ConEd needs 4-6 day test before restarting N.Y. nuke

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

ConEd needs 4-6 day test before restarting N.Y. nuke
  
NEW YORK, July 13 (Reuters) - Consolidated Edison Inc. <ED.N> has not 
yet pressure-tested the Indian Point 2 nuclear reactor's steam 
generator tubes, a 4-6 day process needed before the idled plant can 
restart, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said Thursday. 

Each day that passes without conducting the test further sets back 
restart, making it increasingly unlikely the 931 megawatt (MW) plant 
will be back in service in time to help cover the summer's heavy air 
conditioning demand. 

The plant was shut February 15 when radioactive water leaked from a 
crack in one of the thousands of tubes inside one of the plant's 
steam generators. 

On June 19, Con Ed issued a news release announcing the company 
planned to test the steam generators at Indian Point Unit 2 by 
pressurizing and heating piping systems to levels below normal 
operating conditions. 

On Thursday, the NRC disclosed a Con Ed letter to the federal agency 
written on June 8 in which the company said it planned to bring the 
plant to above cold shutdown (340 degrees Fahrenheit and 1,500 pounds 
per square inch (psig)) to conduct several tests over four to six 
days. 

NRC spokeswoman Diane Screnci told Reuters Con Ed has not yet 
conducted those tests. She did not know whether the company still 
planned to carry out any tests if the agency were to give the company 
permission to restart the reactor, and she did not know how long the 
tests, if any, would take. 

Con Ed officials, reached by telephone, were not immediately able to 
answer questions about the tests. 

Electricity traders began saying earlier this week they no longer saw 
any point in Con Ed's restarting the reactor this late in the summer. 


"Tomorrow (Friday) is the last day of the second week of July, and we 
still have not heard back from the NRC," which must approve of the 
reactor's restart," a Houston-based electricity trader said. 

"Even if the NRC could make a decision by Monday (July 17) and allows 
the plant to restart...and that's a big "if". And, if Con Ed still 
needs to do six days of testing, then the plant won't produce a 
megawatt of power until at least the fourth week of July. That's 
really too late to bother," he added. 

Several electricity traders have said over the last week they believe 
Con Ed will withdraw its NRC application for restart and simply 
replace the steam generators because the electricity from the plant 
was really only needed for July and August -- and the hottest month, 
July, will mostly likely be over before Indian Point could return to 
service. 

Traders also cited political pressure from U.S. Congress members, 
N.Y. State legislators, and several local and New York City 
politicians, who were pushing the New York City-based utility holding 
company to give up its efforts to restart the plant prior to 
replacing the steam generators. 

The plant is located in Buchanan on the shores of the Hudson River 
about 35 miles north of New York City. 

The four to six days of testing became an issue Thursday when the NRC 
posted three letters on its Web site this morning. 

The first letter, which caught electricity traders attention, dated 
June 30 was from Con Ed to the NRC telling the agency the company 
planned to heat the plant up to operating temperature and pressure to 
test the steam generator tubes. Con Ed actually submitted this letter 
to the NRC on June 8. 

The second letter, dated July 3, was from the NRC to Con Ed 
requesting additional documents on the company's steam generator 
analysis, which was first submitted to the NRC on June 2 and followed 
thereafter by additional documents. 

And, the third letter, dated July 7, was submitted by Con Ed to the 
NRC with the additional information the NRC requested in the agency's 
July 3 request. 

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Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
ICN Biomedicals, Inc.				E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 				                           
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue  		E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com          	          
Costa Mesa, CA 92626                                      

Personal Website:  http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205
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