February, 1988 - GPU was cited by the NRC for failing to deploy a roving fire watch "when the Halon system for a the cable and transformer rooms became inoperable" (Patriot News, May 19, 1988).
May 19, 1988 - GPU was cited again for violating fire regulations by the NRC. the Commission noted four deficients in the Program, and added in a letter to the Company: "We are concerned that there has been a degradation in the overall control of your fire-protection program, Lee H. Bettenhauser, Chief, Reactor Division Projects
August 5, 1992 - GPU "declared an event of potential public interest when the Unit-2 west cooling tower caught fire." The fire lasted for ten minutes.
The Pennsylvania DER ordered GPU to remove the waffling from the TMI-2 cooling towers after the most recent fire.
August 11, 1993 - The NRC issued two Notice of Violations relating to emergency preparedness (EP.) One violation occurred during the EP exercise conducted from June 7-11, 1993 and involved adequacy of fire protection exit provisions. The other violation dates back to February 7, 1993, and is related to a delay in callout of the emergency response organization. (This violation is being "considered for escalated enforcement." (See February 7 and July 2, 1993 for more information) (IR 50-289/93-08.)
Fires, explosions, "boiling," and weak fire protection: July 18, 1986; March 19, April 2 and July 27, 1987; March 6, 1988; June 12, July 15 and September 1 and 3, 1991; January 14, July 27, and November 23, 1992; and, January 28, August 11 and September 30, 1993; September 29, 1994; September 14, 16, 29 & 30 and October 29, 1998 & October 15, 1998; and January 22 and July 21 & 23, 1999. (Examples listed below).
September 30, 1993 - GPU declared an Event of Potential Public Interest" due a small fire in the ŚC' condensate pump.
August 11, 1993 - The NRC issued two Notice of Violations relating to emergency preparedness (EP.) One violation occurred during the EP exercise conducted from June 7-11, 1993 and involved adequacy of fire protection exit provisions. The other violation dates back to February 7, 1993, and is related to a delay in callout of the emergency response organization. (This violation is being "considered for escalated enforcement." (See February 7 and July 2, 1993 for more information.) (IR 50-289/93-08.
October 15, 1998 - GPUN completed an LER regarding failures to perform fire protection program surveillances in a timely fashion. Another LER related to this issue was filed on January 22, 1999. (See September 14, 1998, for precursor events.) (IR 50-289/99-02.)
September 29, 1994 - Thermal-Services-Inc. and its president Rubin Feldman, were indicted September 29 by a federal grand jury on seven criminal charges, including willful violations of the Atomic Energy Act, a decade-long conspiracy to defraud the US government, false statements and more. The charges are the culmination of a nearly two-year grand jury investigation of the company, which manufactures Thermo-Lag, the ineffective fire barrier material used in more than 70 nuclear reactors [including Three Mile Island]" The Nuclear Monitor, , October 17, 1994.) (For follow-up data, see October 1, 1996 and May 29 and October 23, 1998.)
May 29, 1998 - "In an order confirming GPU Nuclear Inc.'s commitment to replace Thermo-Lag fire barrier material, federal officials yesterday notified the utility that its efforts may not be enough to complete the work on time [December 31, 1999] and, therefore, may not meet regulatory requirements for licensing." (See also March 19, 1987; March 6, 1988; June 12 and September 1 and 3, 1991; July 27 and November 23, 1992; August 11 and September 30, 1993; and, September 29, 1994; October 1, 1996, and, February 18, July 17 & October 23, 1998.)
July 17, 1998 - Thermo-Lag fire barrier was found "incorrectly configured", i.e., outside of the approved joint design agreement. An LER was produced by the Company which resulted in the NRC issuing a Severity Level IV Non-Cited Violation. (50-289/99-02). (See January 29, 1994; and , February 18, May 29, and, October 23, 1998, for related incidents.)
August 25, 1998 - GPUN identified a Thermo-Lag fire barrier found outside of the approved joint arrangement. (See September 29, 1994; October 1, 1996; and, May 29, July 17, and October 23, 1998, for related events.)
August 25, 1998 - GPUN identified a Thermo-Lag fire barrier found outside of the approved joint arrangement. (See September 29, 1994; October 1, 1996; and, May 29, July 17, and October 23, 1998, for related events.)
- Transformers [lighting and ventilation] in the turbine building in the first floor in a separate cubicle . Employee heard a "pop" , and onsite fire-briagde responded within nine minutes....Offsite personnel called in...Manufacturer Squared D in. In 1993, as part of PDMS modifications [transformer repalced] made because of previous problems shouldn't break in ten years...10:40 am...
July 2, 2003 - 12:16 p.m. HARRISBURG, Pa., (AP) - A fire in an active transformer yard next to a decommissioned reactor was put out Tuesday at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, an Exelon Nuclear official said.
The official, David Simon, said crews were still trying to figure out the cause of the fire, but that there was no danger to the public and no interruption in the plant's operations. It was unclear how long the fire had burned, he said. There were no reports of injuries.
"At no point was there any danger to the public," said David Sanko, head of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Fire crews went to the scene after Exelon requested help, Simon said.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been notified, he said.
The decommissioned reactor, known as Unit 2, is owned by First Energy Corp. and was the site of the nation's worst commercial nuclear accident in 1979, when a portion of the reactor's core melted.
Unit 1 is operated by Exelon and owned by a joint venture involving Exelon and British Energy.