Did you catch "The Meltdown: Three Mile Island" on Netflix? TMI remains a danger and TMIA is working hard to ensure the safety of our communities and the surrounding areas. Learn more on this site and support our efforts. Join TMIA. To contact the TMIA office, call 717-233-7897.
EN Revision Text: AUTOMATIC REACTOR SCRAM DUE TO MANUAL TURBINE TRIP
The following information was provided by the licensee via phone and email:
"At 0728 EDT on July 10, 2024, with Unit 2 in Mode 1 at 24 percent power, the reactor automatically scrammed due to a manual turbine trip. The [reactor] scram was not complex with all systems responding normally. Reactor vessel level reached the low-level set-point following the scram, resulting in valid Group 2 and Group 3 containment isolation signals. Due to the reactor protection system actuation while critical, this event is being reported as a four hour, non-emergency notification per 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) and an eight hour, non-emergency notification per 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A) for the Group 2 and Group 3 isolations.
"Operations responded using emergency operating procedures and stabilized the plant in Mode 3. Decay heat is being removed by discharging steam to the main condenser using the turbine bypass valves. Unit 3 was not affected.
"There was no impact on the health and safety of the public or plant personnel. The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, July 11, 2024
No: 24-056 July 10, 2024 CONTACT: David McIntyre, 301-415-8200
NRC Publishes Annual Report to Congress on Security Inspections
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has posted an unclassified version of its annual report to Congress on the results of the agency’s security inspection activities in 2023.
The report covers the NRC’s security inspection program, including force-on-force exercises, for commercial nuclear power reactors and Category I fuel cycle facilities. The report keeps Congress and the public informed of the NRC’s efforts to oversee the protection of the nation’s civilian nuclear power infrastructure and strategic special nuclear material.
In 2023, the NRC conducted 184 security inspections at commercial nuclear power plants and Category I fuel cycle facilities. These included 18 force-on-force inspections, held every three years at nuclear power plants, involving simulated attacks to test the effectiveness of a licensee’s physical protection program. The publicly available inspection results are discussed in the report.
When NRC inspectors identify a security finding, they ensure that the licensee corrects the situation in a timely manner. Details of security findings are considered sensitive and not released to the public.
DOE Seeks Input on Federal Consolidated Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel
Request for Information Responses Due Sept. 5, 2024
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a request for information (RFI) to identify industry partners interested in contributing to the development of federal consolidated interim storage facilities for the management of spent nuclear fuel. DOE is also seeking information from parties interested in providing engineering design, project management, integration, and other services needed to build and manage consolidated interim storage facilities.
DOE is seeking input on the following key areas:
Improvements to the draft performance work statement
Technical assessment of the work scope and marketplace options
Multidisciplinary expertise and experience required
Evaluation criteria for the solicitation
Resource requirements and regulatory risks
Projected timeline and potential time-saving measures
Strategies to include small business participation
This RFI is open to all interested parties who wish to comment or have questions on DOE’s planned solicitation approach, acquisition strategy, and other relevant requirements for federal consolidated interim storage facilities. Interested parties are invited to submit their responses electronically by 6 PM EST on September 5, 2024.
The comments and feedback collected will help inform a competitive request for proposals (RFP) for the engineering design of a federal consolidated interim storage facility.
Federal consolidated interim storage facilities are just one piece of DOE’s broader strategy to establish an integrated waste management system that includes transportation, storage, and eventual disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
For more information on this RFI and instructions to submit comments please visit SAM.gov
A whistleblower, who is apparently part of the team dismantling the shuttered Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, has written another letter warning about the dangers to workers when the nuclear plant’s fuel rod cooling waters are evaporated into the atmosphere.
The 2024 Clamshell Alliance: No Nukes Reunion is just around the corner!! We will be gathering Friday July 26th - Sunday July 28th at World Fellowship Center in Albany, NH.
Here's what's on the schedule:
Friday, July 26 7:30 PM - Global Premier of "Acres of Clams," a film by Eric Wolfe covering Clamshell from inception in 1976 through the last major actions in the late 1980s. This will be shown in the evening as part of "Fun Night." Saturday, July 27 Noon - Dedication of the memorial brick for Renny Cushing. 4 to 5:30 PM -- Nukes Update with Paul Gunter Sunday, July 28 10:00 AM -- Clamshell circle discussion: strategy, plans, sharing, etc.
There should be plenty of time for casual conversations, trips to Whitton Pond, walks on the nature trail, and more. Those who arrive Friday may overlap with participants in the Peace Action northeast retreat. See the description on the World Fellowship calendar at: https://worldfellowship.org/event/acres-of-clams-documentary-screening/. Armband optional.
For other scheduled events that weekend, including a walking tour of Tamworth Saturday morning and a concert Saturday evening, check out the World Fellowship calendar. https://worldfellowship.org/calendar-of-events/2024-07/.
Steering Committee:. Adam Auster, Anna Gyorgy, Arnie Alpert, Brian Tokar, Doug Bogen, Eric Wolfe, Jay Gustaferro, Judith Kaufman, Paul Gunter, Phil Stone, Shel Horowitz, Sharon Tracy, Susanae Glovacki, Tom Wyatt
NRC Proposes $9,000 Fine for Defense Health Agency for Loss of Radioactive Material
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $9,000 civil penalty to the Defense Health Agency for loss of nuclear material used during medical procedures.
DHA, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, oversees medical treatment facilities within the Department of Defense, including the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
In March 2023, DHA reported the loss of a single seed containing iodine-125 that is used to help target the location of cancerous tissue. The seed could not be located after being removed from a patient at Brooke Army Medical Center and sent to a laboratory for analysis. The NRC performed an inspection at the medical center in June 2023, to review what occurred.
Later, DHA reported the loss of 10 additional iodine-125 seeds believed to be in storage. The NRC then conducted a reactive inspection. Despite an investigation and multiple searches, the material was not found.
In February, the NRC notified DHA that it had identified two apparent violations stemming from the loss of the seeds and was considering escalated enforcement, including a civil penalty. The violations include a failure to properly secure stored NRC-licensed materials and a failure to control them when not in storage. DHA was informed it could submit a written response, request a predecisional enforcement conference or seek to resolve the matter via the alternative dispute resolution mediation process.
DHA provided a written response in April requesting the NRC reduce the proposed civil penalty based in part on DHA’s prompt self-reporting of the loss, reviews DHA did to better understand what occurred, and procedural and other changes DHA made to prevent recurrence.
Beyond Nuclear’s recent argument over admissibility of its contentions was before an Atomic Safety Licensing Board that is reviewing the 60- to 80-year license extension out to 2053 and 2054 to Duke Energy’s Oconee nuclear station that is sited downstream and 300 feet below the impounded water level in Lake Jocassee behind Jocassee Dam. NRC staff contend that climate change impacts are “outside of the scope” of their environmental review.
In light of the White House’s hypocrisy in supporting nuclear power, while simultaneously claiming to care about Environmental Justice in the context of climate crises, Beyond Nuclear submitted the following comments to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council:
“It is clear…that what the White House states as its Environmental Justice mission, and the policies it supports on nuclear technology in the context of the climate crisis, are in serious conflict…Nuclear power… make[s] attaining the White House climate crisis goals, particularly accounting for Environmental Justice principles, much less likely…Environmental Justice shoved aside. National security compromised. Health and environment discounted. What else will this Administration sacrifice for this dangerous energy source, so ill-equipped to address climate change?”
Nuclear madness is everywhere. Our government is determined to promote new reactors and the continued use of dangerous old ones, as long as we pay for them. Executives and politicians have even been convicted of crimes to ensure this happens. The media laps up the rhetoric and parrots the lie that nuclear power is “carbon-free”.
Yet, spending those same dollars on renewables would get us more carbon reductions faster and without all the deadly risks of nuclear power. That’s why we need your support now more than ever to block these dangerous proposals at every step including through legal action. If you agree that nuclear power is NOT the answer to the climate crisis, please donateto Beyond Nuclear today.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission today announced the selection of Owen F. Barwell as the agency’s new Chief Financial Officer, effective July 14, 2024.
Barwell has more than 35 years’ experience in both federal service and the private sector, including in scientific research, non-profit and professional services. He comes to the NRC from a role as Chief Financial Officer at Independence Hydrogen, Inc., a veteran-owned company developing low-carbon hydrogen recycling projects. Previously, he was CFO for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a research and development center operated on behalf of the Department of Energy, where he was responsible for financial, budget and acquisition functions.
“Owen brings significant business acumen and experience leading large and complex financial programs to this important role,” said NRC Chair Christopher T. Hanson. “His past experience in the energy sector is particularly important at this dynamic time of change in the nuclear industry. I welcome him to our agency.”
Barwell’s resume includes stints as Acting CFO and Deputy CFO for DOE, where he was responsible for the department’s strategic plan, budget, finance and accounting, corporate business systems and led approximately 500 staff and contractors. Earlier in his career, he served as a senior advisor at NASA, helping to implement a major initiative to improve business systems and processes. He also worked as a principal consultant at PwC Consulting, PricewaterhouseCoopers in both London and Washington, D.C.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Lancaster (UK).
Big batteries are muscling gas out of California’s electricity mix, according to data collated by Stanford University Professor Mark Z. Jacobson.
In the 100 days to June 14, California saw a 45% reduction in gas-fired power output, relative to the same period a year before.
The decline was mostly thanks to a surge in battery installations in recent months. The state now has 10.4 gigawatts (GW) of battery storage capacity — a technology it says is key to achieving a 100% clean electricity system by 2045.
Graphic: California state government
Batteries are used to store energy from renewable sources like solar during the day so that it can be deployed in the evening, when solar generation tapers off and demand for power surges. These facilities are increasingly challenging the role of gas plants in meeting peak demand.
On the evening of June 10, for example, big batteries injected a record 7.7GW of instantaneous power into California’s grid. They accounted for a quarter of total electricity supply at that point.
And according to data from GridStatus, gas generation on an average April day in California hit a seven-year low, reversing an earlier trend that had been fuelled by rising electricity demand.
Graphic: GridStatus
On 89 of the 100 days to June 14, there were periods where renewables generated more than enough electricity to cover all of California’s needs. This excess energy creates a strong business case for batteries, which can charge up when prices are low and discharge when prices are high.
Compared to a year before, utility-scale solar output was up 32% over the 100-day period, wind generation grew 10%, and battery output doubled, Jacobson says. Meanwhile, demand for electricity from the grid was down 3% due to new rooftop solar installations.
