NRC Millstone News -Reply

[CLAUDE A. FLORY <FLORYCA@GWSMTP.NU.COM>]

Millstone Unit One did not engage in fuel transfer practices for which they
were not licensed.  The operating license does not prohibit full off-load of
fuel.  The problem was in a possible misapplication of the Final Safety
Analysis (FSAR) design for fuel off-load.  Two scenarios are analyzed in the
FSAR: partial (1/3) fuel off-load and full fuel off-load.  The full fuel
off-load was labeled as an 'abnormal' mode of operation.  During all of it's
refueling outages Millstone has employed the 'abnormal' full fuel off-load.  If
anything Millstone may be faulted for not reanalyzing the 'abnormal' mode after
a couple of outages when it had become the norm.  Recent analysis of Millstone
full core off-load showed sufficient margin of safety for the practice.

Local activists (which includes those from neighboring Massachusetts) have
seized this opportunity as a negative public relations windfall against both
Northeast Utilities (owners of Millstone) and against the NRC. There has never
been a public safety or license issue, only a loose adherence to design
specifications.  

Northeast Utilities also owns (or partially owns) and operates the Millstone
Units Two and Three, Haddam Neck (also known as Connecticut Yankee), and 
Seabrook nuclear power plants.  For an interesting perspective on natural,
background radiation and Millstone regulated radiation see the article on
on-site storage of resins in the latest copy of 'Radiation Protection
Management.'

Claude Flory, CHP
Senior Scientist
Northeast Utilities
floryca@nu.com     


>>> Charles Potter <CAPOTTE@sandia.gov> 12/12/95 03:57pm >>>
     Here's some Millstone info.
     
     
     Though its IG has cleared the NRC of charges it conspired to cover up 
     decades of unlicensed fuel off-loading practices at the Millstone 1 
     reactor near New London, Conn., the IG did find that weaknesses in the 
     NRC inspection program were key to Millstone's ability to engage in 
     fuel transfer practices for which they were not licensed. 
     
     
     NRC Chairman Shirley Jackson says the commission will move swiftly to 
     address inspection program deficiencies. Jackson has directed NRC 
     staff to explore "whether existing oversight processes need 
     improvement or new processes need to be developed" to produce earlier 
     commission recognition of irregularities such as those that occurred 
     at Millstone. 
     
     
     Gus Potter
     Sandia National Laboratories
     CAPOTTE@sandia.gov