nuclear-news

Fort Calhoun nuclear plant to stay closed, as new problems found

Regulators up scrutiny of Fort Calhoun nuclear plant after finding more problems Washington Post, 13 Dec OMAHA, Neb. — Several new problems have been found at a Nebraska power plant that suffered flood damage earlier this year, federal regulators said Tuesday, so inspectors will be watching the plant north of Omaha even more closely as repairs from flooding are made.

The tougher oversight for the Omaha Public Power District plant in Fort Calhoun will likely further delay its restart from early next year until sometime in the spring as it makes repairs from the summer flooding. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said none of the new
issues represents a public safety threat, but the growing number of
problems, combined with the prolonged shutdown, requires more
scrutiny. Fort Calhoun has been shut down since April, when it was
being refueled. Flooding along the Missouri River then forced it to
remain closed as floodwaters surrounded the plant.

NRC spokesman Victor Dricks told The Associated Press that the new
problems at the plant include deficiencies in the Omaha Public Power
District’s emergency response and either a design or installation flaw
that contributed to a fire in June. Inspectors also found flaws in the
way the utility’s analysis of how the plant would withstand different
accident conditions such as earthquakes, tornadoes or loss of coolant.

The plant was already facing extra oversight because of the failure of
a key electrical part during a test in 2010 and deficiencies in flood
planning that were also found last year. Fort Calhoun might not be
receiving so much attention if it hadn’t had the other recent
regulatory problems….
Before Tuesday’s announcement, Fort Calhoun was one of only two
nuclear power plants in the nation at level four of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission’s oversight system. This new move will put Fort
Calhoun in a special category for plants that are shut down where
regulators will have broad authority to conduct inspections.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/industries/apnewsbreak-regulators-increase-scrutiny-of-neb-nuclear-plant-after-finding-more-problems/2011/12/13/gIQAoHRXsO_story.html
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December 15, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA