News

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2
October 16, 2012
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Meeting

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The NRC began examining flooding issues, in the form of upstream dam failures, prior to the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident. That work was incorporated into the agency’s post-Fukushima efforts, which include requiring all U.S. plants to re-analyze potential flooding hazards at their sites using the latest available information. The plants will use present day guidance and analysis methods that have been used in new reactor applications to analyze hazards including stream and river flooding, hurricane storm surges, tsunami, and dam failures. In May, the NRC announced a schedule for all U.S. nuclear power plants to complete the hazard re-analysis by March of 2015.

If the re-analyzed flood hazards exceed the levels a plant was originally designed for, the plant will tell the NRC what interim measures it will use to safely deal with the new hazard. The plant will also perform an “integrated assessment” to identify specific vulnerabilities and examine how existing or planned systems or procedures will prevent or mitigate flood damage.

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STATUS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR THE BELL BEND NUCLEAR POWER PLANT COMBINED LICENSE APPLICATION

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LONDONDERRY TOWNSHIP, PA (Sept. 22, 2012) – Three Mile Island Unit 1 returned to service today at 9:12 a.m. EDT when operators connected the plant’s turbine generator to the regional power grid. The unit automatically shut down on Sept. 20 due to an unexpected actuation of a relay switch on a reactor coolant pump. Plant personnel replaced the relay, installed additional monitoring capabilities of the relay and tested the pump prior to restarting the plant.

“We performed the necessary repairs safely and efficiently and are committed to a reliable operating cycle,” said Rick Libra, TMI Site Vice President.

Three Mile Island is located about 12 miles south of Harrisburg, Pa. The plant generates 852 megawatts of carbon free power - enough electricity for about 800,000 homes. Electric customers were not affected by the plant being off-line.

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FORTHCOMING MEETING WITH EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC
Thursday, October 4, 2012 9:00 a.m. - 11 :00 a.m.

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ML12265A149

NRC Counterparts PowerPoint Presentation

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From Power Magazine

One option to temporarily resolve the nuclear waste conundrum is to transfer spent fuel from wet to dry storage, the GAO said. This has costs and risks—including those associated with moving it—but it would allow safe storage of spent fuel for decades after nuclear reactors retire. However, the length of time that spent fuel can be safely stored in dry casks is "uncertain," the report noted. Though experts say it can safely be stored for about 100 years, an NRC determination in December 2010 stated that spent fuel can be stored for up to 60 years beyond the licensed life of the reactor in a combination of wet and dry storage.

In a landmark decision, a federal appeals court this June remanded that determination back to the NRC, saying it lacked a necessary environmental impact statement. The NRC later this August voted not to issue final licenses dependent on the determination until it could address the court's remand. The agency is meanwhile preparing an environmental impact statement on the effects of storing spent fuel for 200 years.

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SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION - NRC MATERIAL CONTROL AND ACCOUNTING PROGRAM INSPECTION REPORT NO. 05000387/2012403 AND 05000388/2012403

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PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNIT NO.3: REQUEST FOR WITHHOLDING INFORMATION FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

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September 13, 2012

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today issued for comment a $45,000 settlement with PPL Electric Utilities Corp. over an informal investigation into a residential termination.

The Commission voted 5-0 to issue the settlement for comment between the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E) and PPL for comment. The settlement follows an investigation into a 2011 incident concerning a home in Lititz, Lancaster County, that had been terminated for non-payment.

The PUC’s I&E alleged that PPL violated PUC regulations and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Code during contacts with the customer prior to and after termination of service. The account was terminated for non-payment. According to the investigation, the customer contacted PPL and the company failed to place the account into dispute, which should have affected some of the steps toward termination.

Under the proposed settlement, PPL will pay a $30,000 civil penalty and $15,000 to its Operation HELP Hardship fund, which helps low-income customers maintain service. The company also will retrain some of its customer service personnel and provide copies of its monthly call monitoring reports and provide for direct monitoring of calls by PUC staff.

PPL provides electricity to about 1.4 million customers in 29 counties in central and eastern Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities to ensure safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protect the public interest; educate consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; further economic development; and foster new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner. For recent news releases, audio of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov.

Docket No. M-2012-2264635

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Roughly 50 workers at Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station were exposed to low levels of radiation early Tuesday after a discharge of contaminated steam.

At 1 a.m. that morning, workers were loosening a two-inch vent on top of the Unit 2 reactor vessel head when a "puff" of radioactive steam escaped from a flange, said Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Radiation monitoring alarms sounded as workers, dressed in bright yellow radiation-protection suits, hurried to close the vent. In total, the length of the release lasted about 2 minutes.

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