Pilgrim Stuck at 22% Power for 24 hours: Chickens Coming Home to Roost with Poor Maintenance

Feb 27: The whole Story: 

Pilgrim Stuck at 22% After Storm Neptune: Beginning To a Pull Fitzpatrick

Feb 20 update

• (NRC) Entergy is working through some non-safety related balance-of-plant equipment issues. The company is taking appropriate action to work through these issues, and they will restore full power once they are resolved. None of current equipment problems involve safety related equipment.
  Diane Screnci
  Region I

Hmm, "work though these issues"? 

That is more like it, early this morning Pilgrim is up to 92% power. Did Pilgrim get a special exemption?  

This report is made at midnight. So sometime on Tues they started up and we have no idea actually what time it was started up.

What do you expect, all these preventable hard scrams, normal scrams, downpowers and shutdowns are beating the hell out of the plant. 

Being stuck at about 22% power in a start up is highly unusual for greater than 24 hours. 

Something big is wrong and all these maintenance periods of recent and they still can't get it right?

Bet you they are listening to the operations department now?  

Yesterday Wednesday. 

Power Reactor Status Report for February 18, 2015 

Region 1 

Unit	Power
Beaver Valley 1	100
Beaver Valley 2	100
Calvert Cliffs 1	100
Calvert Cliffs 2	0
FitzPatrick	100
Ginna	100
Hope Creek 1	100
Indian Point 2	100
Indian Point 3	100
Limerick 1	100
Limerick 2	100
Millstone 2	100
Millstone 3	100
Nine Mile Point 1	98
Nine Mile Point 2	100
Oyster Creek	100
Peach Bottom 2	89
Peach Bottom 3	100
Pilgrim 1	18
Salem 1	100
Salem 2	100
Seabrook 1	100
Susquehanna 1	100
Susquehanna 2	100
Three Mile Island 1	100

Today Thursday 

Current Power Reactor Status Report for February 19, 2015 

Region 1 

Unit	Power
Beaver Valley 1	100
Beaver Valley 2	100
Calvert Cliffs 1	100
Calvert Cliffs 2	0
FitzPatrick	100
Ginna	100
Hope Creek 1	100
Indian Point 2	100
Indian Point 3	100
Limerick 1	100
Limerick 2	99
Millstone 2	100
Millstone 3	100
Nine Mile Point 1	98
Nine Mile Point 2	0
Oyster Creek	100
Peach Bottom 2	89
Peach Bottom 3	100
Pilgrim 1	22
Salem 1	96
Salem 2	100
Seabrook 1	100
Susquehanna 1	96
Susquehanna 2	96
Three Mile Island 1	100

So here below is the Pilgrim start up from Storm Juno. 0% to 79% power in 24 hours. 

Power Reactor Status Report for February 7, 2015 

Region 1

Unit	Power
Beaver Valley 1	100
Beaver Valley 2	100
Calvert Cliffs 1	100
Calvert Cliffs 2	100
FitzPatrick	100
Ginna	100
Hope Creek 1	100
Indian Point 2	100
Indian Point 3	100
Limerick 1	100
Limerick 2	100
Millstone 2	100
Millstone 3	100
Nine Mile Point 1	100
Nine Mile Point 2	100
Oyster Creek	100
Peach Bottom 2	89
Peach Bottom 3	100
Pilgrim 1	0
Salem 1	100
Salem 2	90
Seabrook 1	100
Susquehanna 1	100
Susquehanna 2	79
Three Mile Island 1	100

Power Reactor Status Report for February 8, 2015

Region 1 

Unit	Power
Beaver Valley 1	100
Beaver Valley 2	100
Calvert Cliffs 1	100
Calvert Cliffs 2	100
FitzPatrick	100
Ginna	100
Hope Creek 1	100
Indian Point 2	100
Indian Point 3	100
Limerick 1	100
Limerick 2	100
Millstone 2	100
Millstone 3	100
Nine Mile Point 1	100
Nine Mile Point 2	100
Oyster Creek	100
Peach Bottom 2	89
Peach Bottom 3	100
Pilgrim 1	79
Salem 1	100
Salem 2	100
Seabrook 1	100
Susquehanna 1	100
Susquehanna 2	100
Three Mile Island 1

Power Reactor Status Report for February 9, 2015

Unit	Power
Beaver Valley 1	100
Beaver Valley 2	100
Calvert Cliffs 1	100
Calvert Cliffs 2	100
FitzPatrick	100
Ginna	100
Hope Creek 1	100
Indian Point 2	100
Indian Point 3	100
Limerick 1	100
Limerick 2	99
Millstone 2	100
Millstone 3	100
Nine Mile Point 1	100
Nine Mile Point 2	100
Oyster Creek	100
Peach Bottom 2	89
Peach Bottom 3	100
Pilgrim 1	97
Salem 1	100
Salem 2	100
Seabrook 1	100
Susquehanna 1	100
Susquehanna 2	100
Three Mile Island 1	100

 

Ratcheting Up The pressure To The NRC, Entergy and Pilgrim

One thing is certain, the NRC is telegraphing they still have complete confidence and trustworthiness in Entergy. 

Hey Frank, how come they didn't answer your question on if operation's employees advised a shutdown on Juno Jan 26,2015? I can hear it now, it's under investigation? 

My request to Frank Maud yesterday. Amazing turn around Frank and Dave.  

Wait, you asked the question, but they dodge it... 

Tofmand@wickedlocal.comFeb 17 at 5:13 PM 

Frank, 

Entergy employees leaked to me that the operations department requested a precautionary safety shutdown prior to Juno…Entergy said go to hell, we are going to ride the storm out. There is a fear of a cover-up…management didn’t report this to the NRC resident inspectors or the special inspection team. I worry the ops employees went to the NRC asking for the agency’s help with helping Entergy do the right thing…the NRC said they could do nothing?

If Entergy lied or played word games...it would be a big deal to the NRC. 

http://steamshovel2002.blogspot.com/2015/02/operations-advised-precautionary-plant.html 

'Operations Advised Precautionary Pilgrim Plant Shutdown in Juno (1/27): Higher Management said Go to Hell'I am getting a NRC Office Inspector General to investigation. It would be nice if you began asking question on this to the players. 

 Mike Mulligan 

Hinsdale, NH 

1-603-336-8320

I am happy, everyone knows I am breathing down their necks about the operations thing...they all know it is my question. There is a awareness that question was posed.

NRC says Pilgrim shutdown was prudent, precautionary plan

By Frank Mand 

fmand@wickedlocal.com

Posted Feb. 18, 2015 at 10:00 AM 

NRC says Pilgrim shutdown was prudent, precautionary plan
“The decision to shut down the Pilgrim nuclear power plant was a voluntary action on the part of Entergy,” NRC Spokesman Neil Sheehan said. “It was not an action sought or required by the NRC." 

By Frank Mand 

fmand@wickedlocal.com Posted Feb. 18, 2015 at 10:00 AM

PLYMOUTH – This time, Entergy shut the nuclear plant down before the storm hit. But the last two times that Pilgrim Station was about to experience a major blizzard, the company chose to keep the plant running. 

During the two recent storms in which Pilgrim opted to remain online, it lost power to one or both of its transmission lines and had to scram (perform an emergency shutdown). 

Just prior to winter storm Juno, critics made a concerted effort to convince plant officials to err on the side of caution. 

A joint letter from Pilgrim Watch and the Duxbury Nuclear Advisory Committee asked Entergy to heed the weathermen’s warnings. 

“The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station on Cape Cod Bay is directly in the path of the potentially historic winter storm due to hit Plymouth, Mass., starting tonight, Monday, Jan. 26,” the letter read. “There is a coastal flood warning, coastal flood watch, blizzard warning and hazardous weather outlook in effect for Plymouth, according to NOOA.” 

But the plant remained operational at the start of Juno, until power supply problems forced Entergy's hand. 

Last Saturday, however, Pilgrim decided early on to shut down the nuclear reactor. 

Just before the plant went offline Saturday, the plant issued the following statement: “In preparation for Storm Neptune, Pilgrim Station made the decision to take the plant off line. We are following plant procedures to prepare for a potential loss of offsite power or the grid’s inability to accept the power Pilgrim generates. As always, safety is our number one priority and there is no threat to the safety of plant workers or the general public.” 

When asked why Pilgrim opted this time to err on the side of greater caution, Pilgrim Spokesperson Lauren Burm said, “We follow plant procedures that direct specific actions based on weather conditions.” 

When plant critics and the NRC were asked if there were any further explanations or motivations, critics responded with, among other things, a list from Dave Lochbaum, with the Union of Concerned Scientists, of all the times since 1975 that Pilgrim has officially experienced a LOOP (Loss Of Offsite Power). 

In 1975, Lochbaum wrote, ”Operators were shutting down the reactor when the turbine tripped. During the ensuing in-plant electrical power transfers, blown fuses de-energized the startup and auxiliary 345 kilovolt lines, causing a loss of offsite power and an automatic reactor scram.” 

During the famous Blizzard of 1978, the reactor was scrammed, as well, when “heavy snowfall caused electrical breakers in the 345 kilovolt switchyard to flashover and trip.

In August of that year, Lochbaum wrote, “The reactor automatically scrammed from 100 percent power when lightning struck transmission lines causing a loss of offsite power.

The plant experienced additional LOOPs in 1979, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993, but not again until 2013 and then twice this year. 

Lochbaum noted that the cause of these events was power supply transfers (twice), lightning strikes (four times), high winds (four times), storms (twice), ice and snow during blizzards (five times), plus a solar storm and a forest fire (once each). 

Since 1975, the plant has lost offsite power 20 times.
That would appear to be an argument for the precautionary shutdown of the plant as major storms approach. But when the plant is shut down, Entergy loses, by some estimates, close to $1 million a day. 

NRC Public Affairs Officer Neil Sheehan said the plant was not pressured, and that his agency was in close communication with Entergy during the decision-making process and the shutdown. 

“The decision to shut down the Pilgrim nuclear power plant was a voluntary action on the part of Entergy,” Sheehan said. “It was not an action sought or required by the NRC. 

“That said,” Sheehan added, “given the forecast intensity of this particular storm, and in light of other challenges Pilgrim has experienced during severe winter storms, this planned and orderly shutdown in advance of the approaching blizzard was a prudent precautionary action.”

Follow Frank Mand on Twitter @frankmandOCM.

New NRC: Project Aim 2020. Believe in a cause greater that self!

The New NRC, I like it.

But this is just the pathetic NRC’s response to the expected bludgeoning by Senate and House investigation in the upcoming months.   

Project Aim 2020

The NRC can expect to continue operating with a safety first mindset and fostering an open, collaborative work environment. Workload will be distributed equitably and with less reliance on functional organizations. The agency functions as “One NRC” where the needs of the Nation are considered above an individual or an office. The NRC is more agile, flexible, and able to adapt quickly to changing workloads and needs to accomplish its mission, not for the sake of doing work. The NRC embraces change as an opportunity to enhance service to the country.

The NRC teabagger agenda

Because a lot of utilities have cutback in building new nukes and many 'end of life' of other plants...the NRC's job will be less and thus the NRC won't need as much budgeting, employees and resources.

The counter argument the NRC never advances

The market with lower cost or displaced electricity creating less funding to the nuclear plants and the quickly aging and obsolete nuclear power plants leading to the necessity of much more agency funding and a much better educated and experience NRC workforce.

The agency comes back with a report on say on the oldest 5 nuclear plants, say the worst 3 economically strained plants...these are the unique problems these plants face. This is the world we anticipate based in 2020 with a aging fleet and more economic problems.

Where is the Nuclear Industry's Project Aim 2020?
Why Does the NRC Need to Change?

The NRC needs to improve efficiency to meet future challenges. For forty years, the NRC has successfully met its safety, security, and safeguards mission and has met or surpassed agency performance measures, but adjustments are necessary for success in the future.
Efficiency is one of the NRC’s five Principles of Good Regulation, which were established by the Commission in 1991. The efficiency principle stipulates that the NRC should have the best management and administration, the highest technical and managerial competence, a continual upgrading of its regulatory capabilities, and timely decision-making while minimizing the use of resources. Since the terrorist attacks in 2001, the agency has grown significantly to enhance security and incident response and to prepare for projected growth in the use of nuclear power in the United States (U.S.). That forecast in growth has now been adjusted downward in response to changes in the nuclear industry resulting in fewer new nuclear power plants and earlier decommissioning of some of the existing plants. These adjustments, in turn, are prompting the NRC to adapt its structure, workforce, culture, and regulatory processes to achieve the agency’s safety and security mission in an era of constrained resources. The NRC must reposition itself to function as an effective and efficient regulator in this new environment,while retaining the capability to respond in an agile manner to a range of possible futures.

What Is Wrong With Region I: A note to the NRC's Office of Inspector Generial

Actually, if we never had the Vermont Yankee fiasco, all that followed would never have occurred... 

Terry, 

http://steamshovel2002.blogspot.com/ 

Oyster Creek: Old Design Issues in the Assessment Process  

There is no way the OC ERV yellowing finding is related to old design issues. The exposure time sounds Russian to me. I call it corruption. I call the OC ‘s ERV a red finding or worst…I call the collective last three inspection reports on the collapse of Oyster Creek as a red finding… 

Something is wrong with region one region 1: Pilgrim, Millstone and OC. 

And if you want to know the truth, as Vermont Yankee was collapsing, region I were yanking NRC attention away from Pilgrim towards the ends of protecting Entergy. As Oyster Creek’s life is ebbing away (2019), with Exelon in such financial straits and a host their plants fighting for their lives…will we see a similar soft gloves (corruption) NRC strategy with Exelon? Just as we’d seen in the Vermont Yankee and Pilgrim Washington two step?

'Operations Advised Precautionary Pilgrim Plant Shutdown in Juno (1/27): Higher Management said Go to Hell 

http://steamshovel2002.blogspot.com/2015/02/operations-advised-precautionary-plant.html

I know from a senior Pilgrim operations employee that in storm (1/27/2015) Juno, the operations department advised for safety reasons fearing a LOOP, they advised senior management the plant should take a precautionary shutdown and sit out the storm. One only hopes this was disclosed to NRC residents or the special inspection team and is not a cover-up? The ops people are pissed with senior management and severely mistrustful of them. The only question I got, why didn’t the ops people go the NRC before the storm stuck? Or did theyPilgrim should have had a special inspection or focused inspection for all the problems during the 2013 Nemo LOOP and the astonishing number of problems with the new leaking and dysfunctional SRV. If there was proper NRC attention for the Pilgrim’s SRV issues beginning within weeks of the 2011 new installation and 2013 LOOP, the 2013 LOOP was a full LOOP while the 2016 Juno LOOP was a partial...if the NRC would have focused the proper attention in the 2011 through the 2013...we wouldn't have gotten the 2015 LOOP and the resultant problems today. And we have the problems with HPCI and a SRV, among other problem in juno, plus equipment issues in the voluntary shutdown in storm Neptune.

I can make a case if Millstone seen the NRC slapping around Pilgrim in the 2011 thru 2013 time frame or vice versa...we wouldn't have the later Millstone or Oyster Creek issues. Right, what if the NRC did the right thing in the 2007 Millstone too small feed water isolation valve actuators, what if everyone though the NRC was a real and feared regulator??

I can see the writing on the wall, the House and Senate in the coming months are going to after the NRC like a rabid mad dog!

You get that don't you, I am not anti nuclear. I love my government with all my heart even with all its flaws, in spite of the flaws...I am extremely pro Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Sincerely,

Mike Mulligan, 

Hinsdale, NH

1-603-336-8320

Oyster Creek: Old Design Issues in the Assessment Process.

OC's Electromatic Relief Valve yellow finding don't meet a old design issue get out of jail free card? 

Ho K. Nieh, DirectorDivision of Reactor Projects

ERV yellow finding: The violation was also preliminary determined to meet the IMC 0305, Section 11.05, criteria for treatment as an old design issue.

Now I got the right version...

NRC INSPECTION MANUAL IPAB INSPECTION MANUAL CHAPTER 0305 OPERATING REACTOR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM 

11.05. Treatment of Items Associated with Enforcement Discretion.  

A finding that includes a violation that meets the criteria discussed below will be processed as specified in this section. The intent of this section is to establish ROP guidance that supports the objective of enforcement discretion, which is to encourage licensee initiatives to identify and resolve problems, especially those subtle issues that are not likely to be identified by routine efforts. 

The purpose of this approach is to place a premium on licensees initiating efforts to identify and correct safety-significant issues, which are not likely to be identified by routine efforts, before degraded safety systems are called upon to work. The assessment program evaluates present performance issues, and this approach excludes old design issues from consideration of overall licensee performance in the Action Matrix. The DRP or DRS

I am not sure what "excludes old design issues from consideration of overall licensee performance in the Action Matrix" means.

division director will authorize the treatment of findings as old design issues after conferring with the Deputy Director, NRR/DIRS. This is not an Action Matrix deviation. 

A finding that includes a violation subject to enforcement discretion must be dispositioned under one of the following categories:

a. Treatment of Old Design Issues in the Assessment Process. A finding associated with engineering calculations or analysis, associated operating procedure, or installation of plant equipment is considered an Old Design Issue if it meets all of the following criteria: 

1. It was licensee-identified as a result of a voluntary initiative, such as a design basis reconstitution. For the purposes of this IMC, self-revealing findings, which are defined in IMC 0612, are not considered to be licensee-identified.

2. It was or will be corrected, including immediate corrective actions and long-term comprehensive corrective actions to prevent recurrence, within a reasonable time following identification (this action should involve expanding the initiative, as necessary, to identify other failures caused by similar root causes). For the purpose of this criterion, identification is defined as the time when the significance of the finding is first discussed between the NRC and the licensee. Accordingly, issues being cited by the NRC for inadequate or untimely corrective action are not eligible for treatment as old design issues.

3. It was not likely to be previously identified by recent ongoing licensee efforts, such as normal surveillance, quality assurance activities, or evaluation of industry information.

4. It does not reflect a current performance deficiency associated with existing licensee programs, policy, or procedure.

If all the old design issue criteria are met, then the finding would not aggregate in the Action Matrix with other PIs and inspection findings.

If the old design issue criteria are not met, then the finding would be treated similar to any other inspection finding and additional NRC actions would be taken in accordance with the Action Matrix.

Overall Inspection Approach

The finding considered for treatment as an old design issue shall be brought to a SERP and a Regulatory Conference, if applicable. The finding shall be discussed in the appropriate inspection report cover letter and displayed on the NRC’s web site with its actual safety significance after the final safety significance is determined. Issue Date: 11/20/14 38 0305

If enough information is known to determine that the finding meets the old design issue criteria, then the licensee shall be notified in the inspection report cover letter that the finding was determined to be an old design issue. The regional office shall perform an IP 95001 supplemental inspection for a white finding or an IP 95002 supplemental inspection for a yellow or red finding to review the licensee’s root cause evaluation and corrective action plan for that particular issue. Because Old Design Issues often predate current licensee policies and practices, performing a review of the licensee’s safety culture as part of an IP 95002 inspection may not be necessary. If the region determines that a safety culture review is not required as part of an IP 95002 inspection for an Old Design Issue, the region should document that the review was not performed and include justification in the inspection report.

Example 11.05-1: The NRC concluded that a white finding in the Mitigating Systems Cornerstone meets the criteria for an old design issue for a plant. The plant also has a white PI in the Mitigating Systems Cornerstone. This plant would be placed in Column 2 of the Action Matrix because of the white PI, and NRC actions would be taken in accordance with that column, including an IP 95001 supplemental inspection for the white PI. The old design issue does not aggregate with other inputs in determining the Action Matrix column or required NRC response. Therefore, the white old design issue would be considered independently, and an IP 95001 supplemental inspection for that issue would be conducted.

If additional information is needed to determine whether the finding meets the old design issue criteria, the inspection report cover letter should state that the finding is being considered for treatment as an old design issue. The regional offices should then perform an IP 95001 supplemental inspection for a white finding or an IP 95002 supplemental inspection for a yellow or red finding to review the licensee’s root cause evaluation of that particular issue and to gather the additional information required to determine whether the finding meets the old design issue criteria.  

Example 11.05-2: The regional office does not have enough information to determine if a red finding meets the criteria for an old design issue. The regional office would perform an IP 95002 inspection to review the root cause evaluation and gather additional information on whether the finding meets the criteria for an old design issue. As a result of the inspection, if the regional office determines that the criteria have not been met, the regional office would perform the additional inspection activities to complete supplemental inspection requirements for an IP 95003 inspection

Brunswick Nuclear Plant: Are They Just "Running to Failure" These Components

Junk Nordberg Diesel Generators: 

HPCI DECLARED INOPERABLE DURING WEEKLY INSPECTION

"EVENT DESCRIPTION: On February 12, 2015, at 1336 Eastern Standard Time (EST) the Unit 1 High Pressure Coolant Injection (HPCI) system was declared inoperable due to a failure of the HPCI Auxiliary Oil Pump. During performance of a routine HPCI weekly inspection, the auxiliary oil pump was started and subsequently experienced a loss of discharge oil pressure. The HPCI Auxiliary Oil Pump provides hydraulic pressure required to open the HPCI Turbine Stop Valve and the HPCI Turbine Control Valve during initial HPCI startup. Failure of the HPCI Auxiliary Oil Pump prevents the HPCI system from performing its design safety function. As such, this event is being reported in accordance with 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(v)(D) as a condition that at the time of discovery could have prevented the fulfillment of the safety function of a system that is needed to mitigate the consequences of an accident.

"This event did not result in any adverse impact to the health and safety of the public.

"INITIAL SAFETY SIGNIFICANCE EVALUATION: The safety significance of this condition is minimal. All other Emergency Core Cooling Systems and the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling (RCIC) system remain operable [per the requirements of 14-day LCO (Limiting Condition of Operation) 3.5.1].

"CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: Troubleshooting activities are in progress. The HPCI system will remain inoperable until the cause of the failure has been corrected. 

The NRC's GDC 17 Pilgrim Plant Proviso?

My commentary? 

I don't think the ops went into Juno with an idea to shutdown. I think upper management said we will tell you when to shutdown! 

From then on, ops was ticked off at management, let just say, ops didn't heavily participate in helping management in the beginning to shutdown the plant. 

The NRC was in the control room! 

Like to know the panel alarms walking toward Juno...they must have a cheat sheet with indications based on past LOOPs in winter storms. 

Again, it looks like poles failed outside the plant, as the NRC says, "the licensee has no control outside their property". Hmm, what was all that work with separating the four lines in the Millstone. Something about one line not falling over and knocking down another?

This NRC tack cheats the community with understanding what is going on outside the property leading to many LOOPs. So a giant precursor to a station blackout generated offsite is beyond the preview of the NRC...it sounds too bureaucratic to me. I am disappointed the new inspection report don't carry an explanation of this. Was it part of a NRC cover-up?     

I think Pilgrim has the responsibility to understand the big picture with the lines surrounding their plant. Entergy could have called in big wig transmission system engineers to access the condition of the lines…say out to 5 miles. The NRC could have asked Entergy to preform this and put the information on the docket. As Entergy said yesterday, the grid wasn't reliably capable of transmitting Pilgrim power. 

The two lines go out many miles through one small right of way, by the way, the smaller line follow alongside the 345 lines for many miles. 

It looks like to me maybe from two or three miles from the plant, the two line right of way corridor goes out...it is the wooden poles they are talking about? Once getting to the first substation or switch-yard two miles...from then on its modern new poles and lines. 

This plant has an astounding lack of power line diversity and it isn't in accordance to GDC 17. 

Is Pilgrim having troubles getting a permit for the line upgrade? Can you even imagine the cost of separating the lines. Sounds like they are boxed in. 

Appendix A to Part 50—General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants

Criterion 17—Electric power systems. An onsite electric power system and an offsite electric power system shall be provided to permit functioning of structures, systems, and components important to safety. The safety function for each system (assuming the other system is not functioning) shall be to provide sufficient capacity and capability to assure that (1) specified acceptable fuel design limits and design conditions of the reactor coolant pressure boundary are not exceeded as a result of anticipated operational occurrences and (2) the core is cooled and containment integrity and other vital functions are maintained in the event of postulated accidents. 

The onsite electric power supplies, including the batteries, and the onsite electric distribution system, shall have sufficient independence, redundancy, and testability to perform their safety functions assuming a single failure. 

Electric power from the transmission network to the onsite electric distribution system shall be supplied by two physically independent circuits (not necessarily on

The Pilgrim Plant proviso and dangerous!!!! This is where the NRC rules are dangerous. 

separate rights of way) designed and located so as to minimize to the extent practical the likelihood of their

What does this mean and specifically how do they control the simultaneous failure risk? These are the words Pilgrim lives or dies by.    

simultaneous failure under operating and postulated accident and environmental conditions. A switchyard common to both circuits is acceptable. Each of these circuits shall be designed to be available in sufficient time following a loss of all onsite alternating current power supplies and the other offsite electric power circuit, to assure that specified acceptable fuel design limits and design conditions of the reactor coolant pressure boundary are not exceeded. One of these circuits  shall be designed to be available within a few seconds following a loss-of-coolant accident to assure that core cooling, containment integrity, and other vital safety functions are maintained. 

Provisions shall be included to minimize the probability of losing electric power from any of the remaining supplies as a result of, or coincident with, the loss of power generated by the nuclear power unit, the loss of power from the transmission network, or the loss of power from the onsite electric power supplies.

Blizzard Timeline in 2015 with Pilgrim Nuclear Plant

NRC focused inspection on scrams and prior LOOPs.

Jan 27, 2015 Storm Juno:

Plant trip, equipment problems, LOOP and special inspection. I predicted the plant LOOP. 

Feb 9, 2015 Storm Marcus:

Slow moving storm and rather high snow accumulation. Not much wind. Plant survives without problem.  

Feb 15, 2015 Storm Neptune 

Bombogenesis: intense low pressure and hurricane force winds. Forecasted as not a big accumulation. Pilgrim shutdown voluntarily prior to storm, but under 'concerns' and equipment problems. (questioned if secretly ordered by NRC)

Feb 22, 2015 Storm Octavia?

? Might intensify out in the ocean and run up the coast as a typical Nor’easter.

Boston thinks it might be 18"

Operations Advised Precautionary Pilgrim Plant Shutdown in Juno (1/27): Higher Management said Go to Hell

updated

Big Cover up at Pilgrim Just Before Storm Juno plant trip and LOOP 

"What if the management did not want the operators to shutdown early?"

"Was there any benefit to ops for keeping, to run the plant at full power?'

"Does management have more to gain if they wanted ops to continue full power operation?"

The Operations Department (OPS) is the most influential department at the plant. These employees are the only licensed employees at the plant...have to pass testing at the plant.

I just received a tip from a operation department employee…a very senior individual.

The game may go between the NRC and licence, 'I won't ask you and you don't tell me'. A tip just may disrupt this game of selective disclosures.  

The operation department requested and advised to senior management just hours before Storm Juno struck Pilgrim, that the plant is unsafe at power facing a hard plant trip and LOOP. Operations advised Pilgrim take a precautionary plant shutdown and sit out the storm in a shutdown condition leading up to Jan 27… 

Are Entergy's executive bonuses with staying up at power or capacity factor behind not playing it safe? 

Senior Management just blew off the advice of the Operation Department...ordered them to stay up at power.

This will turn into a whole different game if Entergy didn't disclose this to the NRC resident inspector or the special inspection team.

Storm Neptune Pilgrim plant shutdown 

Did the NRC politely tell Entergy to voluntarily shutdown the plant or we will order it shutdown. They just got done with a 12 day outage...now they found other other problems?

"Burm said that they cannot reveal how long they will be offline but adds that they are addressing a number of concerns"

Winter Storm Octavia?

???

How Does Pilgrim Behave in Winter Storm Neptune

The Weather Channel is stationed in Plymouth Ma for Neptune. Can you even imagine them covering an incident at the plant in the middle of the blizzard?

Pilgrim Plays It Safe Finally

‘Pilgrim nuclear power plant shut down for storm” (12:30 pm)

Posted Feb. 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated at 12:50 PM
PLYMOUTH – The Pilgrim nuclear power plant will be shut down during the blizzard on Saturday and Sunday to avoid a repeat of problems that occurred during the Jan. 27 storm, which resulted in a 12-day shutdown. 

“We are following plant procedures to prepare for a potential loss of offsite power or the grid’s inability to accept the power Pilgrim generates," Lauren Burm, a spokesman for Entergy, the own of the plant, said in an email on Saturday afternoon. 

The 680-megawatt plant shut down automatically around 4 a.m. Jan. 27 after an electrical connection used to feed electricity to the grid was interrupted amid the worsening storm. 

It was reconnected to the grid last Saturday.

Originally posted on Feb 13...reposted it.  

Feb 14

12:12 pm: I'd be surprised if they didn't shutdown before the blizzard. I am predicting this as a second LOOP in 2015. They won't survive it. 

Pilgrim is in widespread electrical outage area red zone....high winds. 

You get it, A LOOP is usually a very infrequent and is considered a terrible incident as it strips a lot of safety components from the plant and is a serous precursor for a fukushima station blackout.

What has happened in Pigrim, is they have transferred 'a avoid at all cost' high risk incident, into a normal operation or shutdown regime. It's safe...it's all part of a normal and expected operating mode of the plant. 

The plant never designed a LOOP as a normal operational mode...a lot more engineering would have gone into it.   

4 pm: They have just vastly increased the blizzard warning area on the Ma coast...

The difference from storm Marcus (last one)…Neptune is going to have tremendously more wind than Marcus!!!!

Juno wasn't even a Bomb?

Is the Pilgrim site VP (top dog) going to bunk over at the site for storm Neptune as the Millstone VP did in Juno. I am raising my LOOP probability because the strong wind field. It should be noted they have already increased the snowfall totals from this morning... 

2:30 PM update

As the Blizzard Neptune is predicted now…it is developing far out to sea and it not going to bomb out to well past Boston. I think the possibility are slim Pilgrim will get a LOOP.

Bombogenesis: first time this year we heard this term.  

(The weather Channel) So what happens when a "weather bomb" strengthens? 

Wind speeds increase and precipitation can become more intense, often creating heavy snowfall and potential blizzard conditions during winter storms. Heavy snow rates can also occur during bombogenesis, which is sometimes accompanied by lightning. 

This happened in February 2013, when Winter Storm Nemo dropped 29 mbars within a span of 24 hours (specifically, a barometric pressure of 1000 mbars was recorded at 4 a.m. on Feb. 8, and it dropped to to 971 mbars at 4 a.m. on Feb. 9). Winter Storm Nemo ultimately "bottomed out" with a minimum barometric pressure reading of 968 mbars at 4 p.m. on Feb. 9

If they start drastically jacking up the snowfall totals, it means the bomb started sooner than expected and it is tracking closer to the coast.

There is where I think you will see another LOOP. 

I hope for the future of the 2015 everyone is aware of roof snow loading...especially if in few weeks we get a large rain storm event.

I left a message about Pilgrim’s snow loading with the resident inspectors. Made a complaint to the  NRC Allegation line…they told me the project manager will give me a call back.

Neil Shaheen just called, said everyone else is busy preparing for the storm. He assured me the plant is going to act more proactively this storm. He expects hurricane force winds this time around. He said everyone was or will be well aware of snow loading. He said the NRC asked Pilgrim about the snow loading on their roofs...Pilgrim just hasn't come back with a response yet. He implied their was prior hurricane force winds on the site, he thought all the snow was blown off the roofs.

I asked Neil is Pilgrim going to shutdown this time before the blizzard...he said that kind of information is proprietary.  

The Weather Channel has named Winter Storm Neptune, a winter storm forecast to deliver blizzard conditions to parts of New England still struggling to recover from a series of major snowstorms virtually unprecedented in modern times.

Winter Storm Neptune: Watches, Warnings and Advisories

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Winter Storm Neptune: Watches, Warnings and Advisories

Watches, warnings, and advisories issued by the National Weather Service. This map only shows advisories in effect at least 24 hours from now, in order to exclude short-term wintry weather not related to Neptune.

The National Weather Service has already issued blizzard watches for the entire east coast of New England, stretching from Cape Cod in southeast Massachusetts through the Boston area, the Seacoast region of New Hampshire, and the entire coast of Maine as well as areas as far inland as Bangor.

Winter Storm Neptune's impact will likely be magnified by a large field of strong winds, even in areas outside the heaviest snow, and a sharp drop in temperatures that will lead to dangerously low wind chills in the wake of the storm.