TMI Update: Jan 14, 2024

Clean Power Plan Presents New Opportunities for Pennsylvania Energy

HARRISBURG, PA -- The Environmental Protection Agency today released the Clean Power Plan.  Pennsylvania will use this as an opportunity to write a plan that could improve public health, address climate change, and improve our economy and power system.  Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection will give all stakeholders every opportunity to provide input into drafting a Clean Power Plan that is tailored to fit Pennsylvania’s economy.

“My administration is committed to making the Clean Power Plan work for Pennsylvania," said Governor Wolf. "Working with the legislature, industry leaders and citizens we will create a plan to ensure these new rules are applied fairly, allow for adjustments, and that they create economic opportunities for the commonwealth's energy economy. Today's plan sets ambitious but achievable goals for reducing carbon emissions statewide and addressing climate change in fair and smart ways that takes into account legitimate concerns of all parties."

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CALLAN NAMED SITE VICE PRESIDENT AT THREE MILE ISLAND GENERATING STATION

LONDONDERRY TWP., Pa. (Aug. 3, 2015) — Exelon Generation announced today that Edward Callan has been named site vice president at Three Mile Island Generating Station. Callan has more than 30 years of nuclear experience at Exelon. The site vice president leads a team of approximately 700 highly skilled employees and manages all aspects of plant operations. Callan replaces Rick Libra, who was recently named site vice president at Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station in Pottstown, Pa.

Before becoming Three Mile Island’s site vice president, Callan served as vice president of outage planning and services for Exelon’s fleet of 23 reactors.  Prior to that role, Callan served as vice president of nuclear oversight, vice president of mid-atlantic operations and plant manager of Limerick Generating Station.

“I look forward to the new role and working with Three Mile Island’s team of talented and dedicated employees,” said Callan. “I’m committed to building on the many solid relationships we have forged with residents, local officials and community leaders in the central Pennsylvania area.”

Callan holds a MBA from Drexel University and a bachelor of science degree in engineering from Widener University.   He was licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a senior reactor operator at Limerick.

Three Mile Island Generating Station is located approximately 12 miles south of Harrisburg.   The plant produces enough carbon-free electricity to power approximately 800,000 homes.

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Philadelphia Electric's (PECO) applied for a license to operate the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in late-July, 1960. The application was approved by the Atomic Energy Commission. Peach Bottom was a 40 megawatt, High Temperature Graphite Moderated reactor that operated from 1966-1974. Peach Bottom 2 & 3 , are 1,065 megawatt Boiling Water Reactor designed by General Electric and engineered by Bechtel. Both reactors began operation in July, 1974, but had their licensees extended by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and are expected to operate though 2034.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) have clearly demonstrated that Philadelphia Electric's (PECO), renamed Exelon in 2000, performance has historically been lackadaisical and sub-par. In order to put Peach Bottom's operating history into perspective, it is necessary to review PECO's plant legacy.

Peach Bottom Chronology.pdf

Peach Bottom Chronology.pdf

TMIA's Testimony, Peach Bottom License Extension, (9:12:19).pdf

TMIA's Testimony, Peach Bottom License Extension, (9:12:19).pdf

This chronology does not include the cost to the rate payer to build Susquehanna-1 and -2. PP&L asked the Public Utility Commission (PUC) for $315 million to recover the cost of building Unit-1. The PUC granted $203 million on August 22, 1983, or a 16% increase to the customer. The company asked for $330 million for Unit-2 but was allowed $121 million in April, 1985; an 8% increase to rate payers. In addition, PP&L consumers have “contributed”  approximately $4.6 million annually (since 1985) to the decommissioning fund. (Also,  refer  to  May  15  and  August  13,  1998,  for  information  on  “stranded  costs” passed on to  “hostage” PP&L  rate payers.)

Moreover, in the Winter 1999/2000, PPL unilaterally devaluated the combined PURTA and Real Estate tax assessments for the SSES. Prior to the Negotiated Settlement, the nuclear power generating stations were assessed by PP&L at approximately $1 billion. PPL is now claiming that the the SSES is only worth $74 million or the same amount as the valuation of the Columbia Hospital. If PPL prevails, the Berwick School District and Luzerne County will experience revenue shock. PPL is not paying or escrowing any moneys they owe to Luzerne County and the Berwick School District.

Berwick Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Chronology.pdf

Berwick Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Chronology.pdf

March 28, 1979, 4:00 a.m. - Beginning of the Three Mile Island (TMI) Unit-2 loss-of-coolant, core melt accident. The plant came within 30 minutes of a full meltdown. The reactor vessel was destroyed, and large amounts of unmonitored radiation was released directly into the community.

TMI Chronology.pdf

TMI Chronology.pdf

I'm extremely skeptical of what is most likely more pro-nuke BS. Just what they said after Three Mile Island when alpha and beta emissions weren't even measured and to this day no one kows how much radiation was released from TMI nor IAEA's former claim of 31 nuclear murders from Chernobyl now upped to 4,000 or 8,000 projected out over time while the 2010 New Academy Of Sciences Book on Chernobyl radiation murders claims with access to Russian and other former USSR Republic epidemiology that 985,000 nuclear murders had taken place there as of 2004.

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Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 - Issuance of Amendments Re: Technical Specifications to Modify Reactor Coolant System Pressure Isolation Check Valve Maximum Allowable Leakage Limits (TAC NO. MF5108)

Download ML15090A584

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 And 3 - Issuance of Amendments Re: Eliminate Main Steam Line Radiation Monitor Trip and Isolation Function (TAC Nos. MF4757 AND MF4758)

Download ML15167A456

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 & 2 Individual Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment to Facility Operating License, Proposed No Significant Hazards Consideration Determination, and Opportunity for Hearing (TAC MF4597 AND MF4598)

Download ML15202A225

The nuclear industry is self-reporting these repeated uncontrolled radioactive leaks to groundwater under an industry-led “voluntary initiative” program. In our view, voluntary reporting is not a reliable or acceptable substitute for a comprehensive regulatory program aimed at protecting water resources.

-- From the Executive Summary of “Leak First, Fix Later: May 2015” at this current site: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/356082/26211375/1431107955223/LeakFirstSummary_May2015.pdf?token=pCtJ4Mq0yC15OZLocnFVxfeMisc%3D

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Radioactive material was detected in a monitoring well in April at an Exelon-owned nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania about 40 miles from Baltimore, according to nuclear regulators.

Exelon, the parent company of Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. and the largest owner of nuclear power plants in the United States, notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it found dangerous levels of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, in a monitoring well at Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station on the Susquehanna River in Delta, Pa.

The agency said the contamination posed no danger.

-- From “Radioactive leak reported at Peach Bottom plant,” by Carrie Wells, at this June 18, 2015 Baltimore Sun site:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-peach-bottom-leak-20150618-story.html
 

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Beyond Nuclear report reveals Peach Bottom leak is part of pattern

A groundwater monitoring well at the Peach Bottom nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania that tested positive in April 2015 for significant levels of tritium contamination is just the latest example of a decades-long pattern of leaking nuclear reactors and a weak regulatory system that fails to openly address and fix the problem as required in licensing agreements.

These were the conclusions of a Beyond Nuclear investigative report – Leak First, Fix Later: Uncontrolled and Unmonitored Radioactive Releases from Nuclear Power Plants – released today. The 2015 version of the report updates the findings of the first edition, published in 2010.

“Nuclear plant operators and their regulator consistently fail to address and enforce reactor performance requirements to protect the environment and public health,” said Paul Gunter, Director of Reactor Oversight at Beyond Nuclear and the author of the report. “Our research found that U.S. nuclear power plants continue to experience uncontrolled leaks and spills of radioactive water because the buried pipes and tanks that transport and store it remain inaccessible,” Gunter said.

-- From this June 18, 2015 Beyond Nuclear site:
http://www.beyondnuclear.org