I have been watching the NRC plant status site for about 10 days now. On 12/31, 5 plants were at reduced power for the rollover, now they are reporting 40 plants throttled back "AS planned for Y2K transition"

Something is going on, aint nobody talking.

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/DAILY/psr.htm

-- Tryntohelp (beenthere@notdoneyet.com), January 02, 2000

Answers

Ask yourself why the incident reporting page has not been updated with the 7 or so failures which occurred at nuke plants. Then read two from the day before. Pay attention to the line at the end of the second incident report. It says: "THERE WILL BE NO PRESS RELEASE".

See for yourself that the incident reports haven't been updated at.. http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/DAILY/der.htm

FACILITY: QUAD CITIES R REGION: 3 | NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/29/1999| UNIT: [] [2] [] STATE: IL NOTIFICATION TIME: 06:15[EST] RXTYPE: [1] GE-3,[2] GE-3 EVENT DATE: 12/29/1999| EVENT TIME: 04:20[CST]| NRC NOTIFIED BY: DARYL NOHR | LAST UPDATE DATE: 12/29/1999

HPCI INOPERABLE During QCOS 2300-28 'HPCI Turning Gear Logic Functional Test' the HPCI turning gear failed to engage. The test was stopped and HPCI was placed on the turning gear from a normal standby lineup and removed from the turning gear using QCOP 2300-13 'HPCI Turning Gear Operation'. Per analysis the HPCI turbine must be able to be remotely placed on the turning gear. Since HPCI failed to go on gear during the logic test it was declared inoperable at 0420. A 14 day LCO was centered per Tech Spec 3.5.A action 3. The Licensee will notify the NRC resident inspector.

FACILITY: OCONEE STATE: SC NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/29/1999 NOTIFICATION TIME: 06:23[EST EVENT DATE: 12/29/1999 EVENT TIME: 05:55[EST LAST UPDATE DATE: 12/29/1999 UNUSUAL EVENT DECLARED AT 0555 DUE TO AN IDENTIFIED REACTOR COOLANT LEAK. | | | | THE LETDOWN STORAGE TANK BYPASS VALVE (3HP14) FAILED IN AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION. APPROXIMATELY 45 GPM OF RCS WATER IS BEING BLED THROUGH THE VALVE INTO THE DE-LITH DEMINERALIZERS. THE PLANT IS STABLE AT 80% POWER. VALVE 3HP14 IS AN MOV ON A 2 1/2" LINE. THE 45 GPM OF FLOW IS CONSIDERED RECOVERABLE FLOW LEAKAGE. | | THE EVENT OCCURRED AT 0555 AND THE CURRENT LINEUP WAS REACHED AT 0604. THE LICENSEE WILL REMAIN IN THE UNUSUAL EVENT UNTIL THEIR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT DETERMINES THAT THEY CAN REMAIN IN THIS LINEUP WHILE REPAIRS ARE MADE TO 3HP14. THIS EVENT IS SIMILAR TO EVENT 36543 WHICH OCCURRED ON 12/27/99. THAT EVENT LED TO REPAIRS ON 3HP14. THE MOTOR HAD BECOME UNCOUPLED FROM THE VALVE AND WAS REPAIRED. IT IS NOT KNOWN NOW WHETHER THE SAME FAILURE MECHANISM HAS BEEN REPEATED DURING THE CURRENT EVENT | | THE RESIDENT INSPECTOR HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ALONG WITH STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES. THERE WILL BE NO PRESS RELEASE

| * * * UPDATE AT 0715 ON 12/29/99, BY BALDWIN, TAKEN BY WEAVER * * * | | THE UNUSUAL EVENT WAS TERMINATED AT 0713. THE LICENSEE WILL INFORM THE NRC | | RESIDENT INSPECTOR. THE HOO NOTIFIED R2DO (CHRISTENSEN); EO (STROSNIDER); | | IRO (GIITTER); FEMA (RISHE) |

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), January 02, 2000.

Sure looks like things were gettin hairy before the rollover, the only place that didn't report negative news to the NRC was their headquarters

Headquarters Daily Report Headquarters Daily Report

DECEMBER 29, 1999

********************************************************************** ***** REPORT NEGATIVE NO INPUT ATTACHED INPUT RECEIVED RECEIVED

HEADQUARTERS X REGION I X REGION II X REGION III X REGION IV X

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), January 02, 2000.

What are you talking about? They don't have 40 of them throttled back for anything. As a matter of fact the only ones that are not at 100% and not down for maintenance or fuel conservation appear to be running at a lower power due to the fact that the power is not needed at this time.

Where are you getting this "information" you are talking about? It's no secret, I have been watching the status of Nukes for a couple of years now, it has always been there for anyone to see.

Didn't anyone here know that?

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), January 02, 2000.

sorry that didn't format right

Headquarters Daily Report Headquarters Daily Report DECEMBER 29, 1999

Negative Info Recieved (X indicates yes)

REGION I X

REGION II X

REGION III X

REGION IV X

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), January 02, 2000.

Cheri's (gag) right about the number throttled back. However it lead me to check the NRC website information which has NOT been updated since the 29th in some cases. WE ARE BEING SNOWED BADLY FOLKS!

WAKE UP OUT THERE!

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), January 02, 2000.

But somehow they managed to get this up on their site, hmm wonder how that works. Seven plants reported actual issues with rollover, and not one event report whatsoever. And yet the spin is updated and current.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Public Affairs Washington DC 20555 Telephone: 301/415-8200 -- E-mail: opa@nrc.gov

No. 00-004

January 01, 2000

ALL NUCLEAR FACILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES

TRANSITION SAFELY THROUGH Y2K ROLLOVER

Four nuclear power plants in California and one in Washington in the Pacific Time Zone have reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that they have transitioned safely through the Y2K rollover.

As of 3:15 a.m. E.S.T., the Diablo Canyon and San Onofre nuclear plants in California and Washington Nuclear reported no operational problems to the NRC after midnight. This completes the successful transition of all 103 operating nuclear plants and two gaseous diffusion facilities through the Y2K transition.

Although all of the commercial nuclear power plants have completed the rollover into the new millennium, the NRC will continue to closely monitor operations in the coming days when other problems might arise.

Years of hard work by the NRC and the nuclear industry have paid off in a smooth transition through the new millennium, NRC Chairman Richard A. Meserve said.

##

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), January 02, 2000.

Why or how were these glitches missed in the first place? Was there any testing done? What else have they missed? What have they noticed already but are not telling anyone about (remember the spy sat) ? And finally, what were the effects over time if the "glitches" were not noticed? If you can't monitor your plant then how are you in control of it :) Fall back to manual is fine but you must realise that there is a problem first.

Regards,

MOD

-- MOD (mod@Y2NOTOK.com), January 02, 2000.

They're all pretty much back up to 100% now. link

-- a programmer (a@programmer.com), January 02, 2000.

programmer,

that list hasn't been updated in two days! I watched it every day. In case you didn't, read the date.

-- W (me@home.now), January 02, 2000.

Well, Working in nuclear power let me clarify a few things. A number of nuclear plants (and some fossil plants) that typically run at full power (baseload plants) did indeed run at reduced power for Y2K, and increased power after the rollover. The reason for this is that this allowed additional generating units to be brought online (for the same power demand). The purpose of this was to reduce the risk of power outages should a generating unit trip offline, i.e., this was a contingency plan.

Now, as to why the NRC site was not updated for event reports I have no idea, I was suprised at that. It could be that for y2k, a decision was made that all information should go through the government (the NRC supplied information to the Presidents Council). As to why the status page was also not updated, perhaps for the same reason, or perhaps to avoid letting potential sabeteurs know where the weak areas were (i.e., which utilities had nuclear plants shutdown and thus were at reduced capacity). This is all speculation on my part of course, it would be interesting to know the facts about it...if anyone sees any further information on this please post.

Happy New Year,

-- FactFinder (FactFinder@bzn.com), January 02, 2000.

Having moved close to a plant, and checked the NRC incident reports log for the last 6 months, I've discovered they don't work weekends.

The Monday report will show the events from Fri-Sun.

No coverup, I don't think, but I am slightly surprised they didn't have someone come in and update during the weekend for the turnover.

-- Shaun Kelly (spk+gv@tiny.net), January 02, 2000.

Cherri; In the immortal words of KOS... Do you like to mudwrestle :)

-- Michael Erskine (Osiris@urbanna.net), January 02, 2000.

Shaun, True, the NRC doesn't update weekends...but some of the updates were last done 12-23-1999. I've never seen them go THAT long over the holidays, but will admit that I don't remember how long the break was over last years Christmas/New Years holidays.

r4egards,

-- FactFinder (FactFinder@bzn.com), January 03, 2000.