TMI Update: Jan 14, 2024

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
No. I-16-017 May 26, 2016
Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331

New NRC Inspector Assigned to Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant
Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials have selected Brian Lin as the new resident inspector at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pa. The plant is operated by Exelon Nuclear.

“Brian Lin’s technical experience and commitment to safety will assist the NRC in carrying out its mission of protecting people and the environment and ensuring the safe operation of Three Mile Island,” said NRC Region I Acting Administrator David Lew.

Lin joined the NRC in 2013 as a project engineer in the NRC’s Region I office in King of Prussia, Pa. Prior to joining the agency, Lin served in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarine force for 15 years as a reactor operator and a submarine officer. Since leaving active duty, he has continued his Naval service in the Reserves. Lin earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.

Each U.S. commercial nuclear plant has at least two NRC resident inspectors. They serve as the agency’s eyes and ears at the facility, conducting inspections, monitoring significant work projects and interacting with plant workers and the public.

Lin joins NRC senior resident inspector Dave Werkheiser at Three Mile Island. They can be reached at 717-948-1165.

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PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNITS 2 and 3 - SECURITY INSPECTION REPORT 05000277/2016403 AND 05000278/2016403, AND EXERCISE OF ENFORCEMENT DISCRETION

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Event Text

No. I-16-016

May 20, 2016

Contact:

Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330
Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331

NRC to Hold Meeting with Exelon on May 26 in Stafford Township, N.J., Regarding Performance of Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will share information on its annual assessment of safety performance at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant during a public meeting on Thursday, May 26, in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township, N.J.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Manahawkin, at 151 Route 72 West, in Stafford. During the session, NRC staff will answer questions on the plant’s performance and the agency’s oversight activities at the Lacey Township, N.J., plant, which is owned and operated by Exelon.

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COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA., 17120

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05/18/2016

CONTACT:
Neil Shader
717-787-1323
Jeff Sheridan
717-783-1116

Wolf Administration Investing $25.1 Million in Projects to Protect and Improve Pennsylvania Water Resources

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced today the selection of 114 projects to receive $25,143,294 in funding from Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), for the protection of Pennsylvania’s water resources. The selected projects enhance watersheds, mitigate acid mine drainage, and support water pollution cleanup programs.

“The Growing Greener program, and this year’s funding, is an investment in our future and proof that when state government works collaboratively, we achieve long-lasting results,” said Governor Wolf. “The Environmental Stewardship Fund has helped spark innovation and coordinate partnerships to tackle some of the most challenging environmental issues in our state.”

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Dear Friends of NIRS,

We have very sad news to share. Our colleague and friend, and longtime leader, Michael Mariotte died yesterday. As you all know, he has waged a brave struggle against pancreatic cancer for three years, but we understand that this could still come as a surprise. It has hit us all very hard. Michael's condition worsened very quickly over the last couple of weeks, and even more so in recent days. He was so committed to our work, that he continued right up until the last week or so, giving many the impression that he was going strong.

Though the last few months were very difficult for him, he died peacefully at home and his family was with him. He is survived by his wife Tanya, their young daughters Zoryana and Kateryna, his friend and ex-wife Lynn, and their children Nicole and Richard, as well as his sister Julie, brother Jeff, and sister-in-law Marsheila.

Michael did not want to have a funeral - it was not his way. Rather, he has asked friends to gather and do something fun in his memory. That was his way, to honor life by living and enjoying it to the fullest.

And, of course, by fighting for it. Most of us know him originally and primarily as both parts colleague and comrade, in our work to protect life and to make the world a safer, better, and more just place in which to live.

PLEASE JOIN Michael’s family, music and work colleagues, friends, neighbors and all to hug, cry, and share memories at the

Hyattsville BUSBOYS and POETS, 5331 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20781
Gathering Thursday MAY 19th from 4:00 -8:00 PM
with the Program beginning at ~ 5:30.

We are also planning to have an event in a month or so, to give the wider NIRS community an opportunity to come together and celebrate Michael and his work, and to chart our path forward. We have a lot of work to do, and Michael would not have wanted us to skip a beat. One of the last things we spoke about on Friday was the latest reactor closure announced last week -- Fort Calhoun, in Nebraska. He knew the struggle had to go on without him, and was glad to know one more reactor is shutting down.

If you would like to send a message of support to his family, we encourage you to do so. Michael's family has a lot to deal with in the wake of their loss, so NIRS has offered to collect and pass on messages from the activist community. We will be collecting posts from Facebook, which is already filling up with wonderful messages. You can also send an email to us at nirs@nirs.org, or a card or letter to NIRS's office: 6930 Carroll Ave., Suite 340, Takoma Park, MD 20912.

We will be posting a public statement shortly, and notifying the broader community of NIRS supporters and activists. Please feel free to let people in your networks know.
We know this is difficult news. So many of you were much more than colleagues. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us.

With deep regret, warmest regards, and lots of spunk,

Tim Judson, Executive Director
on behalf of NIRS Staff and Board of Directors

Diane D'Arrigo, Radioactive Waste Project Director
Denise Jakobsberg, Administrative Coordinator
Mary Olson, Southeast Director

Chris Williams, Board Chair
Timothea Howard, Treasurer
Susan Alzner                                                                                                                          
Louis Clark
Peer de Rijk, WISE-International
Bob Eye
Allison Fisher
Daphne Wysham
Elizabeth May, ex officio
Vladimir Sliviak, ex officio

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release

No. I-16-015 May 16, 2016
Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331
 
NRC to Hold Open House on May 23 in Limerick, Pa., to Discuss 2015 Performance of Limerick Nuclear Power Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct an open house on Monday, May 23, in Limerick, Pa., to discuss the agency’s annual review of safety performance at the Limerick nuclear power plant.

NRC staff will be at the Limerick Township Municipal Building, at 646 W. Ridge Pike, from 5 - 6:30 p.m. to discuss the plant’s performance in 2015 and the agency’s oversight plans for the remainder of 2016. On hand will be agency employees responsible for inspections of the plant, including the resident inspectors who are based full-time at the plant.

The NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process is the foundational program that enables the agency to successfully complete its mission of assessing plant safety. Under that program, the NRC gauges plant performance through the use of color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators, which are statistical measurements of plant performance that can trigger additional oversight if exceeded.

Based on its 2015 reviews, the NRC determined that the Limerick nuclear plant, which is owned by Exelon and is the site of two boiling-water reactors, operated safely during 2015. As of the end of last year, Limerick Units 1 and 2 had no inspection findings that were “greater than green” or no performance indicators that were other than “green” (very low safety significance) and will therefore receive the NRC’s normal battery of reviews, barring any changes.

The NRC’s normal level of oversight at each U.S. nuclear power plant involves thousands of hours of inspection. In 2015, the agency devoted approximately 5,300 hours of review at Limerick.

“Our Annual Assessments allow us to step back at regular intervals and size up plant performance. However, we view oversight of each facility as an ongoing responsibility,” Acting NRC Region I Administrator David Lew said. “In the case of Limerick, the plant’s current performance qualifies for our normal level of oversight.”

The NRC issues reports on performance at each plant twice a year: during the mid-cycle, or mid-point, of the year, and at the conclusion of the year. Inspection findings and performance indicators are also updated on a quarterly basis on the agency’s website. Following the release of the Annual Assessment letters each March, the NRC meets with the public in the vicinity of each plant to discuss the results. Normal inspections are carried out by the two resident inspectors assigned to Limerick. Reviews are also performed at the sites by specialist inspectors on a periodic basis.

Among the areas to be inspected this year at Limerick are radiological safety, fire protection and the plant’s problem identification and resolution program. In addition, the NRC will inspect the plant’s dry cask storage facility for spent nuclear fuel.

The Annual Assessment letter for Limerick, as well as the notice for the May 23 open house, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for Limerick Unit 1 and Unit 2.

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No: III-16-010

May 16, 2016

CONTACT: Viktoria Mitlyng 630-829-9662
                   Prema Chandrathil 630-829-9663

NRC Issues Confirmatory Order to Entergy Regarding Palisades Nuclear Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Confirmatory Order to Entergy Nuclear Operations Inc. under which the company will perform a series of actions to address failures in handling a leak from the safety injection refueling water tank (SIRWT) into the control room at the Palisades Nuclear Plant.

The plant is located in Covert, Mich., five miles south of South Haven.

The order stems from a settlement reached under the NRC’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process requested by plant-owner Entergy to address the violations identified in the NRC’s investigation. The violations are connected to the discovery of leakage from the plant’s control room ceiling on May 18, 2011.

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Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
No: II-16-030 May 16, 2016
CONTACT: Roger Hannah 404-997-4417
Joey Ledford 404-997-4416

NRC Schedules Meeting with TVA to Discuss Watts Bar Work Environment Improvement Plan
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a meeting with Tennessee Valley Authority officials for Tuesday, May 24, to discuss TVA’s response to an NRC “chilling effect” letter issued in March to the Watts Bar nuclear plant.

The plant is located near Spring City, Tenn., about 60 miles southwest of Knoxville.

The NRC had found that some operations employees may not have felt free to raise safety concerns, and some licensed operators may have been unduly influenced and directed by sources external to the control room. That hesitancy to raise concerns is what the NRC calls a chilling effect.

The NRC met with Watts Bar officials on March 22 and issued the letter on March 23. That letter requested a response outlining what TVA is doing to address the concerns.

During the May 24 meeting, the Watts Bar staff plans to brief the NRC on the current status and progress of actions to improve the chilled work environment in the operations department at the plant.

The meeting is scheduled to be held in the NRC’s Region II office at 245 Peachtree Center Avenue NE in Atlanta at 10 a.m.

The public may observe the meeting and NRC officials will be available after the business portion to answer any questions. For people unable to attend, a toll-free teleconference line will be available. Anyone wishing to listen to the meeting should contact Alan Blamey by May 23 at 404-997- 4415 or alan.blamey@nrc.gov.

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