 07/06/2016
Emergency Class: UNUSUAL EVENT 10 CFR Section: 50.72(a) (1) (i) - EMERGENCY DECLARED 50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) - RPS ACTUATION - CRITICAL 50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A) - VALID SPECIF SYS ACTUATION 50.72(b)(2)(xi) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION	Person (Organization): PATTY PELKE (R3DO) CHRIS MILLER (NRR) BILL GOTT (IRD) CYNTHIA PEDERSON (R3RA) BILL DEAN (NRR)

Unit	SCRAM Code	RX CRIT	Initial PWR	Initial RX Mode	Current PWR	Current RX Mode
2	M/R	Y	100	Power Operation	0	Hot Standby

Event Text

MANUAL REACTOR TRIP AND UNUSUAL EVENT DECLARATION DUE TO STEAM LEAK IN TURBINE BUILDING "On July 6, 2016, at 0038 [EDT], DC Cook Unit 2 Reactor was manually tripped and at 0050 [EDT] an Unusual Event (N-7 'Unanticipated Explosion') Emergency Declaration was made due to steam leak and associated damage to the turbine building. "In accordance with Emergency Plan procedures, notifications of Berrien County and State of Michigan were completed. The licensee has notified the NRC Senior Resident Inspector. The Unusual Event was terminated at 0207 [EDT]. "This notification is being made in accordance with 10 CFR 50.72 (a)(1)(i) due to declaration of an emergency class. Original notification to NRC made at 0100 EDT via ENS. This event is reportable under 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B), Reactor Protection System (RPS) actuation and 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(xi) Offsite Notification, as a four (4) hour report, and under 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A), specified system actuation of the Auxiliary Feedwater System, as an eight (8) hour report. The DC Cook NRC Resident Inspector has been notified. Press release is planned. "Unit 2 is being supplied by offsite power. All control rods fully inserted. Decay heat is being removed via Steam Generator PORVs [Power Operated Relief Valve]. Preliminary evaluation indicates all plant systems functioned normally following the Reactor Trip. DC Cook Unit 2 remains stable in Mode 3 while conducting the Post Trip Review. No radioactive release is in progress as a result of this event." Notified DHS SWO, FEMA Ops Center, DHS NICC. Notified FEMA National Watch and Nuclear SSA via email.