Wednesday, November 04, 2015

Hope Creek Suspiciously At 80% Power Today

From the horse's mouth. Nice guy. Because the NRC and Hope Creek "can't see the tech spec violation" means it is not there seems to be their defence.   
No problem – Sorry I couldn’t give you a more complete answer at this time.  This week has been very hectic.  The downpower at Hope Creek is related to an offsite power line outage that was planned.  Salem Unit 1 is also downpowered for the same reason – The outage is scheduled to last another week.  
You’ll have to tell me sometime what the meaning of “steamshovel 2002” is.  
Richard S. Barkley, PENuclear and Environmental Engineer, NRC Region I(610) 337-5328(610) 608-1517
Fitz is at 100% power
Correction: I mixed Ginna and Fitz up in the daily power level report. They are right next to each other on the list. Ginna is at 0 and Fitz is at 100% power.
Sorry
OK, Fitzpatrick had shutdown last night and Hope Creek is still at 80%.
What do you think, Hope is at 80% playing it safe until Salem 1 comes out of outage.  

Update 2;30 pm 

Them crazy Bloomberg boys: 
This will really be big if Hope Creek was forced to shutdown by me. Big big big
"I have been in discussions with the NRC since Friday about Hope Creek’s safety relief valves. They stopped talking to me and it sounds like it is in an investigation now. Hope Creek and Salem 1 & 2 are one facility. On Friday Salem 1 and 2 were in refueling and Hope Creek was at 100%. Today Salem 2 is at 88% and Hope Creek is at 80%. I give it a about 50/50 chance, but if Hope Creek is going into shutdown to fix their safety relief valves all hell is going to break loose in the nuclear industry.
Hope Creek, Fitzpatrick and Pilgrim have identical SRVs 2 stage valves in their plant now.
I was given a NRC tip yesterday the NRC commissioner chairman’s speech was aimed at me: 
Fitzpatrick and the NRC are on full alert over my explanation: 
Checkout my blog explanation about the Hope Creek situation. That goddamn H SRV valve: 
Pilgrim, Hope Creek and Fitzpatrick plant operation is inextricably linked by defective and identical Target Rock model 2 stage safety relief valves.  It looks like to me the nuclear component manufacturers are blocking these plants from purchasing new and safe replacements." 

Millstone's plant Level "Alert" Junk Diesel Generator

Update 11/5
Believe they got seven days to fix it before they are required to shutdown by tech specs.


FIRE ON THE 'A' EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATOR
event notification

At 1133 EST on 11/4/15, an Alert was declared due to a fire in the 'A' Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) enclosure. Fire caused damage to the safety related EDG and was declared inoperable. The fire is out, and off-site assistance was not necessary. A fire watch has been stationed, and no personnel injuries were reported.

The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

Notified DHS, FEMA, USDA, HHS, DOE, DHS NICC, EPA EOC, FEMA NWC (via email), FDA EOC (via email) and Nuclear SSA (via email).

* * * UPDATE ON 11/4/15 AT 1449 EST FROM HERB SEARLE TO DONG PARK * * *

At 1446 EST on 11/4/15, Millstone Unit 3 terminated the Alert declaration following satisfactory atmospheric samples at the site boundary and notifying the State of Connecticut.

The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector. Notified R1DO (Rogge), NRR EO (Morris), and IRD (Grant).

Notified DHS, FEMA, USDA, HHS, DOE, DHS NICC, EPA EOC, FEMA NWC (via email), FDA EOC (via email) and Nuclear SSA (via email).


Unit 3 is the three special inspections Turbine Driven Auxiliary feedwater pump poor maintenance plant...

I wasn't sure if it was the backup, backup flex DG or the emergency diesel generator. Commonly they have a oil leak and the oily insulation catches fire. It is not a big deal. Not much can catch fire on the engine. This seem much bigger than that. Maybe a breaker explosion or the generator catching fire?
The fire occurred on the Unit 3 diesel generator while it was being tested after a maintenance outage. The fire started about 11 a.m. and went out on its own shortly afterward. Backup diesel generators are used to provide power to the station when normal offsite power is lost.
First report:
Dominion Generation (NYSE: D) declared an Alert at its Millstone Power Station Unit 3 in Waterford, Conn. today.

The company declared an Alert at the station at 11:33 a.m for Unit 3. Federal, state and local officials have been notified. An Alert emergency is the next to least serious of four emergency categories in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's rating system.

The emergency was declared because of a fire in the Unit 3 backup diesel generator. The fire quickly burned out.

No release of radioactive material has occurred as a result of this event. Minor releases associated with normal plant operations pose no danger to the public or plant workers. These minor releases are below federally approved operating limits, below natural background levels and can not be detected at the site boundary.

Millstone Unit 3 continues to operate normally at 100% power and Millstone Unit 1 remains in its decommissioned state. Unit 2 is in a routine refueling outage.

Tuesday, November 03, 2015

The Northern Pass and Keystone is Uncompetitive And Dead

Update 11/6

OMG, Obama doesn't take my advice, neither does my wife and kids.
NYT: WASHINGTON — President Obama is expected on Friday to announce he has rejected the request from a Canadian company to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline, ending a seven-years-long review that had become a flash point in the debate over his climate policies.


President Obama’s denial of the proposed 1,179-mile pipeline, which would have carried 800,000 barrels a day of carbon-heavy petroleum from the Canadian oil sands to the Gulf Coast, comes as he is seeking to build an ambitious legacy on climate change.
Does Obama need to be astute as Gov Cuomo and Senator Schumer with fighting to retain the Fitzpatrick nuclear plant? Just hold your nose and vote like most of us does every election.

Everyone knows what is going on especially Canada. The Oil Sands at these low petroleum prices are grossly uncompetitive. Canada is heading for a depression over it.

Obama should just say, go for it. I am for everything infrastructure. The Keystone pipeline is dead for decades.


I just don't see why Massachusetts governor Baker on the Northern Pass isn't vulnerable on the American jobs angle.  

New Hampshire’s Northern Pass is dead too. Go USA jobs and energy!  
TransCanada Suspends Request for Permit to Build Keystone Pipeline
WASHINGTON — The company seeking to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline asked the Obama administration on Monday to suspend its yearslong review of the project, potentially bringing an abrupt halt to a politically charged debate that had become part of a broader struggle over President Obama’s environmental policies.
It was not immediately clear whether the administration would grant the request, which was swiftly denounced by environmental activists as a bid to dodge a near-certain rejection of the pipeline. Allowing the delay would push off a decision until after the 2016 presidential election.
The company’s request introduced a new element of uncertainty into the administration’s decision-making process, offering the potential to free Mr. Obama from a politically difficult choice that has hung over much of his presidency. But if anything, it appeared to intensify pressure on him from crucial Democratic constituencies to reject the pipeline or risk being blamed for punting to another president. A delay would keep the issue alive in the presidential campaign…

Monday, November 02, 2015

FitzPatrick Closure: Big NY Democrats Furious Plant Is Closing

This is how a war between a governor and Entergy-FitzPatrick looks like. I think the Democrats want to poor mouth Entergy no matter what side of the issue they have to stand on. They hate Entergy so much. 
I get it, you are a Democrat governor you get a one year announcement on a nuclear plant closure(Fitz). If you are a Republican governor, you get a four years notice before it closes(Pilgrim). 
Is this a astute political move? These guys look like they are pro nuclear and pro employee? The residents of NY are going to be confused as hell, Shutdown Indian Point and safe Fitpatrick... 
Schumer 'furious' with Entergy over FitzPatrick nuclear plant closing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is "furious" with Entergy Corp. over its decision to close the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear power plant in Oswego County, and plans to appeal today to the company's chief executive to find a way to keep the plant operating. 
"Senator Schumer is furious with Entergy and is calling the CEO to express his frustration and do everything he can to prevent them from closing the plant," Schumer spokesman Jason Kaplan said this morning. 
Schumer views the plant closing as a setback for power reliability in Central New York, and wants to work with state and federal regulators to make sure the 850-megawatt plant stays online, Kaplan said. 
"It is devastating that Entergy plans to shut down FitzPatrick," Kaplan said. "Not only will this be awful for the local economy and to hundreds of loyal and effective workers, but it will also negatively impact power reliability in Central New York." 
He added, "Sen. Schumer will continue to engage with the company, federal and state regulators, and local officials to do everything possible to keep the plant open and preserve these important good-paying jobs." 
Schumer met privately in August with Bill Mohl, president of Entergy Wholesale Commodities, the Entergy subsidiary that owns the plant, but he has not made public any details of their conversation. 
Entergy Corp. called a meeting of FitzPatrick employees today to announce the planned shutdown in late 2016 or early 2017, leaving the plant's 615 employees without jobs.
The closing will take a large toll on Oswego County's economy with the loss of FitzPatrick's $74 million annual payroll and $17.3 million a year in property tax payments.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration negotiated privately with Entergy officials for at least two months in an apparent effort to reach a compromise that would keep FitzPatrick operating.
 
Schumer was not involved in those negotiations, and made no public appearances with FitzPatrick plant supporters or Oswego County officials to discuss Entergy's pending decision prior to today's announcement. 
Schumer, who visits Central New York at least once a month for news conferences, did not discuss the FitzPatrick plant with local reporters until an unrelated appearance in Syracuse today regarding the outbreak of Legionnaire's disease at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center. 
Separately, Central New York's two House members issued a joint statement today calling for Entergy and the state to resume negotiations aimed at averting a shutdown.
"Over the course of the past month, Entergy has been in talks with the state of New York about the future of FitzPatrick," said U.S. Reps. John Katko, R-Camillus and Richard Hanna, R-Barnveled. "We hope the company will detail these conversations and inform the community as to what efforts were made to prevent the closure of the plant."
 
Katko and Hanna added: "We also urge the company and the state to continue their dialogue in the hopes of reversing the decision. Absent a solution, our hope is that the company and the state will do everything possible to mitigate the challenges faced by the community." 
Business analysts who follow Entergy have said the FitzPatrick plant is a money-loser for the company, particularly in light of the low wholesale power prices in the Central New York market.
Remember because of the high anti nuclear sentiment and being in a enormus population area...Cuomo is just following the political winds. He want Indian Point shutdown. 
Cuomo: Closing FitzPatrick nuclear plant shows 'callous disregard'
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo today said state officials would try to block Entergy Corp.'s decision to close FitzPatrick nuclear plant.
SCRIBA, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo put out a statement just now on the closing of the FitzPatrick nuclear plant in Oswego County, saying the decision showed "callous disregard'' for the plant's employees.
Cuomo also said state officials will pursue "every legal and regulatory avenue'' to try to stop plant owner Energy Corp. from shutting the reactor.
"The closing of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant will devastate the lives of the more than 600 employees and their families,'' Cuomo said. "Good corporate citizenship must appreciate that there are many factors that count as the 'bottom line.' The State of New York will pursue every legal and regulatory avenue in an attempt to stop Entergy's actions and its callous disregard for their skilled and loyal workforce." 
Members of Cuomo's administration engaged in confidential discussions with Entergy for at least two month, apparently seeking a compromise that would keep FitzPatrick open. Many observers suspect the talks centered around Entergy's profitable Indian Point nuclear plant in Westchester County. Cuomo has fought Entergy's application for a 20-year extension of Indian Point's operating license.
Neither side has revealed what the discussions entailed. Entergy officials today thanked state officials for negotiating, but said no agreement was reached that could keep the plant in operation.

"New York state officials worked as hard as we did over the past two months to reach a constructive and mutually beneficial agreement to avoid a shutdown of FitzPatrick, but our efforts were ultimately unsuccessful,'' Entergy CEO Leo Denault said during a conference call with stock analysts.

Entergy's Waterford Nuclear Plant: Junk Diesel Generators

Regular testing of the diesel generators leading to electrical components failing in both. God only knows how many components will failed under the stress of a big accident. 

This is where we are heading and the NRC knows it. We are going to have LOOP at a nuclear plant and both DGs are going to trip on junk Chinese untraceable electrical components. They don't even tell us when this components were put in? 


I telling you, our nuclear industry is having big troubles with non traceable junk Chinese mechanical and electrical components getting into our nuclear plants.      

Both Emergency Diesel Generators Declared Inoperable 

On August 26, 2015, both Emergency Diesel Generators at Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 (Waterford 3) were declared inoperable, causing entry into Technical Specification 3.8.1.1 action f.

On August 26, 2015, at 0111 CDT, EDG [DG] 'A' was declared inoperable following a trip of EDG 'A' on Generator Differential [87]. TS 3.8.1.1 actions b. and d. were entered. EDG 'A' was being run in accordance with OP-903-115, "Train A Integrated Emergency Diesel Generator/Engineering Safety Features Test," Section 7.4, "24 hr EDG ‘A’ Run with Subsequent Diesel Start" to satisfy TS Surveillance Requirement (SR) 4.8.1.1.2.e.6. EDG 'B' was subsequently started per TS 3.8.1.1 action b.(1) which requires the demonstration of Operability of the remaining Operable EDG to preclude common mode failure of the remaining EDG. At 0740 CDT, EDG 'B' was declared inoperable and TS 3.8.1.1.f. (restore one of the inoperable EDGs to Operable status within 2 hours or be in at least Hot Standby within the following 6 hours) was entered due to the EDG ‘B’ room exhaust fan [FAN] not starting when the diesel engine was started. Troubleshooting determined that the EDG ‘B’ room exhaust fan did not start due to HVR-501B (EG B ROOM OUTSIDE AIR INTAKE DAMPER) [DMP] not opening. Action was taken to isolate air and fail HVR-501B to its open safety position. At 1001 CDT, EDG 'B' was declared operable and TS 3.8.1.1.f. was exited following verification of proper operation of the EDG 'B' room exhaust fan. The station remained in TS 3.8.1.1.b. and d. with EDG ‘A’ remaining inoperable.

The amount of time that both EDGs were inoperable was 2 hours and 20 minutes. During this time, a brief was conducted and preparations for a plant shutdown were completed. Prior to exceeding the allowed outage time, EDG 'B' damper HVR-501B was failed open and the room exhaust fan started.

EDG ‘A’ Generator Differential

EDG 'A' was being run in accordance with OP-903-115, "Train A Integrated Emergency Diesel Generator/Engineering Safety Features Test," Section 7.4, "24 hr EDG ‘A’ Run with Subsequent Diesel Start" to satisfy TS SR 4.8.1.1.2.e.6. The EDG function of supplying standby electrical power on receipt of a “test” or “emergency” command signal are different in that during an Emergency Mode start of the EDG, all Test Mode trips and alarms are bypassed with the exception of overspeed and generator differential.

The direct cause for EDG ‘A’ tripping on GENERATOR DIFFERENTIAL was the internal shorting of EG ECT2316 C TRANSF, NB8 Current Transformer, due to insulation failure.

The EG ECT2316 C TRANSF is a Westinghouse type KIR-60 current transformer style 7524A01G16 with serial number 28218571. There are no lot or date codes printed on the current transformer or its nameplate. The current transformer is only energized when EDG ‘A’ is supplying the 3A bus.

A vendor performed a failure analysis of the failed EG ECT2316 C TRANSF, current transformer and issued a failure analysis report dated October 9, 2015. The report concluded that the failure was due to a manufacturing defect. Specifically, there were voids found in the insulation and the thickness of the insulation material around the fault area appeared reduced when compared to the other areas of the current transformer. It is believed that the thinner insulation in combination with voids increased the electrical stresses causing the insulation to break down. This eventually resulted in a fault. The insulation breakdown and resultant fault created a ground condition on the Diesel Generator bus.

10 CFR 21 IDENTIFICATION 
On October 9, 2015, Waterford 3 received information from the external evaluation concerning the Generator Differential Current Transformer. The evaluation concluded that a manufacturing defect internal to the current transformer was the cause of the failure. On October 22, 2015, engineering evaluation determined the manufacturing defect could create a substantial safety hazard, as defined in 10 CFR 21, and provided the site vice president information of the defect the same day. Additional information identified in the report is as follows: Constructor - Westinghouse Type KIR-60 current transformer, style 7524A01G16, serial number 28218571; Defect and safety hazard - There were voids found in the insulation, and the thickness of the insulation material around the fault area appeared reduced when compared to the other areas of the current transformer. There is only one transformer of this type remaining installed in the plant. Scheduled replacement is no later than November 15, 2015.

EDG ‘B’ HVR 501B failure

On August 26, 2015, EDG 'B' was started per TS 3.8.1.1 action b.(1) which requires the demonstration of Operability of the remaining Operable EDG to preclude common mode failure of the remaining EDG. At 0740 CDT, EDG 'B' was declared inoperable and TS 3.8.1.1.f. (restore one of the inoperable EDG's to Operable status within 2 hours or be in at least Hot Standby within the following 6 hours) was entered due to the room exhaust fan not starting when the diesel engine was started. Troubleshooting determined that the EDG ‘B’ room exhaust fan did not start due to HVR-501B (EG B ROOM OUTSIDE AIR INTAKE DAMPER) not opening. The solenoid on HVR-501B was replaced and tested satisfactorily. The solenoid was inspected on site both externally and internally and it was determined that there was mechanical wear on the inside of the solenoid, the air inlet valve plug was bound up inside the solenoid coil, and that the solenoid coil itself appeared to be good. Photographs of the condition were sent to an offsite vendor who concluded that rapid cycling of the solenoid valve might be the cause of the excessive wear and damage to the components...
These guys had some big LER recently. Obviously this is a direct offshoot of my "Mike Mulligan River Bend special inspection. Basically a inability to control reactor water level over long periods of time. This is identical to River Bends problems. It is really sickening...   
Licensee Event Report (LER)2015-004-01, Emergency Feedwater System Flow Oscillations and LER 2015-005-01, Manual Reactor Trip due to Low Steam Generator Levels Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 (Waterford 3)

The safety function of the EFW system is to provide sufficient supply of cooling water to one or both SGs for the removal of decay heat from the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) [AB] in response to any event causing low SG level coincident with the absence of a low pressure trip.

INITIAL CONDITIONS 
On June 3, 2015, Waterford 3 was in Mode 1 at approximately 100% power. There were no structures, components, or systems that were inoperable at the start of the event that contributed to the event.

The manual reactor [RCT] trip due to low SG levels is reported in LER-WF3-2015-0005.
EVENT DESCRIPTION At 1704 on June 3, 2015, Waterford 3 experienced a loss of the “A” Main Feedwater Pump. At 1705, the reactor was manually tripped when SG levels were continuing to lower. At 1707, an EFAS [JE] was automatically actuated to both SGs as SG level decreased. Flow initially stabilized at 250 gpm with the Primary Flow Control Valves (PFCVs) [FCV] providing flow and the BFCVs [FCV] closed. Both SG levels continued to decrease and the EFW [BA] control logic shifted the operation of the BFCVs to flow control mode to maintain flow to each SG. EFW flow stabilized and then SG levels began recovering. At 1709, the EFW AB pump [P] reached rated speed and EFW header discharge pressure increased. Shortly afterward, wide, frequent fluctuations in EFW flow were observed which was not in accordance with the expected system response.

Operations personnel observed that the controller [FIK] outputs for both BFCVs were oscillating frequently and widely. Both PFCVs operated correctly in automatic (the controller outputs remained steady and the valves remained in their fixed position). To prevent further oscillations, both BFCV controllers were taken to manual and then closed at 1715. The oscillations stopped concurrent with taking the valves to manual control. Operations personnel cycled both BFCVs in manual with no further flow oscillations noted. After confirming that they could control both BFCVs in manual, the operators closed the PFCVs. EFW flow to the SGs was controlled by operation of both BFCVs in manual for the remainder of the event, until EFW was secured. 
The EFW flow control logic [JB] and both BFCVs were declared INOPERABLE due to the FCV oscillation and actions per TS 3.3.2.b and 3.7.1.2.d were entered, respectively. The EFW system functioned adequately to fill the SGs and maintain the specified safety function (Reactor Coolant System Heat Removal).

This event and the manual reactor trip were immediately reportable (reference EN # 51116) under 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A), Specified System Actuation, and 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B), RPS Actuation (scram), respectively. Investigation has revealed that the components comprising the EFW flow control system were not configured to appropriately respond to the changes observed in the system operating parameters. Both EFW BFCVs cycled more than assumed in the nitrogen accumulator [ACC] sizing calculation. The excessive cycling has the potential for exhausting the accumulators prior to their 10 hour analyzed mission time in the event of a loss of Instrument Air (IA) [LD]. These accumulators also supply backup nitrogen to the ADVs. Periodic testing to confirm the stability of the BFCVs in the automatic flow control mode has not been performed. It is therefore reasonable to assume that this condition has likely existed within three…

CAUSAL FACTORS
A root cause evaluation was completed for this condition. The direct cause of this condition was an instability in the control system setup of the EFW BFCVs that occurred when the valves were operating in the flow control mode. This resulted in the continuous cycling of the EFW BFCVs.

The root cause of this event was that the components comprising the EFW flow control system were not configured to appropriately respond to the changes observed in the system operating parameters.

Analysis has concluded that the unstable behavior seen in the flow control mode is explained if the valve gain or controller gain was improperly selected for both loops. With the gain improperly selected, a perturbation in EFW flow would have caused a feedback effect that would have setup a varying output signal to the FCVs. The analysis eliminated all other potential causes except the following all tied to system gain: 
 Controller proportional gain and reset interval 
 Valve trim (linear) results in greater than desirable flow when the valve is operating close to its seat 
 Valve stroke time set too fast 
 Volume booster setup improper for both valves. 
Follow on corrective actions are assigned to determine the sensitivity of the control system to these parameters and to determine if the potential identified causes may have shifted the system to unstable operation. These actions are also directed to determine

One contributing cause of this event was that there is no periodic testing that confirms the stability of the BFCVs in the automatic flow control mode. No startup test exists where the system was allowed to shift the BFCVs to the flow control mode and control in this mode. Calibration checks of the flow control loops and actuator are periodically performed; however, these tests do not provide sufficient intrusiveness to determine instabilities in system operation in all modes.

A second contributing cause of this event is that previous corrective actions were ineffective at determining the cause of the EFW flow instabilities and confirming the oscillations were corrected. EFW flow oscillations of similar magnitude and frequency were observed following a plant trip on January 21, 2013. There were missed opportunities noted in response to this event that may have led to earlier discovery of the causes.
Entergy spent a lot of money on this violation getting them to downplay it. Basically NRC inspectors walked to the roof and found it before Entergy did.

During a walkdown of the Emergency Diesel Generator Feed Tank A and B vent lines on October 22, 2014, an NRC Component Design Basis Inspection inspector identified corrosion on the Emergency Diesel Generator Feed Tank A and B vent lines where the vent lines pass through the roof. A visual inspection was performed and revealed that the corrosion had created through wall holes that could allow water into both the train A and B Emergency Diesel Generator Feed Tanks.

Follow up analysis has determined that some rainfall amount less than the postulated Probable Maximum Precipitation event could have resulted in water intrusion into the Emergency Diesel Generator A and B Feed Tanks that exceeds the 0.1 percent water content allowed by the vendor technical manual. This could have potentially affected the operability of both the A and B Train Emergency Diesel Generator Feed Tanks and subsequently both trains of the Emergency Diesel Generators. It is unknown how long this corrosion has existed. Compensatory measures were put in place to prevent water ingress should a large rainfall event occur.

Junk plant operators and maintenance people. The operators inspect that room at least every 8 hours. They didn't find filter housing on the floor in two days. They should have tested their assertion of operability in trying to start up DG without the filter housing attached? 

Just saying over a few years...these guys got a amazing record of unreliability with their DGs!!!! Amazing record...
Licensee Event Report (LER)2014-002-00 Inadequate Tightening of Starting Air Filter Housing results in Inoperable Train A Emergency Diesel Generator During an operator tour of the train A Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) room on March 1,2014 at approximately 12:39, it was discovered that the filter housing cover on the EDG A Starting Air Filter had unfastened from its base and was lying on the floor. The last successful start of the EDG A that demonstrated its capability to meet its safety function was on February 27, 2014 at 11:33 and it is postulated that the cover became unfastened during that run. Therefore, EDG was potentially inoperable for 2 days as a result of this condition. Since the condition was unknown at the time, the Technical Specifications required test of EDG B was not performed within 8 hours and the requirement to demonstrate the operability of the remaining A.C. circuits at least once per 8 hours or to be in Hot Shutdown within the next 6 hours was not performed. The cause was insufficient tightening of the filter housing cover during maintenance on April 8, 2013. The insufficient tightening had not been preventing the EDG A’s ability to start within the required times prior to its becoming unfastened. EDG A was returned to OPERABLE condition by refastening the filter housing cover to its base. The other filter housings on EDG A and EDG B were verified to be properly fastened. An evaluation is being conducted to determine if a torque requirement is necessary for the filter housing covers…

Basically been inop since poor maintenance in 1999. They had a data point in the computer for low DG room ventilation flow, but nobody looked at it. No direct alarm on the control room annunciators. It is poor plant design like the emergency feedwater supply. Another big issue with the NRC.

So long term emergency feedwater supply to the steam generator (core cooling and the long term unreliable of the diesel generators...it is a bad mix. 

What else are they hiding on us? 
Emergency Diesel Generator Inoperable Due To Room Exhaust Fan Failure Waterford 3 declared Emergency Diesel Generator B (EDG-B) inoperable on May 22, 2013 due to inability to maintain room temperature within design limits. Subsequent trouble shooting revealed that the variable pitch room exhaust fan had failed due to separation of the fan hub from the hub sleeve. Examination of recent operating data showed that the first evidence of fan failure had been during a surveillance test the previous month. An apparent cause evaluation determined the probable cause of the failure to be the result of repairs made during a previous (1999) fan motor replacement. These repairs caused additional stresses on the fan hub components which eventually resulted in fan hub separation from the hub sleeve. On 4/25/2013, hydramotor replacement retesting was completed by satisfactorily operating EDG-B per OP-903-068. A later review of trends indicated the fan LO FLOW computer point (PMC point D60417) was indicating abnormal (LO) for the duration of this run; the LO FLOW condition had not occurred prior to this 4/25/2013 run.The LO FLOW PMC point does not alarm in the control room and was not detected by Operations or Engineering at this time. This point is for long term trending and is not necessarily monitored during each EDG run. Computer trends indicated the fan motor current was approximately 64 amps and ambient temperature was approximately 60 deg. F.

 






Japan Systemic Corruption Inc

Toshiba Headquarters in Tokyo. 

Hamamatsucho Building.JPG


Honestly, how can you trust Westinghouse and Toshiba? Toshiba owns Westinghouse?   
 
And Mitsubishi did the San Onofre steam generators. 
 
Then they melted down three nuclear plants at Fukushima? 

TOKYO, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- A construction scandal triggered by a tilting condominium in Yokohama further widens, as more cases of data fabrication in construction involving the company Asahi Kasei Construction Materials were found across Japan, shaking residents' trust on architecture safety. 
The company, a subsidiary of chemical and materials science giant Asahi Kasei Corp., has been examining the 3,040 piling operations it conducted nationwide over the past decade since the scandal broke out. 
According to local media, about 300 out of the 3,040 piling work projects conducted by the company were suspected to have been built with falsified data, and more than 10 people might have been involved in the falsification. 
At a news conference held on Monday, Asahi Kasei Corp. said falsified data were found on 19 of the 41 projects handled by the male employee responsible for the tilting building in Yokohama, and "multiple people" were engaged in similar falsifications. 
The firm declined to announce the exact number of the persons involved as the investigation is still under way. 
The scandal broke out last month when a condominium building in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo, was found to be tilting. 
An investigation showed that about eight of the 70 concrete foundation piles supporting the apartment complex were not driven deep enough into the bedrock. Asahi Kasei Construction Materials, the company responsible for the piling work, said a male employee responsible for gathering data on the foundation construction forged the readings that determine whether piles have reached the load-bearing layer, as well as the amounts of cement poured to keep them in place. 
In a hearing held by the firm, the employee admitted to falsifying the data by copying data of other piling work reports because he lost some of the documents that recorded the correct data and was unable to record accurate data for some other documents due to equipment malfunctions. 
More cases of similar nature were found in the next few days by investigations held independently by municipalities and other entities. 
The buildings involved include public condos and school buildings in Hokkaido, Tokyo and Yokohama. 
In those later-found cases, the persons responsible for the piling work were not the one for the tilting building in Yokohama, causing widespread concerns over the safety of all projects done by the company. 
"It is an extremely grave problem that different workers were falsifying data in projects in different regions. We think the firm had problems with its project management system all across the organization," said Keiichi Ishii, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, at a news conference last week. "We plan to thoroughly investigate the company's piling work and its internal mechanism for checking projects, as well as its compliance with laws, " said the minister. 
The ministry carried out an on-site inspection into the Asahi Kasei subsidiary Monday afternoon in accordance with the construction business law. 
Harumi Takahashi, governor of Hokkaido where at least four buildings were found with falsified data, also expressed his displeasure at the company by calling it "very unreliable", local media reported. 
For ordinary home owners, although the local governments said there seemed to be no safety problems at the buildings involved in the scandal aside from the tilting condo in Yokohama, concerns over safety of their homes are spreading among them. 
"What's going to happen when an earthquake occurs?" said a resident of a problematic building in Hokkaido. 
Asahi Kasei is currently discussing compensation with the Yokohama condo residents. The firm is also expected to submit to the government a comprehensive report on the 3,040 cases on Nov. 13.

As concerns are spreading, the central government is considering expanding its probe to look into work by construction companies other than Asahi Kasei Construction Materials.
 
 
 


FitzPatrick: What The Death Rattles Of A Dying Nuke Plant Looks Like

Doesn't Pilgrim with their Safety Relief Valves and Fitzpatrick with their Leaking main condenser look similar

Then they recently did the expensive main condenser retube job. What a waste of money?

This severely challenges Entergy's credibility on managing their Enterprise under changing times. Didn't Exelon's CEO Row admit he never seen the natural gas fracking miracle coming? How do these electric utilities CEOs make many tens of million dollars a year being so stupid?

Maybe Entergy can turn Fitzpatrick's new titanium main condenser tubes into radiation titanium gonad (testicles)protection shields for Palisades. (insider joke). The new titanium tubes are just a year old?  
(2014)"During the outage, workers will replace 184 fuel assemblies in the reactor and perform various maintenance activities, tests and inspections on plant equipment. Other major work includes a complete retube of the plant’s main condenser. The plant’s existing condenser tubes constructed of admiralty brass will be replaced with titanium tubes designed to be resistant to silt and other abrasive sediments found in Lake Ontario. 
The new condenser tube material was selected for its long-life expectancy and resistance to environmental erosion and corrosion conditions. The life span for the retubed condenser is projected to exceed the station’s extended period of operation. In 2008 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved FitzPatrick’s renewed operating license allowing the station to operate an additional 20 years beyond the original license, to 2034. 
“Significant capital investments are scheduled during this refueling outage that will contribute to FitzPatrick’s continued safe and reliable operations,” said Larry Coyle, site vice president and top Entergy official at FitzPatrick. “The FitzPatrick team has worked hard since our last refueling outage and the employees take pride in our commitment to safety first and foremost at all times.”
I got to give Entergy credit with the Pilgrim plant. They didn't purchase expensive top of the line SRVs. The replaced their dangerous and defective 3 stage SRVs with cheap obsolete, dangerous and defective 2 stage SRVs they had in the plant in 2009. I got to give Entergy credit, they are not going to waste money like they did at Fitzpatrick?   
SCRIBA, N.Y. - An aging cooling system at the FitzPatrick nuclear plant in Oswego County is springing leaks so often that plant operators had to reduce power 11 times during the first three months of 2014 so that workers could plug the leaks.
FitzPatrick's condenser, which circulates Lake Ontario water for cooling, leaks far more any other U.S. plant, in part because FitzPatrick operators failed to repair the aging equipment, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
View full sizeThe rate of unplanned power reductions at FitzPatrick nuclear plant in Oswego County has fallen off the chart established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to monitor that indicator of plant performance. The number of unplanned power changes per 7,000 hours of operation is one measure of plant stability.NRC 
Now the leaks cause FitzPatrick to reduce power so often that the NRC keeps the plant under heightened oversight.
Nuclear regulators say the leaky condenser does not pose a major safety issue, and the leaks are expected to be resolved by a major repair during a refueling outage later this year.
But in a report issued Monday the NRC also criticized plant owner Entergy Corp. for not doing a better job of anticipating problems with the condenser tubes and getting them fixed before now.
The condenser at FitzPatrick was last replaced in 1995, and the metal tubes within the condenser have an expected lifespan of 15 years, NRC officials said.
"Entergy had earlier opportunities to recognize the degradation of the main condenser tubes and to act to address that,'' said Neil Sheehan, of the NRC, in an email. "There were condition reports internal to the plant in 2007 and 2009 that indicated the condenser was nearing its end of life.''
At this point, frequent plugging of the leaks is a "reasonable" tactic until the condenser can be overhauled during a refueling outage this fall, NRC officials said.
If a nuclear plant reduces power unexpectedly more than six times in 7,000 hours of operation, the NRC puts the plant under heightened oversight. FitzPatrick has been in that category since January 2013, and its unplanned power change rate recently plummeted to 18.4 per 7,000 hours.
On 15 other performance indicators measured by the NRC, FitzPatrick has good ratings.
An independent nuclear safety watchdog, David Lochbaum of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the leaks pose no immediate threat absent other equipment failures, but they represent an "amazingly steep declining safety trend.''
Entergy officials continue to make safety their first concern, said Mark Sullivan, speaking for the company.
"The safety and security of FitzPatrick remains our top priority,'' Sullivan wrote in an email. "We applaud the team for the outstanding job they do every day in striving for excellence. We are proud of the way the Fitz team faces challenges and produces outstanding results.''
The condenser is a large metal box positioned beneath the nuclear plant's generating turbine. Steam that drives the turbine then passes through the condenser, where it is cooled and returned to a liquid state by water from Lake Ontario, which circulates in thousands of small metal tubes.
Silt and other abrasive sediments from the lake wear away at the inside of the tubes and can eventually cause leaks, said Sullivan, of Entergy. The most recent leak was May 4.
To find a leak and fix it, operators must reduce the plant's power output, typically by 50 percent. That cuts what the plant can earn from power sales.
Last year, Entergy officials openly expressed concern about the financial health of FitzPatrick, saying New York state's wholesale energy market did not allow the plant to earn enough revenue. Some Wall Street analysts said FitzPatrick was among a handful of plants at risk of closing for financial reasons. The company's fortunes have improved since then.
Thanks to high winter electric prices, Entergy Wholesale Commodities, the subsidiary that owns FitzPatrick and five other nukes, earned $444 million before taxes during the first quarter of 2014, compared with $194 million the year before.
Nuclear critics started drawing attention to FitzPatrick's condenser problem last year.
Lochbaum, a former nuclear plant engineer who now works for the Union of Concerned Scientists, filed a petition in July 2013 asking the NRC to order Entergy to make the repairs this year. Otherwise, he argued, the company might delay the repair. The NRC has yet to rule on that request.
At the time Lochbaum filed his petition, FitzPatrick had experienced 16 condenser tube leaks in a little more than two years, compared with just 12 during that time at all other U.S. nuclear plants.
"Troubling is the recent trend that strongly suggests the bad situation at FitzPatrick is getting worse,'' Lochbaum wrote in the 2013 petition. "FitzPatrick reported three condenser tube events in 2011, nine in 2012, and four during the first three months of 2013."
Contacted by email Friday, Lochbaum said the 11 events during the first quarter of 2014 represented an "amazingly steep'' decline in safety performance.

"Babe Ruth's home run record was beaten,'' Lochbaum wrote. "Lou Gehrig's continuous game record was beaten. Dan Marino's touchdown pass in a season record was beaten. Entergy's condenser tube leak event record will never be broken, even if some company wanted to try."
The condenser is the normal "heat sink'' for energy produced by the reactor core. If the condenser is unavailable, steam produced by the reactor core flows through pipes down into a large water well called the torus and gets cooled there, Lochbaum said. Other emergency systems cool the water inside the torus to allow it to continue to function as an energy sponge.
An unreliable condenser only becomes a safety issue if the backup systems fail also, Lochbaum said. That's what happened at the Fukushima meltdown in Japan. But allowing the condenser to deteriorate creates a "pre-existing impairment,'' Lochbaum said.
"If the luck runs out and the pre-existing impairment factors into a nuclear accident, it'll be hard for Entergy and the NRC to claim they took all reasonable measures to avoid it,'' he wrote