Collaspe of the Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge: Coverup in Gov Sununu's Office

Update July 25

It the below post, I meant the moveable bearings, not the fixed bearings. But they are both non functional.  

Update July 24

The inspection was incomplete. Why wasn't it mentioned in the new inspection report the new concrete footing was obstructing the fixed bearings as seen in my photograph? They are non functional. Is Hoyle,Tanner covering up for the NHDOT's screwups?


The inspectors took better photographs than me.    

2018 Routine/Fracture Critical Member Inspection Report 

Anna Hunt Marsh Bridge NH Route 119 over the Connecticut River NHDOT Bridge No. 041/040 Hinsdale, NH
Prepared for 
The Department of Transportation
July 2018 

Item 59.7 Bearings:

The bearings are considered to be in satisfactory to poor condition. The expansion and fixed shoes exhibit paint system failure with moderate to heavy rusting. There is heavy rusting with laminar corrosion at exterior of the pin and bearing saddle interface. The expansion bearing roller guides are not plumb. The north truss expansion bearing exterior rollers have rotated in the contraction direction beyond their limit and appear to be frozen based on the amount of surface rust and accumulated debris. The south truss expansion bearing exterior rollers have also rotated in the contraction direction but to a lesser degree and also appear to be frozen based on the amount of surface rust and accumulated debris. Refer to Appendix A for representative condition photographs.

 

Originally posted 7/16/2019...reposted.  

Update July 17

So yesterday Mr Young (gov's office) said he would call me right back. He was going to get me the telephone number to the right person in the NHDOT bridge inspection department. It has been 24 hours. I think he tripped into a situation a lot more complicated than he could imagine.   


Update

Just imagine if Gov. Sununu fired for cause a bunch of NHDOT inspectors and mangers? This scandal would just explode. NH is a extremely weak governor system. The governor is mostly powerless. I doubt the governor has the power to fire anyone except his staff?  

Has anyone asked why this bridge wasn't on the NH red list. This is how they apportion bridge funding to communities mostly. They were falsifying inspection.

So mike, why didn't it get on the red list. Because they would have no bases that any changes occurred. It would illuminate their systemic bridge inspections falsification game.  

Just like today, if they shutdown the bridge. I could ask the NHDOT what changes occurred on this new inspection compared to the last inspection. They-we wouldn't find any significant changes from the last inspection. The game would be up!!!  


...Mr Young gave me a phone call this morning. He is in Gov. Sununu office. He seemed irritated with me. He wanted me to cold call somebody in the NHDOT bridge building office, he wasn't associated with the bridge inspection department on Friday. I told him is he sending me on a witch hunt. He had a hard time understanding the bridge building department won't much be involved in the bridge inspection bureaucracy. I asked him if he called the "so called" bridge building guy to set the stage for me. I said, I know these guys. They are going to think of me as a nut case or crazy ass blogger. The will just blow me off the crazy talk. I am going to tell him some of his inspections are being falsified. He is shut up like a clam. He told he is going to figure this out...he will give the bridge building guy a phone call. I'll get you a number to call. That was around 9am. It now about 2pm. I'll bet after a few calls he found a manager associated with our bride. I'll bet the bridge inspection guy is giving  him a little education on the design of our bridge and updating new events.    

Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>
To:preston.young@nh.gov
‎Jul‎ ‎15 at ‎12‎:‎16‎ ‎PM 

Mr. Young, 

I see you and your associates first emailed me with a program who could erase your email and all my return linked emails. You didn't get them all yet. Now the governor's office is implicated in a coverup. It is now time to get the lawyers involved. You are a amateur...all rank amateurs.

God help Gov. Sununu if there becomes a mass casualty event for the Brattleboro-Hinsdale bridge.

Hoyle Tanner is the firm who did the bridge inspections and I talked to them on the bridge.  

Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>

To:mlow@hoyletanner.com

‎Jul‎ ‎15 at ‎10‎:‎15‎ ‎AM

Dear Sir,

My hobby for years was to replace this bridge(s). I was the spark who created the community rebellion that created the replacement project. I know you guys recently completely the NHDOT five year inspection associates with these bridges. Hopefully it is last. I know NHDOT is one of the most corrupt state agencies in the nation. Their bridge inspection agency is really bad. I have proof of this. These guys have been serially falsifying bridge inspections for years. 

I overheard your employee talking about the conditions under the deck. I got pictures of that too. Basically that area is horrendously rotted out, unsafe and needing maybe a year shutdown for a rehab job. We are facing a shutdown of the bridge even as the new construction project is building up steam. I believe the bridge now is unsafe and needs to be shutdown. It certainly is going to collapse before the new bridge is open. The state has been subtilty gaming bridge inspection for political reasons and favors for decades.

I have specific issues with the moving and stationary barings… the rocker and roller baring. The stationary bearings have way more corrosion damage than admitted in any NHDOT inspection report. I'd seen it close up with my own eyes and camera. Did you know the Brattleboro bridge is grossly out of plumb? It tilts toward the downriver side. Is this in your inspection report? 

There is a really thick plate guiding the gigantic truss into the bearing, then to footing truss bracket, that is terribly bent. With all that corrosion and metal rot, you have no idea of the operability with the stationary bearing. The same happy-land identical inspection wording of basically "heavy rust and leaks" is seen in inspection reports for decades on end. They are gaming inspections reports for a unseen agenda. I hope your company is not going to be involve with a mass causality event in the near future? We got a 1.5 million cars per year going across the bridges. Is this condition going to be accuracy represented in your current inspection report to the state? It never has been accurately represented in any NHDOT inspection report. The 1920 era bridge in the early years was severely damage in a catastrophic flooding event.    

This is an example of how pathetic and dangerous the NHDOT is. They rehabbed the fragile footing years ago with new concrete. This is the long bridge abutting Brattleboro, east side. They placed the concrete footing touching the roller or rocker bearings. The roller or rocker bearings has been blocked with the footing for decades. The footing made this safety device to non functioning for DECADES. There is nothing relieving the typical bridge stresses including thermal expansion and contraction. The thermal expansion joint seen from the roadway which gives some leeway between the footing and bridge...it is just for show. I actually see damage with the footing from the bride expansion and contraction. It is a disgrace. Are true and actual condition with these bearing going to be accurately represented in your inspection report? The NHDOT has been falsifying their inspections report on these bearings for years. Remember I got pictures of it. 

Believe me, don't bury this email in you system. I am a season whistleblower dealing with hundreds of million dollar cases over many years. Show this to your higher ups. Do not cover your asses. Please do not  be implicated in a coverup. I know federal funding is involved with NHDOT bridge inspections. I know the Governor's office is reluctantly in investigation my allegations. I am going after the NHDOT and its bridge inspection department. I am sure your employees felt the severe bridge vibrations and swaying from their cherry picker inspecting the highest reach of these gigantic truss.

Here below is my blog. This email is going to be posted on it. I wrote most of my posts towards the end of July (pictures). I am open to talk with anyone. If you google Mike Mulligan, Brattleboro-Hinsdale bridge or something similar and Mike Mulligan, Brattleboro Reformer you will see how long I've been involved. I got all of my heart into saving lives. My community and beyond expects a completely accurate and comprehensive representation on the abysmal conditions of the bridge. I better not see you cutting and pasting words and phrases from any past falsified inspection reports because everyone else does it to compete. That is a new beginning!!!       

https://steamshovel2002.blogspot.com/

Unbelievably skimpy NHDOT inspection reports and this makes the inspections report horrendously vulnerable to bridge inspection fraud and falsifications. The skimpiness, shallowness and inaccurate framework of the inspection reports was an intentional tool by the NHDOT to create bridge inspection systemic fraud and falsification towards a aim of political corruption.     

Hinsdale-Brattleboro 12210C

Movable Bearing 

NESTED ROLLER 

BEARINGS WITH TRUSS PIN AT EAST ABUTMENT BOTTOM PLATES HOLED AT NORTHEAST ROLLER BEARING, REPAIRED AND PAINTED. PLATES BETWEEN ROLLER BEARING PIN AND TOP CHORD END DIAGONAL RUSTED WITH HEAVY SECTION LOSS AT NORTHEAST, CLEANED AND PAINTED. MODERATE RUST AT BEARINGS.

Fixed Bearing

FIXED PIN BEARINGS AT WEST ABUTMENT MODERATE RUST AND SCALE AT INTERIORS

Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>

To:preston.young@nh.gov

Sincerely,

Mike Mulligan (aka bridge angel) 

5 Wood Lane

Hinsdale, NH 

16032094206 (cell)

Hinsdale, NH

Hoyle Tanner is the company who inspected our bridges. I am a little bit out of the box with contacting the bridge inspection company on a inspection report that hasn't come out yet. One can only imagine how traumatic this note could be for a company and it political ramification.   

Hoyle Tanner is the company who inspected our bridges 

Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>

To:mlow@hoyletanner.com

‎Jul‎ ‎15 at ‎10‎:‎15‎ ‎AM

Dear Sir,

My hobby for years was to replace this bridge(s). I was the spark who created the community rebellion that created the replacement project. I know you guys recently completely the NHDOT five year inspection associates with these bridges. Hopefully it is last. I know NHDOT is one of the most corrupt state agencies in the nation. Their bridge inspection agency is really bad. I have proof of this. These guys have been serially falsifying bridge inspections for years. 

I overheard your employee talking about the conditions under the deck. I got pictures of that too. Basically that area is horrendously rotted out, unsafe and needing maybe a year shutdown for a rehab job. We are facing a shutdown of the bridge even as the new construction project is building up steam. I believe the bridge now is unsafe and needs to be shutdown. It certainly is going to collapse before the new bridge is open. The state has been subtilty gaming bridge inspection for political reasons and favors for decades.

I have specific issues with the moving and stationary barings… the rocker and roller baring. The stationary bearings have way more corrosion damage than admitted in any NHDOT inspection report. I'd seen it close up with my own eyes and camera. Did you know the Brattleboro bridge is grossly out of plumb? It tilts toward the downriver side. Is this in your inspection report? 

There is a really thick plate guiding the gigantic truss into the bearing, then to footing truss bracket, that is terribly bent. With all that corrosion and metal rot, you have no idea of the operability with the stationary bearing. The same happy-land identical inspection wording of basically "heavy rust and leaks" is seen in inspection reports for decades on end. They are gaming inspections reports for a unseen agenda. I hope your company is not going to be involve with a mass causality event in the near future? We got a 1.5 million cars per year going across the bridges. Is this condition going to be accuracy represented in your current inspection report to the state? It never has been accurately represented in any NHDOT inspection reportThe 1920 era bridge in the early years was severely damage in a catastrophic flooding event.    

This is an example of how pathetic and dangerous the NHDOT is. They rehabbed the fragile footing years ago with new concrete. This is the long bridge abutting Brattleboro, east side. They placed the concrete footing touching the roller or rocker bearings. The roller or rocker bearings has been blocked with the footing for decades. The footing made this safety device to non functioning for DECADES. There is nothing relieving the typical bridge stresses including thermal expansion and contraction. The thermal expansion joint seen from the roadway which gives some leeway between the footing and bridge...it is just for show. I actually see damage with the footing from the bride expansion and contraction. It is a disgrace. Are true and actual condition with these bearing going to be accurately represented in your inspection report? The NHDOT has been falsifying their inspections report on these bearings for years. Remember I got pictures of it. 

Believe me, don't bury this email in you system. I am a season whistleblower dealing with hundreds of million dollar cases over many years. Show this to your higher ups. Do not cover your asses. Please do not  be implicated in a coverup. I know federal funding is involved with NHDOT bridge inspections. I know the Governor's office is reluctantly in investigation my allegations. I am going after the NHDOT and its bridge inspection department. I am sure your employees felt the severe bridge vibrations and swaying from their cherry picker inspecting the highest reach of these gigantic truss.      

Here below is my blog. This email is going to be posted on it. I wrote most of my posts towards the end of July (pictures). I am open to talk with anyone. If you google Mike Mulligan, Brattleboro-Hinsdale bridge or something similar and Mike Mulligan, Brattleboro Reformer you will see how long I've been involved. I got all of my heart into saving lives. My community and beyond expects a completely accurate and comprehensive representation on the abysmal conditions of the bridge. I better not see you cutting and pasting words and phrases from any past falsified inspection reports because everyone else does it to compete. That is a new beginning!!!       

https://steamshovel2002.blogspot.com/

Sincerely,

Mike Mulligan (aka bridge angel) 

5 Wood Lane

Hinsdale, NH 

16032094206 (cell)

Hinsdale, NH

Hinsdale-Brattleboro 12210C


Movable Bearing 

NESTED ROLLER BEARINGS WITH TRUSS PIN AT EAST ABUTMENT BOTTOM PLATES HOLED AT NORTHEAST ROLLER BEARING, REPAIRED AND PAINTED. PLATES BETWEEN ROLLER BEARING PIN AND TOP CHORD END DIAGONAL RUSTED WITH HEAVY SECTION LOSS AT NORTHEAST, CLEANED AND PAINTED. MODERATE RUST AT BEARINGS.

Fixed Bearing


FIXED PIN BEARINGS AT WEST ABUTMENT MODERATE RUST AND SCALE AT INTERIORS

An aid to the Gov. Sununu.  

Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>

To:preston.young@nh.gov

‎Jul‎ ‎13 at ‎7‎:‎40‎ ‎AM

Bridge bearing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An expansion bearing on the Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge.

A bridge bearing is a component of a bridge which typically provides a resting surface between bridge piers and the bridge deck. The purpose of a bearing is to allow controlled movement and thereby reduce the stresses involved. Movement could be thermal expansion or contraction, or movement from other sources such as seismic activity. There are several different types of bridge bearings which are used depending on a number of different factors including the bridge span. The oldest form of bridge bearing is simply two plates resting on top of each other. A common form of modern bridge bearing is the elastomeric bridge bearing. Another type of bridge bearing is the mechanical bridge bearing. There are several types of mechanical bridge bearing, such as the pinned bearing, which in turn includes specific types such as the rocker bearing, and the roller bearing. Another type of mechanical bearing is the fixed bearing, which allows rotation, but not other forms of movement...

That report on New bridge designs, where we got the bridge inspection report yesterday, the contractor that did that job was funded by NH, Vt and mostly federal funding. I am certain enormous amounts of federal funding are involved with NH bridge inspections. I doubt actually highly trained and educated federal bridge inspectors ever touched our bridges. Can you even imagine the political controversy developed between contradictory bridge inspections between the Feds and state? These guys protect each other asses by the feds not getting involved with bridge inspections. Like I asked, who oversees the overseers? Basically the feds roll out the bridge inspection codes, rules and funding without ever inspecting if the money was spent wisely and everything is up to federal bridge codes. I doubt it is required that the states followed the US bridge codes and inspection rules. NH bridge inspection rules must be pitiful? I doubt a state inspector falsifying a bridge inspection report is even illegal both in the state and federal laws. More worrisome, I doubt the actual NH bridge inspectors have the intense training and higher education needed for the job other than high school...little bridge inspector professionalism and a intense need to feed their families with their pitiful wages they make . Where do this bridge inspectors come from? Probably heavy equipment operators and essentially highway ditch diggers. I really don't mean to demean these good and loyal employees, I am just trying to make a point about the system.  

What I am certain is these bridges' won't last another five years until the new bridges' are opened, as I wrote to Mr Broodey. What has changed in the last few years is the traffic rate going across the bridges? The "Runnings" store, much like a high end Walmart has recently opened. Traffic (vehicles per day) rate across those bridges has drastically increased, including all the cars who go to the Runnings store. A lot of big tractor trailers loaded to the gills had to go over these bridges with these new consumer and recreational  products. The biggest bridge traffic rate concern of mine, is the unprecedented economic growth we are now seeing throughout the country and my surroundings. Unprecedented! Does anyone anticipate what the traffic (vpd) rate would look like in the near future with the upcoming booming economic growth years? How big will the boom be? Will the burdens of the drastic increase with the "vehicles per day" rate crossing these bridges, be the straw that broke bridges'/camel's back.   

What is really needed is a drastic reform with NHDOT's bridge inspector department. These guys are living in the stone age. The state really has to jack up the professionalism and transparency on this very important NHDOT department.

I giving Gov Sununu the opportunity to get ahead of the trend?               

Mike Mulligan (aka bridge angel)

Hinsdale, NH

16032094206

Keene Sentinal: Hinsdale-Brattleboro bridges land on state's red list after recent inspection

Update

The NHDOT gets a  grade of "A" plus with getting their new inspection report on the internet in quick time. Remember though, I pushed them to do it. It wasn't purely self directed...  


I have zero confidence this inspection was accurate. You can expect a mass causality event and body recovery at any moment.    

Hinsdale-Brattleboro bridges land on state's red list after recent inspection

By Meg McIntyre Sentinel Staff
17 min ago

HINSDALE — With a couple of years left before they’re scheduled to be replaced, the two bridges connecting the town to Brattleboro have been put on the state’s red list.

The downgrade comes after N.H. Department of Transportation

The multi-grade...fair to poor...down grade downgrade is proof they have been falsifying these bridge inspections. Inspections like this can be grossly inaccurate. They can't see everything...some areas are totally covered by layers of rust and other critical areas are not inspectable.    

officials reclassified the bridges from fair to poor condition following a routine inspection last month that identified further deterioration of the nearly 100-year-old spans.

The state’s red list comprises bridges classified as being in poor or worse condition. Bridges on the list are inspected twice yearly to check for any rapid changes.
State highway officials previously classified the narrow bridges as functionally obsolete, which means they’re outdated, don’t meet current design standards or have height and weight restrictions.

The bridges, named after Charles Dana and Anna Hunt Marsh, are Pennsylvania truss-style structures built in the 1920s and rehabilitated in 1988. They link Route 119 from Hinsdale to Brattleboro via Hinsdale Island, and are set to be replaced with a new bridge several hundred feet downstream, with construction scheduled to begin in 2019.

A project to replace the bridges has been included in the state’s 10-year transportation improvement plan since fiscal year 1994, with its start date being delayed several times. However, it was bumped completely from the 2013-22 plan because of lack of funding before being put back in the 2015-24 plan.

Manchester-based engineering firm Hoyle, Tanner and Associates Inc. completed the recent inspection over the course of five days in late June. Inspectors identified corrosion-related deterioration of both bridges’ trusses and floor system, the resulting report states.

Though both bridges are safe for vehicle and pedestrian traffic, they may require weight limit postings or structural steel repairs in the future, according to an email from the state transportation department’s bridge design team that accompanied the report’s release.

“The ongoing project for the replacement of these two bridges has been largely driven by bridge geometrics and highway obsolescence, however the downgraded condition signifies that the bridges, after nearly 100 years of service, are approaching the end of their expected service lives from a structural standpoint,” the email reads.

Construction on a replacement bridge is scheduled to begin in 2019, according to the state’s most recent 10-year transportation plan. The new bridge will stretch 1,782 feet across the Connecticut River. It will vary in width between 49 feet along the majority of the roadway and 53 feet at the Vermont-side intersection — the slight width increase will accommodate a turning lane where Route 119 intersects Route 142.

That intersection will be controlled with a traffic signal. The plans also call for a 6-foot-wide sidewalk on the bridge’s north side, with a few viewing platforms for pedestrians to take in views of the river.

The state transportation department plans to maintain the existing bridges for bicycle and pedestrian use, officials said at a public hearing in January. The department has applied for a TIGER grant to provide additional funds for the old bridges’ refurbishment, they said.

Michael Darcy, chairman of the Hinsdale Board of Selectmen, said the town is more focused on the construction of the replacement bridge than on the state of the existing bridges.

“It’s concerning in that we have to be aware of the safety of the bridges, but in terms of getting a new bridge or anything, we’ve already done that process,” he said. “So it doesn’t really have any immediate implications.”

After nearly 100 years, the town is excited to finally have a new bridge, he said.

“Maybe the red-listing of the current bridges will goose that ahead a little bit, and maybe there’ll be a little more effort to get the new bridge completed as quickly as they can,” Darcy said.

More information on the bridge replacement project is available at  

www.nh.gov/dot/projects/hinsdalebrattleboro12210/.

Junk Plant ANO Should Never Have Got Off The NRC's Worst Plant List

These guys just got off the worst NRC grade in the nation. What has it been on, the bad boy list some 5 years. It is all wasted money. 

The CRS (control room supervisor) who called in sick, sounds like he knew his crew wasn't ready for startup. He probably realized his crew would get into a bad situation...didn't want his reputation to get tarred by the screw-up.

The licensee says all the crew had been properly trained for all situations at the plant. Then they must be just shitty managers. Undoughterly the simulator training is up to the NRC regulation, but it is not sufficient to operate a plant safety.       

Pursuant to the reporting requirements of 10 CFR 50.73, attached is the subject Licensee Event Report concerning the automatic reactor trip due to loss of main feedwater for Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1.

The contributing cause for this event was determined to be ANO-1 Operations management and crew leaders did not effectively meet expectations of providing optimal crew composition, maintain command and control, and oversee control room evolutions.

The following factors were identified through the various analysis techniques used to be related to the root and contributing causes associated with this event.

• Crew Composition

The scheduled on duty CRS had called in sick prior to the watch and a relief CRS assumed the watch who was subsequently designated as the team lead for placing the MFP in service.  A Shift Manager (SM) supporting activities assumed the CRS role for oversight.  The SM had not been involved with the Just In Time Training (JITT) for the startup and had not served in the CRS role in approximately one year.  In addition, the dayshift Shift Technical Advisor (STA) was relieved at 1600 for personal reasons and was replaced by an STA that had not attended JITT.

• Command and Control

The CRS did not challenge the basis of why the procedurally identified computer points were out of band or the ATC’s alternate monitoring method of using the OIT discharge pressure while manually operating the MFP.

The ATC extrapolated the differences between the two indications and assumed that as long as the monitored indications remained constant then discharge pressure was being controlled within the appropriate band per the earlier identified OIT indication.

The ATC did not communicate with the CRS or anyone on the crew that the computer display would be monitored to ensure that the discharge pressure remained within the acceptable band.

The Control Board Operator – Turbine (CBOT) performed a component verification versus a peer check as required by ANO Operations standards.
 • Procedure use and Adherence / Procedure Compliance
 Throughout the course of the shift, there were multiple examples of the ANO-1 Control Room team failing to implement administrative procedural requirements outlined in station and fleet procedure intended to minimize the potential for human error.
 • Formal Operations Communications
 Crew members (other than the ATC) were unaware of the failed pressure instrument which impacted the team’s ability to challenge pressure monitoring and control.  The CRS did not request updates from the ATC during the evolution regarding MFP discharge pressure. 

• Operator Knowledge and Training
 ATC operator did not identify that the setback feature was active which led to the raising of MFP speed to “control” RCS pressure.  As stated previously, several members of the crew did not attend JITT.

A performance analysis was conducted for the conceptual error on the part of the ATC regarding system operation.  Based on the review in the analysis, no training weaknesses were identified.  The evaluation determined that the evolution had been correctly performed in the past without identifying MFP discharge pressure as a critical parameter, the activity was not overly complex, and successful performance was within the fundamental skills and knowledge of a typical ATC.

The Coverup: "NH bridges downgraded to POOR'

So now we are on the vaulted red list. From a fair to a poor grade. You know, why didn't the state give the Brattleboro Reformer a link to the report so everyone can read it. They could put the link in the article. A sign of terrible corruption is a lack of transparency...these guys got that disease bad.

Wrote this below on July 16. 

"Has anyone asked why this bridge wasn't on the NH red list. This is how they apportion bridge funding to communities mostly. They were falsifying inspection.

So mike, why didn't it get on the red list. Because they would have no bases that any changes occurred. It would illuminate their systemic bridge inspections falsification game.  

Just like today, if they shutdown the bridge. I could ask the NHDOT what changes occurred on this new inspection compared to the last inspection. They-we wouldn't find any significant changes from the last inspection. The game would be up!!!"  

You can get the rate of increase with corrosion in this inspection report. I assume the last inspection was two or three years ago. The rating on this guy drastically declined from the last inspection. This guy is going to drastically decline to at least three grades past poor before the new bridge is operational. The certainty of capturing the true condition of the bridge I'd put at about 60%. There is massive corrosion on the bridge obscuring damage visibility and many critical areas don't allow for any inspections.  

Mr. Landry is deep in "normalization of deviance with these stone age bridges. This kind of damage is normal for age of these bridges. He is crazy?

It was probably my work that got this abysmal worsening downgrade to poor. Honestly the downgrade to poor is proof they are falsifying bridge inspection. The trend with corrosion rate has probably been stable for decades. But got them to go down more than on grade. If these bridges had a regular painting job cycle the corrosion would be minimal.

The name of the island is not "The Island". It's official name is Island Park. It was a ball park and Brattleboro they had ball room dancing and big bands there. Crowds listened to politicians of the day also.

The power of the Reformer and NHDOT to control their story is amazing. You don't  have a completing viewpoint to contradict NHDOT. Just from a single source and a totally complaint newspaper.

"Brattleboro Reformer: NH Bridges Downgraded to Poor"

July 21-22 2018

(sorry, I forgot to include page 1. This whole article wasn't on their internet site. It is interesting. Why did Audette write this article? Why not a regular reporter?   

So are the rocker or rolling bearings functional. As with the stationary bearings. These are critical for bridge safety. One is blocked by the new footing and the other one is terribly bend.

Brewing Russian Uranium Crisis With Our Grid? There Goes Our Nuclear Plants

(NYTs): U.S. Opens Inquiry Into Uranium Imports in Sign That Trade War Is Spreading

By Ana Swanson and Brad Plumer
July 18, 2018

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said on Wednesday that it was starting an investigation into uranium imports, potentially opening another front in an expansive trade war that has shaken alliances with countries around the world.

Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary, said the department would investigate whether imported uranium ore and related products — key ingredients in America’s nuclear arsenal, and used in power production and nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers — threatened national security.

Uranium produced domestically now fills only 5 percent of America’s needs, Mr. Ross said, down from half in 1987.

The uranium inquiry is the latest of several trade-related steps the Trump administration has taken with an eye toward imposing stiff tariffs on imports. Levies have already been placed on washing machines, solar-power products, steel and aluminum from overseas, and on an array of Chinese goods. The administration is also considering whether to impose tariffs on imported cars and car parts.

The investigation announced on Wednesday was requested by two American uranium mining companies, UR-Energy and Energy Fuels. The firms say low-priced imports, especially those from competitors supported by foreign government subsidies, had caused them to slash jobs in recent years. Nuclear power producers have responded by warning that sharp restrictions on uranium imports could lead to the closure of plants.

“Despite uranium’s critical role in supporting clean electricity and national defense, imports of cheap, foreign state-subsidized uranium have swelled,” the companies wrote in a petition in January. Shares of both companies rose on Wednesday.

The uranium imported into the United States now comes

I wonder why the NYTs went with the order of the counties in the sentence? The assumption is Australia exports the most uranium to the USA. I get it now, they went by alphabetical order. It this order really fair? Russia exports the most uranium into the USA. Do you really think our nuclear plants are really powered by American uranium? This is a shot at Russia. Some high 90% of the uranium powering our nuclear plants are powered up by Russian uranium. This problem emanates from the megawatts to megaton (US and Russia's nuclear weapons non proliferation agreement. Basically we bought Russia's weapon uranium to fuel up our nuclear plant. It was really cheap fuel. I wrote about the extensively on my blog. So recently the MTW agreement transitioned to a commercial venture. We really never knew where the ratepayer billions went into Russia. They are really thugs. The world wide money grubbers owned this program. I always thought with US permission, newly mined uranium was put into this agreement. 

As far as the NTYs, over decades they were complicate with this crooked deal. I think the US utilities, the NYTs and our government coverup'ed how highly we used Russian uranium. It is a top secret coverup. The simple question is, for each US nuclear plant, what percentage of plant power comes from the Russian uranium? How much nuclear plant power nationwide comes from Russian uranium? Again in the high 90 percent. Basically the only reason our nuclear plants were profitable for the last few decades is they use cheap Russian uranium. 

Think of the grid and utility crisis we would be in if they cut off selling uranium to us? All the financial value with all the nuclear plants would disappear overnight. We would lose 20% of the grid capacity fairly quickly.   

mostly from Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan and Russia.

The nuclear power industry has warned that an aggressive attempt to restrict access to imported uranium could increase the cost of operating America’s nuclear power plants, many of which already struggle to compete with lower-price natural gas and renewable energy.

Nuclear power provides 20 percent of America’s electricity, a fraction that is set to wane in the coming years: Since 2013, six of the nation’s nuclear reactors have shut down permanently and 11 others are scheduled to be retired by 2025.

President Trump, who often talks about the benefits of nuclear power, has ordered the energy secretary, Rick Perry, to “prepare immediate steps” to stem the closure of reactors. But new trade barriers on nuclear fuel couldfurther strain the industry.

“Maintaining all the elements of the domestic uranium fuel supply is in our national interest and we urge the federal government to take appropriate action, without harming the fleet of nuclear reactors,” Maria G. Korsnick, head of the Nuclear Energy Institute, said in a statement.

The companies that requested the trade case asked that the Commerce Department limit imports so that 25 percent of the uranium used in the United States would be produced domestically. The companies argue that doing so would pose minimal burdens on nuclear power plants.

The companies that operate the plants dispute that idea, pointing to a recent study from NorthBridge Group, a consulting firm, that looked at the impact of such a quota, which would require domestic producers to expand their operations sharply in just a few years. Doing so would cost the nuclear power industry $500 million to $800 million per year, the study found, increasing the average cost of electricity from nuclear reactors by around 2 to 3 percent.

“We sympathize with the plight of uranium suppliers,” Ms. Korsnick said on Wednesday. “However, NEI does not support the implementation of quotas as described in the petition. Potential remedies could put even more generating units at risk for premature closure.”

It is unclear what the Trump administration will ultimately propose with regard to imported uranium. If it determines that unfair trade practices are hurting domestic mining companies, the Commerce Department can recommend a broad range of remedies, from strict quotas to temporary tariffs. Such a decision would be expected to play out over several months, as the department continues its investigation and holds public hearings.

The investigation into uranium imports — as with those involving steel, aluminum cars and car parts — is being conducted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, a legal provision that gives the president broad power to impose tariffs on imports that he determines pose a threat to national security.

The use of a national security-related law to place tariffs on close military allies like Canada and the European Union has been a source of contention. Multiple countries have retaliated by imposing tariffs on American goods and have challenged the Trump administration’s measures at the World Trade Organization.

In particular, trade experts say that the administration’s imposition of tariffs for national security reasons — a matter the World Trade Organization does not closely regulate — opens a potential loophole that other countries could use to put their own levies on a range of products.

“If the U.S. has rewritten the rules of the WTO system to say you can do anything you want if it’s in your national security interests, be prepared for every country in the world to come up with a new definition of what is its critical national security interest,” Rufus Yerxa, the president of the National Foreign Trade Council, which represents exporters in the United States, said.

Congress has considered taking action to stay the administration’s use of the national security provision to impose tariffs. Republican leaders have shown limited support for such a move so far, but that could change as the administration’s trade measures become more far-reaching.

“If the administration continues forward with its misguided and reckless reliance on tariffs, I will work to advance trade legislation to curtail presidential trade authority,” Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah and the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Tuesday. “I am discussing legislative options with colleagues both on and off the Finance Committee and I will continue to do so.”

NH DOT Inspection Of Hinsdale's Rt 119 Bridge

Update July 17, 2013

I did a lot of invaluable reporting on my bridges in 2013. Go mike!!!

Ordinally posted on 3/25/2013@ 5:08pm 




$$$ It is grossly obscene and utterly gross engineering negligence, let alone the state is prematurely wearing out and damaging state tax payer monies by the utterly negligent maintenance practices of not rolling these bridges through a sand blasting and repainting job. 

All the damage I see on  these bridges comes from such a poor New Hampshire DOT maintenance schedule...   

So when was the bridge last painted. Did you paint the top last, left the bottom nakedly unpainted as it was getting massively sprinkled with salt during our winters...

It is the same as negligently not installing a set of the required nuts and bolts...or the engineer's orders of installing the right placement and numbers of Titanic era rivets. $$$  

March 29: I find it amazing they used all different size components for each bridge...they must have measured the width across each river from potential footing to footing...then they sent for the properly sized bridge parts to the site.

I want a small, medium and large bridge....like the size of your shoes...I need 8 and a 11 1/2 size Pennsylvania truss bridge?

No doubt it came up on the railroads and propelled by a steam locomotive...

Heading over to the route 9 Chesterfield Connecticut river bridge with my measuring tape, pad pencil and my camera...
March 28: "The Anna Hunt Marsh Bridge connects Brattleboro to Hinsdale Island, which is connected to Hinsdale by the Charles Dana Bridge."

I bet you they got the name mixed up on the bridges? The Brattleboro side bridge is much bigger than the Hinsdale bridge...it doesn't  fit the typical size of a female versus male. They got the names reversed?

So I asked the MHDOT boss why is the Brattleboro bridge was so mushy...the Anna Hunt Marsh Bridge...he went off saying it is as mushy as the new route 9 bridge on the Connecticut River in Chesterfield. 

The "so called" Anna bridge is from footing to footing, about 333 feet long. The Charles bridge is a piddling 309 feet long from footing to footing. Anna's huge circular top trust beams are two feet wide while Charles is only a little 22 inches.      

Charles chicken boy has a stone or concrete island 33 feet from his bridge footings on both sides...the longest stretch of unsupported bridge to the ground is 234 feet.  Courageous Anna doesn't have any stone and concrete supports between her footings...her longest stretch of unsupported bridge is the full 333 feet long. 

Anna's circular truss arch, that is way above the highway, is much higher and steeper than Charles... 

Anna is much bigger and has a much larger unsupported span of highway than her bridge partner Charles...

I hope the engineer got their number right on the Anna bridge, with her huge length of unsupported to ground or river bottom spans...footing to footing?  

Why no "person on the street" comments captured in a Reformer newspaper story about the Hinsdale/ Brattleboro bridge, more throwing kisses at speeding women in cars and what makes a good state.

So I will be meeting and will put on a presentation this up coming Monday at 7 PM at the Town Hall...the bridge commission and the southeast planning counsel will be speaking the following week. 

From: "WilliamButynski@aol.com"
To: steamshovel2002@yahoo.com
Cc: williambutynski@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2013 8:35 AM
Subject: Re: Route 119 Hinsdale/ Brattleboro Bridge

Mike,

Thanks for the additional email below. I believe that you have also already been in touch with J. B. Mack directly. J.B. told me that he contacted NHDOT's Chief Engineer & was told that the bridge inspection team looked only at the NH bridge that directly enters Brattleboro, whereas an inspection for the second bridge on the Hinsdale side has been scheduled for sometime in the next few weeks. The Chief Engineer apparently told J.B.that the inspection team is still writing their report on the first bridge, but they will not be recommending that it be redlisted, although "a few minor repairs" are planned for sometime in the next few weeks. That is good in the sense that they believe it is completely safe, but it is bad in that not being redlisted means that NHDOT apparently does not believe that it needs to be replaced soon. NHDOT has a list of 100+ bridges in NH that are redlisted.

On Monday there is a meeting in Concord that I need to attend on the overall State Budget. However, assuming that meeting does not go beyond 5:30 PM, I will try to make it back to Hinsdale in time to sit in on your meeting with the Select Board members at 7:00 PM. Also, I agree that Hinsdale is not a priority for NHDOT or most others in Concord. The reason for that is that we have a comparatively small population & thus do not have nearly as many State Reps as many other areas of the state that are much more heavily populated. Any invitation to NHDOT to attend Monday's meeting should probably be initiated by the Hinsdale Select Board, although it may be best for you to talk with the Select Board first, & invite NHDOT to a subsequent meeting.

Thanks again for your emails & work on the bridge to monitor its condition & to keep folks who travel on the bridge safe & informed about its problems.

Bill B.

March 28, 2013: I have nothign but respect for Rep Butynski and the Southeast Regional Planning Board...these guys are the professional arm of getting the bridge replaced and really caring about economic development. I really respect Rep Butynski of Hinsdale.

I am just the bottom half circus entertainer trying to get the  message out.

So the Reformer tried to downplay my NHDOT whistleblower claims notified us all about the upcoming bridge inspection.  You get it, the reformer doesn't need proof about anything they say. So how did the reformer become aware of the bridge inspection and where was it publicly disclosed. This is all insider NHDOT and Brattleboro reformer crap. The establishment around here plays insider ball with the Reformer staff so their take on the world get reported above the bottom half.

 I intentionally spent a lot of time explaining my predicament to the boss of the jobsite  on Monday morning...I knew who he was before he even came to the site. I was feeding NHDOT information though him on intention. I suspect when they went on early break, I told him to tell his boss a nosy guy was taking pictures of the site...the guy who was protesting with signs for the last two years. That guy on his so called early morning coffee break in their trucks, he immediately called his boss with the Mike Mulligan news. I told him to do this! I'll bet you they talked it over in region Swanzey office, kicked it around with the main office in Concord...that is when they came up with the plan to notify Brattleboro  reformer office. I bet you my youngest son that is how the reformer ended up getting taken.

So the reformer was notified well before Monday that a inspection was being planned...the Reformer planned for it and scheduled to get the pictures taken Monday on their own. How come it wasn't in Tuesday's paper...it took till Wednesday morning to for the story to get into the paper. It was delayed  till Wednesday because the reformer got notified mid morning after I told the site boss he better immediately report Mike Mulligan to his boss was taking pictures of his crew.  That is the route the reformer was notified and they weren't prepared for getting the story on their own with prior notification. This is all establishment insider special communications with the reformer that excludes the bottom half.     

Remember how tiny the Brattleboro Reformer is as a news outlet...no wonder why their circulation is so poor. They don't how to talk to the bottom class! The staff at the Reformer is nothing but the third string of the gigantic news corp that owns the Reformer.... probably outcast from the bigger newspapers. Happy news and don't rock the tourist boat incorporated. 

So they are reputational and establishment centric...not the the middle class centric. This giant corporation doesn't represent the poor, weak and the hungrey well. 

At the end of the day, why wasn't the picture at the top of my blog not in the Brattleboro Reformer...let the NHDOT explain why this is safe. I get it, it will upset the little people of the bottom half...the idiots wouldn't understand it... 

Everyone is in pajamas and already asleep...the Brattleboro Reformer!


I am disappointed with everyone...the NHDOT and the Brattleboro Reformer.

I protested to replace this bridge for two years...for months on end during the fall. This entry gets you where I documented my adventures with throwing kisses at passing by pretty women, throwing perfect military solutes at as many as I could  and blessed all the tractor trailer truck drivers if the bridge collapse while they in the middle of it. They knew no matter what sins they committed they were still going to heaven.

Minor deterioration showing on bridge  between Brattleboro, Hinsdale

Wednesday March 27, 2013

HINSDALE, N.H. -- The state's Department of Transportation on Monday was performing inspections on two bridges connecting the town with Vermont that many hope will be replaced by one brand-new structure.

Steve Johnson, NHDOT's assistant administrator for bridge maintenance, said the Anna Hunt Marsh and Charles Dana bridges on Route 119 show some minor deterioration the department wants to take care of, but no major problems. New Hampshire, Vermont and two separate regional planning commissions have been pushing for a proposed Route 119 replacement bridge that would span the Connecticut River, starting near the stop light at the old Walmart location and landing near the Merrill Gas Company tank farm in Brattleboro, Vt.

One of those planning commissions, the Southwest Region Planning Commission, is putting the bridges on a priority list it will submit to the NHDOT this April. The state agency will then review the lists of regional projects and decide which should go into the state's 10-year transportation improvement plan.

JB Mack, the principal planner for the Keene-based SWRPC, told the Reformer a report was put together following a site visit in September to highlight any remaining questions in regards to improving the bi-state project's readiness for the 10-year planning process. He said within the next few weeks, officials from both towns are expected to come together to discuss the SWRPC's report and how to find answers to the remaining questions, which include economic development.

He said in September he believes the price of the project will run between $37 and $38 million, though New Hampshire would not be responsible for the whole cost.

Mack said the two Pennsylvania truss bridges in use today were built in 1920 and are now considered "functionally obsolete." He said, based on federal highway standards, they are too narrow and have insufficient weight limits and vertical clearances. The Anna Hunt Marsh Bridge connects Brattleboro to Hinsdale Island, which is connected to Hinsdale by the Charles Dana Bridge.

"Wide loads, tall loads and heavy loads can't use the bridges," Mack said. "By all accounts, they are still considered safe bridges -- but they have limitations."

He said the bridges' decks were repaired in 1988, "but that's just one part of the bridge."

Mack said there were "no surprises" during the inspections. He mentioned the previous inspections took place in September 2011.

NHDOT Project Manager Donald Lyford told the Reformer no plans have changed since the site visit in September and those involved are now waiting on funding from the federal level. He said the project is not in New Hampshire's 10-year plan because there is no money available.

Mike Darcy, the chairman of the Hinsdale Board of Selectmen, said Tuesday the project is vital to the towns on both sides of the river.

"The towns of Hinsdale and Brattleboro share a lot more than we often admit. People work on either side of the river," he said, mentioning that his wife works for C&S Wholesale Grocers in Brattleboro. "It's a community -- even though we are separated by a river."

He went on to say countless people utilize the bridges, as Hinsdale residents use them to get to stores such as Price Chopper and Hannaford and Brattleboro locals travel to Hinsdale to shop at the Walmart Supercenter.

He said a new bridge could result in an economic

(Zachary P. Stephens/Brattleboro Reformer) boom and might help clear up the traffic in the Brattleboro intersection known as "Malfunction Junction." He said the legislative delegates from Hinsdale and Walpole are expected to attend a Selectmen's meeting on Monday, April 8, to further discuss this issue.

"This is a multi-year project. We're not going to see a new bridge tomorrow even if we get the funding today," he said. "It's a long road to travel, but it's the one we're on."

Domenic Poli can be reached at
dpoli@reformer.com, or 802-254-2311

Copyright 2012 Brattleboro Reformer. All rights reserved.

A Plea To President Obama For A New Bridge. 

Originally Published on 9/9/12 on my blog

In 2009 Time magazine published on Barack Obama that included the distinctive subphrase about history: “bends toward justice.” Obama credited the words to King:




But as I learned in the shadow of an empty steel plant more than two decades ago, while you can’t necessarily bend history to your will, you can do your part to see that, in the words of Dr. King, it “bends toward justice.” So I hope that you will stand up and do what you can to serve your community, shape our history and enrich both your own life and the lives of others across this country. On March 25, 1965, having completed the third march to Montgomery, the city that gave birth to the civil rights movement, Dr. King spoke these words on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol: Dr. King spoke these words on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol:

"I know you are asking today, "How long will it take?"....

"I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because truth crushed to earth will rise again.

"How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever.

"How long? Not long, because you shall reap what you sow....

"How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

You see the difference between little Obama's "that you can't necessarily bend history to your will" and basically MLK commands the arc of history to bend to his will. The more they beat his people and put him in jail, the more sure MLK became he was going to irrevocably change our nation.

Oct 17:
Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park

The park is named after Roosevelt's Jan. 6, 1941, State of the Union address, known as the Four Freedoms Speech. Given before America got involved in World War II, Roosevelt said the way to justify the enormous sacrifice of war was to create a world centered on four essential human freedoms: freedom of speech and expression; freedom of worship; freedom from want; and freedom from fear. The words were later incorporated into the charter of the United Nations, which Roosevelt helped create.

***March 25, 2013 approximately 8:30 am***

NH DOT bridge inspection team today at the Hinsdale NH route 119 bridge. I got a tip yesterday these guys were inspecting the bridge today.

I was told the NH DOT scheduled last year a full contractor professional bridge inspection team for our bridge. The insider NHDOT whistleblowers told they canceled the expensive professional inspection team based on not enough NH DOT money...they quickly came up with a regular NH DOT team. There was no civil engineers on this team and they weren't by camera or paperwork immediately documenting the results. This kind of inspection, not the outside professional bridge inspection, which has been scheduled for a few years back with highly educated civil engineers effectively puts this bridge at the back of the list mostly based on politics and favoritism...

They told me the North-Hinsdale side of  the huge trust where it bolts into the concrete footing iron work embedded into the cement was unsafe. It already failed the inspection and was quickly going to need emergency repair work. It is the beginning of major bridge structural components failing on this 1920 bridge.

Here is the NH DOT trucks

The whole NH DOT crew...















Some of the hard working bridge inspectors discussing the job.



Over the side they go!














And temp steel walkway...heading towards Brat...



Basically we are looking at the west footing...the concrete is wasting away and massive/deep concrete spalling. You see the fraudulent job they did last time....they put a thin coating of cement over the terrible deteriorated and deeply spalled concrete to make you think good about the cheap job.

Like I said earlier, around this huge bolt that hold the huge main trust to the concrete footing. This is the area with the failed inspection and in emergency need of repair. We'd be lucky if we don't get a severe weight restriction.

Bums sleep under this bridge...















If you got the guts, keep clicking on the picture for increasing the magnification and detail. This nut area on the north-hinsdale side trust failed the bridge inspection according to the NH DOT whistleblower.



























(Fall 2012) The bridge underneath looks like this diabetic's rotting legs and bridge's rotting railings and beams...



The iron is de-laminating...failing off in heavy rust and iron layers. The white substance seen all over the place is pure road salt residue. I collected about two pounds of rust and the delaminated iron flakes right under this dangerous bolt and connection.The picture really doesn't do justice with seeing how deep the missing corroded iron is.

The bolt or nut is about the size of car hubcap. The bridge inspectors told me the north trust was worst than the south trust. This area failed today's inspection. This is cira 1900 era iron technology...we have no idea what level the strength and ductility of this medal has...how dangerously brittle the metal was even when it was just made.

The below is unbelievably dangerous to the people who cross this bridge and unbelievably dangerous to the economic's of our community if they have to shutdown the bridge because crossing it would be too dangerous.

The area gives you a little sample of the condition of the concrete. We can only see mostly the river side of the Hinsdale's concrete. The condition of the concrete are atrocious. We are talking about 93 years of alkali–silica reaction...a reaction causes the aggregate to swell.

Is the NuScale Project Going To Become Another Summer Nuclear Plant?

This tells me NuScale has the inability to control their contract with their safety comment supplied associated with quality. Much like the Summer Plant.  Why didn't NuScale catch this on their own and was Target Rock a honorable and trustful component manufacture. The guys built the SRVs I have spent so much time on. It looks like NuScale doesn't have a broad enough organization to maintain quality of the components.

I get it with these anti government nuclear corporations...its all the government's fault for inspecting too much. The NRC is obstructing our new nuclear technology!!! It not our fault.        

 

July 2, 2018


Mr. John DeBonis Quality Assurance Manager Target Rock, a division of   Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Company 1966E Broadhollow Road East Farmingdale, NY  11735

 SUBJECT: TARGET ROCK’S NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION INSPECTION REPORT NO. 99900060/2018-201 AND NOTICE OF NONCONFORMANCE

 Dear Mr. DeBonis:
 From May 14–18, 2018, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) conducted an inspection at the Target Rock (TR) facility in East Farmingdale, NY.  The enclosed report presents the results of the inspection.  The purpose of the limited-scope technical inspection was to assess TR’s compliance with the provisions of selected portions of Appendix B, “Quality Assurance Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants and Fuel Reprocessing Plants,” to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, “Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities.”
 This technically-focused inspection specifically evaluated TR’s implementation of quality activities associated with the design control activities for the NuScale emergency core cooling system (ECCS) valves being performed by TR.  This NRC inspection report does not constitute NRC endorsement of your overall quality assurance (QA) program.
 During this inspection, the NRC inspection team found that implementation of your QA program failed to meet certain NRC requirements contractually imposed on you by your customers or NRC licensees.  Specifically, the NRC inspection team determined that TR was not implementing aspects of its design control and test programs consistent with regulatory requirements.  The specific finding and references to the pertinent requirements are identified in the enclosures to this letter.  In the response to the enclosed notice of nonconformance (NON), TR should document the results of the extent of condition and determine if there are any effects on other safety-related components.
 Please provide a written explanation or statement within 30 days of this letter in accordance with the instructions specified in the enclosed NON.  We will consider extending the response time if you show good cause for us to do so.
 In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390, “Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding,” of the NRC’s Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter, its enclosures, and your response will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from...  

 

Junk Plant LaSalle SRVs: Two Failed SRVS Failed Tech Spec Test For Unknown Reasons

This is the first time I have ever seen a failed test on SRVs disclosed as unknown. Are these guys testing the NRC with getting away with disclosing a tech spec test as failing for unknown reason? I see they did the same thing last cycle. Is this what you expect out of a good nuclear plant, not understanding why a safety equipment failed a test? They normally term this as corrosion bonding. It gets me to wonder what evidence they use to determine corrosion bonding in all other SRVs?

LaSalle County Station, Unit 2 Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-18 NRC Docket No.
Subject: Licensee Event Report 2017-004-02, Two Main Steam Safety Relief Valves Failed lnservice Lift Inspection Pressure Test 

During the February 2017 Unit 2 refueling outage, two main steam safety relief valves (SRV) did not pass Technical Specification (TS) Surveillance Requirement 3.4.4.1 and lnservice Testing (IST) Program lift pressure requirements. Both SRVs (2B21 ·F013C and 2B21·F013L) lifted below their expected lift pressures. On February 16, 2017, SRV 2B21-F013C was required to lift within plus or minus three percent of 1175 psi (i.e., 1175 psi plus or minus 35.2 psi), but actually lifted at 1131 psi. On February 17, 2017 SRV 2B21-F013L was required to lift within plus or minus three percent of 1195 psi (i.e., 1195 psi plus or minus 35.8 psi), but actually lifted at 1130 psi. 

Disassembly and inspection of valves 2B21-F013C and 2B21-F013L were performed at NWS Technologies to determine the cause for the failures. However, the cause for 2B21-F013C and 2B21-F013L to fail their SRV set pressure tests was found to be indeterminate.

LER 37 4-2015-002-01: During the February 2015 Unit 2 refueling outage L2R15, two main steam safety relief valves (SRV) did not pass TS Surveillance Requirement 3.4.4.1 and lnservice Testing Program lift pressure requirements. Both SRVs lifted below their expected lift pressures. SRV 2821-F013S was required to lift within plus or minus three percent of 1150 psi (i.e., 1150 psi plus or minus 34.5 psi) and actually lifted at 1099 psi. SRV 2821-F013M was required to lift within plus or minus three percent of 1195 psi (i.e., 1195 psi plus or minus 35.8 psi) and actually lifted at 1145 psi. A failure analysis was conducted by a vendor testing laboratory, but the cause for the valves lifting below their set-point was indeterminate.

Junk Plant Waterford 3: A Disgraceful Scram And Resultant Latent Deficiencies Discovered

These guys got too many LOCAs in recent times. All the latent defects sitting around to show themselves upon a triggering event is a disgrace. 

Considering: 

PREVIOUS OCCURRENCES

CR-WF3-2015-3566:  Failure of ‘B’ Fast Dead Bus Transfer during Plant Scram on June 3, 2015.  (Reported under  LER 2015-005-00 and 2015 005-01.

It is amazing they didn't catch these latent defects. It is very unprofessional. 

Licensee Event Report (LER) 2017-002-01 Automatic Reactor Scram due to the Failure of Fast Dead Bus Transfer Relays to Automatically Transfer Station Loads to Off-Site Power on a Main Generator Trip     Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 (Waterford 3)

On July 17, 2017, at 1606 CDT, Waterford 3 experienced an automatic reactor scram due to a loss of forced circulation, which was the result of a loss of off-site power to the safety and non-safety electrical busses.  Prior to the scram, plant operators manually tripped the main turbine and generator due to overheating of the isophase bus duct due to the failure of a shunt assembly connection in the duct to Main Transformer 'B'.  The automatic electrical bus transfer did not occur due to relay failures in the fast dead bus transfer system.  Both 'A' and 'B' Emergency Diesel Generators started and loaded as designed to re-energize the 'A' and 'B' safety busses.  The loss of off-site power caused a loss of both Main Feedwater pumps, resulting in an automatic actuation of the Emergency Feedwater system.
 
The Root Cause of this event was the design change procedure used for modifications to the fast dead bus transfer circuitry did not include guidance to detect the susceptibility of the relays to DC coil inductive kick.  The faulty relays in the fast bus transfer circuit were replaced prior to plant startup.