INDIAN POINT: LOSS OF
OFFSITE COMMUNICATIONSDate: 11/15/2000
From: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/DAILY/der.htmThe licensee determined that the Emergency Response Data System (ERDS) was unavailable as of 0937 EST on 11/8/00. The system was restored as of 1544 EST today, 11/14/00. The cause of the problem is being investigated and is unknown at this time.
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.
INDIAN POINT: "LESSONS LEARNED" REPORTDate: 11/15/00
From: http://www.nj.com/REPORT SAYS ENTIRE INDUSTRY CAN LEARN FROM ACCIDENT
By Jim Fitzgerald, Associated Press, 11/15/00
Buchanan, N.Y. (AP) - The problems that led to a radioactive leak at the Indian Point 2 nuclear power plant have implications throughout the industry, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Wednesday.
In its final "lessons learned" report, released exactly nine months after the accident, the NRC made 41 recommendations, most of them technical, to minimize the chances of another pipe rupture like the one that shut down Indian Point 2 on Feb.15.
Most of the recommendations are aimed at the NRC itself and the industry at large rather than at Con Edison, owner of the plant.
"The weaknesses in the Con Ed program that contributed to the poor condition of the failed SG (steam generator) tube have generic implications," the report said. It said the surveillance and testing that was done at Indian Point - and was found lacking - is common at other plants. "A high priority should be assigned to improvements," it said.
In general, the report agreed with previous findings that blame Con Ed and the commission for allowing the steam generator tubes to degrade without being detected. It repeated that the brief leak of radioactive steam into the atmosphere, which followed the 150-gallon- a-minute tube rupture "did not impact the public health and safety." The accident, the worst in Indian Point's 26-year history, nevertheless marshaled the public and politicians into forcing Con Ed to discard the aging generators. A new set is being installed, the plant is expected to be back on line next month and a private company, Entergy Corp., is in the process of buying it for $602 million. The report says the NRC could do a better job of letting the public know how much of a health risk there is during an accident. It noted that while the commission had found that the tube failure was "risk significant," there were no health consequences. "This distinction may not be understood," it said. It recommended that the commission work on "risk communication and outreach to the public."
"Tube failures and ruptures have happened before and will likely occur again," the report said.
Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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