Paralysis by Analysis

From: Chris in Delaware

Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:37:57 -0400

The latest Videos, including NRC Chairman Jerkszo. It is clear to me, that he is in Way Over His Head (Double Entendre Intended). http://www.omaha.com/article/20110628/NEWS01/706289909#nrc-nuke-disaster-risk-low

Notice how when faced with a condition outside the box (accepted analyses and assumptions), the NRC is completely inept.

Get the DAMN Barges in NOW stupid! These guys will mull it over and watch it burn. Paralysis by Analysis.

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Update on Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant on 27 June 2011

From: Chris in Delaware

Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:35:52 -0400

My co-workers are concerned. We talked this morning. One of them has an inside track to the NRC "ears." I already provided the following recommendations:

- Barges with Pumps and Generators (Assessment on Moorings breaking free is correct - I was a licensed Merchant Marine Engineer when I was a kid - but I can't think of anything else right now - I'm open to suggestions).

- Ensure Back Up Nitrogen Supply to the Refueling Pool Cavity Seal because if it fails, then the Water above the Reactor Vessel (it is open for Refueling), will dump

- Re-Fill the RWST (Refueling Water Storage Tank) - In this configuration, the Reactor AND Spent Fuel Pool may be Gravity Fed to a point with this tank FULL

- Re-fill the SITs (Safety Injection Tanks) - and Recharge their Nitrogen Charge - These are 2500 Cubic Foot Volumes of Borated Water, charged to 200PSIG with a Bladder. There are 4 of them. With just Nitrogen Pressure, you can inject borated water into the Reactor AND IF the Fuel Transfer Tube Valve is OPEN, you can inject into the Spent Fuel Pool too.

- The Battery Rooms at Calhoun are on the 1011 Foot Level - See Attached FIG 8.4-3 "Auxiliary Building Battery Rooms" of the Attachment.  DC Cables run everywhere though. I confirmed that Massive Flooding External Events were NOT analyzed for (because they were incredible).

He agreed and IS making those recommendations to the NRC staff now.

I mentioned that other industrial Facilities are vulnerable also and may result in power shortages which could remove OFF-Site Power to Fort Calhoun. Also, if a Dam burst occurs, Intake Structure (that separate building on what USED to be the River Front) would have difficulty taking suction due to an effect known as "Vortexing."

As far as someone offering to buy up all the land around Fort Calhoun, I don't know. Contamination may occur in high water IF the Radwaste Storage Tanks, Chemical Volume and Control Boric Acid Storage Tanks, Miscellaneous Waste Tanks, Spent Resin Metering Tanks, and Demineralizers back up and via Floor Drains and flow out the Tank Vents. (oh, I forgot the Steam Generator Blowdown Tanks to name a few sources but there are more).

So much to think about and I have Day Job, but I will always find time to answer your correspondence. I goofed off this weekend and went to a Ham Field Day here. Was good to think about something normal.

Respectfully always,

Chris in Delaware

 

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Subject: Fort Calhoun Flood - Portable Generators and their Fuel Oil Tanks Washed away.

From: Chris in Delaware

Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2011 08:38:49 -0400

I mentioned this concern about portable equipment. It happened. See event report. These are the last ditch generators and fuel oil supply WHEN they lose their onsite electrical distribution systems. The Installed Diesels will be useless when they lose their Distribution Systems. The Portable Generators are now useless. Off-site Power is "iffy."  Flooding is occurring on lower elevations of plant.

I recommend Barges with Pumps and Generators aboard anchored off the plant.

Please see Event Reports 46989 and  46988

Power Reactor

Event Number: 46989

Facility: FORT CALHOUN

Region: 4 State: NE

Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]

RX Type: (1) CE

NRC Notified By: NATHAN SEID

HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD

Notification Date: 06/26/2011

Notification Time: 12:22 [ET]

Event Date: 06/26/2011

Event Time: 10:45 [CDT]

Last Update Date: 06/26/2011

 

Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY

 

10 CFR Section:

50.72(b)(2)(xi) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION

Person (Organization):     RICK DEESE (R4DO)

Unit

SCRAM Code

RX CRIT

Initial PWR

Initial RX Mode

Current PWR

Current RX Mode

1

N

N

0

Cold Shutdown

0

Cold Shutdown

Event Text - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION DUE TO PETROLEUM RELEASE TO THE MISSOURI RIVER

"At approximately 0125 CDT, the AquaDam providing enhanced flood protection for Fort Calhoun Station Unit 1 failed. This resulted in approximately 100 gallons of petroleum being released into the river after a protective barrier was breached and many fuel containers were washed out to the river. The fuel/oil containers were staged around the facility to supply fuel for pumps which remove water within the flood containment barriers. The spill was reported to the State of Nebraska at 10:45 AM CDT on 6/26/2011.

"This condition is being reported pursuant to 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(xi) for News Release or Notification of Other Government Agency. Applicable governmental agencies have been notified per plant procedures."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

Power Reactor

Event Number: 46988

Facility: FORT CALHOUN

Region: 4 State: NE

Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]

RX Type: (1) CE

NRC Notified By: AMY BURKHART

HQ OPS Officer: HOWIE CROUCH

Notification Date: 06/26/2011

Notification Time: 07:58 [ET]

Event Date: 06/26/2011

Event Time: [CDT]

Last Update Date: 06/26/2011

 

Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY

 

10 CFR Section:

50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A) - VALID SPECIF SYS ACTUATION

Person (Organization):     R4IRC (WALKER) (R4), RICK DEESE (R4DO)

Unit

SCRAM Code

RX CRIT

Initial PWR

Initial RX Mode

Current PWR

Current RX Mode

1

N

N

0

Cold Shutdown

0

Cold Shutdown

Event Text - BOTH EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATORS SUPPLYING PLANT EMERGENCY BUSES PER PLANT PROCEDURE

"At approximately 0125 [hrs. CDT], the AquaDam providing enhanced flood protection for FCS [Ft. Calhoun Station] Unit 1 failed. At 0221, as a precautionary measure, DG-2 [Diesel Generator] was automatically started per plant procedure to divorce bus 1A4 from offsite power. At 0250, DG-1 was automatically started to divorce bus 1A3. Both Emergency Diesel Generators loaded on buses as designed. 345KV and 161KV offsite power remain available.

"This is reportable pursuant to 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A), 'System Actuation of the Emergency Diesel Generators'. All safety related flood protection barriers remain in place.

"Current river level is 1006.5' MSL and stable. FCS remains in a NOUE [Notification of Unusual Event] due to high river level.

"NRC personnel stationed onsite for flood monitoring have been informed."

June 25th, 2011 at 10:35 AM

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A Nuclear Plant’s Flood Defenses Trigger a Yearlong Regulatory Confrontation, New York Times, June 24, 2011:

8-month-old NRC letter: At 1,010 ft water would enter Ft. Calhoun’s auxiliary building, shorting power and submerging pumps; Could then have a station blackout with core damage within 15-18 hours — Water now at 1,007 ft

    [The water level at Ft. Calhoun nuclear plant] reached a height of nearly 1,007 feet above sea level at the plant yesterday. [...]

    The NRC responded in its October 2010 letter that once flooding reached 1,004 feet, water would have entered the plant and the ability of emergency workers to move around the site would “significantly degrade.” [...]

    At 1,010 feet, water would begin to enter the auxiliary building, “shorting power and submerging pumps. The plant could then experience a station blackout with core damage estimated within 15 to 18 hours,” under a worst-case scenario, the NRC said. [...]

“They also ordered us to revise our policies and procedures and make whatever changes were necessary to bring the design basis up to 1,014. We did so, and we believe we are now in compliance with the NRC and are awaiting a final inspection.” -Omaha Public Power District spokesman Michael Jones

2011 ENENEWS.COM - All Rights Reserved

http://enenews.com/8-month-old-letter-from-nrc-at-1010-ft-water-would-begin-to-enter-the-auxiliary-building-shorting-power-and-submerging-pumps-could-then-have-a-station-blackout-with-core-damage-within-15-18-hours

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Flood Plants and Fukushima Update 6/24/2011

River System and Projected Flooding

Other nuclear power plants affected include:

River Bend, Baton Rouge,

Waterford New Orleans

**I’ll find out which others are in Flood Plain.

Cooper

Plant is designed to accommodate River Level of 903 Feet Above MSL (Mean Sea Level). This corresponds to 46.5 Ft River Level (as gauged at Brownville, Nebraska)

Current River Level 899.7 Feet Above MSL (43.1 Ft). It was higher yesterday and reached about 901’ Above MSL.

Army Corp of Engineers have started Releasing 160,000 GPM or Water from Upstream Dams. Expected Level at Cooper may exceed 902 Feet.

WHEN Level reaches 902’ Above MSL (45.5 Ft), THEN Cooper will Shutdown from Power Operation. ** Need to find out if Cooling Plant to Decay Heat Removal is REQUIRED at this stage or if they will Maintain Hot Shutdown.

Concerns:

Cooper has maximum Decay Heat to remove because both Units are on line. It would take close to 2 Shifts to Lower Temperature enough to go on Residual Heat Removal (if all equipment is functioning).

**I need to find out when the last Refueling Outages for the Units took place so I can estimate the Spent Fuel Pool Heat Load.

ο      Swift Flowing Water due to Dam Breaks or Levee Blowouts (either upstream or down). Intake Structures are not Designed to handle the unpredictable hydro-dynamics and turbulent flow from rapidly flowing water.

ο      Power Shortages due to loss of other plants because of the flooding. This would cause a Demand for Emergency Diesels.

** Homework Items For Future Reporting

Fukushima

TEPCO hopes to resume water decontamination

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/24_04.html

The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant hopes to resume the water decontamination process at the plant within several days.

At the nuclear power plant, a water treatment system started operation last Friday, but it ceased functioning after only 5 hours due to a sharp rise in radiation levels in US-made equipment built to absorb radioactive material.

Tokyo Electric Power Company hopes to restart the system and continue the decontamination process by pouring low levels of contaminated water into the equipment to decrease radiation levels.

The decontamination process has been halted several times due to a series of problems.

Friday, June 24, 2011 07:00 +0900 (JST) -- Commentary:

Although this is the right direction to take in somewhat controlling the releases from Fukushima, the going is going to be painfully slow without much reported success. Here’s why:

ο      Dangerous Radiation

ο      High Temperatures

ο      High Humidity

ο      Internal Flooding from Feed and Bleed

ο      Damaged Systems and Structures due to Wreckage

ο      Darkness and Low Visibility

ο      Lack of Skilled Manpower

Look – At the risk of sounding redundant, I reiterate (again):

IF the goal was to convert a functioning BWR into a Waste Generation Facility, with NO OFF-SWITCH, I couldn’t have thought of a better way myself.

Unmanned helicopter crash lands at nuke plant

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/24_33.html

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it lost control of an unmanned helicopter during a flight near the No. 2 reactor building, forcing the controller to make an emergency landing on a roof there.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says the remote-controlled light helicopter took off from an observatory south of the Fukushima plant just past 6:30 AM on Friday. Its mission was to collect airborne radioactive substances around the No. 2 reactor building.

The utility says its engine failed about 30 minutes later, making it impossible for the aircraft to ascend.

The helicopter -- 50 centimeters long and weighing 8 kilograms -- was found lying on its side on the rooftop.

TEPCO says it did not see any smoke or flames coming from the helicopter when it landed, and neither the craft nor the reactor building was damaged.

It says it plans to retrieve the helicopter using a mobile crane.

Friday, June 24, 2011 19:16 +0900 (JST) -- Other Nuclear News (I was unaware of)

Fallen device in Monju retrieved – Nothing to do with Earthquake but shows Lax respect for Nuclear Power

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/24_10.html

The operator of Japan's experimental fast-breeder nuclear reactor Monju has successfully retrieved a 3-ton device that fell inside the reactor vessel 10 months ago.

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency says it completed work to recover the fuel-exchange equipment at around 5 AM on Friday. The work took about 8 hours.

In May last year, the Monju reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, resumed operations after a 14-year shutdown. It was closed in 1995 after a sodium leak started a fire.

But 3 months after restarting, operations had to be suspended again after the device fell into the reactor during an inspection.

The agency's previous attempts to collect the device failed when it got stuck against the vessel's upper lid.

The operator will now inspect the reactor for damage before restarting it.

The agency had planned to begin generating electricity early this year. But substantial delays now appear inevitable.

Monju was supposed to play a central role in Japan's nuclear fuel recycling program, but its future is now looking increasingly uncertain. The government says it will review its energy policy in the wake of the nuclear accident in Fukushima.

Friday, June 24, 2011 10:31 +0900 (JST)