Senate Panel Seeks Y2K Nuke Plant Contingency Plans

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

The following is interesting, considering that the US nuclear 
industry is among the very few industries that has put in significant 
resources to mitigate any Y2K issues. The NRC has followed through on 
this with the urgency needed. Now we see the US Senate intervening. 
Politically motivated .. trying to gain public support? 

I think it would be terrific if the US Congress just disappeared, as 
part of a Y2K glitch!!! Starting over may just be the answer!

Sunday November 14 5:07 AM ET 

Senate Panel Seeks Y2K Nuke Plant Contingency Plans  

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A special Senate committee overseeing Year 
2000 preparedness released a letter on Friday which asks nuclear 
regulators to provide better information on reactor safety and 
contingency plans before the new year.  

The letter, provided to Reuters by staff of Utah Republican Sen. 
Robert Bennett, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 
2000 Technology Problem, says the panel was encouraged by statements 
from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on plant safety, but 
still had unanswered questions.  

``The committee continues to believe that the electrical grid will be 
stable and that disruptions from Y2K will be minimal, We are 
concerned, however, about the lack of public confidence in the 
nuclear industry's efforts and specific post Dec. 31, 1999, operating 
regimes,'' said the letter, from Bennett to NRC Chairman Greta Joy 
Dicus.  

Y2K refers to the potential problem associated with computers reading 
the year 2000 as 1900, caused by systems built to read only the last 
two digits of a given year.  

Governments and industry worldwide have worked to correct date 
sensitive computers to avoid possible malfunctions and system 
shutdowns when the new year kicks in on Jan. 1, 2000.  

The committee letter, which is dated Nov. 1, asked that the NRC 
answer the following questions by Monday:  

+ Provide a list of nuclear power plants and how their mission-
critical systems were validated as Y2K-ready.  

+ Provide detailed information about voluntary pledges by industry 
representatives to maintain a 30-45 day supply of emergency diesel 
generator fuel, and other measures to reduce the risk of plant 
failure.  

+ Give a description of the process by which NRC will make a final 
determination as to which plants, if any, will be shut down over 
safety concerns during the year 2000 rollover.  

+ List the minimal safety standards that will be acceptable under the 
proposed suspension of technical regulations.  

Earlier this week, the NRC and the nuclear industry announced that 
all 103 operating U.S. nuclear power plants were fully ready for the 
Y2K rollover, and pose no safety threat from possible computer 
glitches.  

In July, NRC said all commercial reactors were cleared for safety-
related Y2K problems.  

A spokesman for the industry trade group, the Nuclear Energy 
Institute, said nuclear plants were ready for Y2K.  

``The plants have been fully remediated (for any safety related 
problems) for many months,'' the NEI spokesman said.  

Anti-nuclear advocates have scoffed at the 100 percent safe 
pronouncements, noting a General Accounting Office report in October 
which doubted the independence of Y2K verification programs for 
nuclear power plants.  

``With only seven weeks until the Y2K rollover the nuclear industry 
has yet to satisfy the Senate's, the GAO's and the public's 
fundamental concerns regarding potential devastating mishaps which 
could even lead to multiple meltdowns after New Year's,'' according 
to the World Atomic Safe Holiday organization in Bolinas, Calif.  

Bennett's letter, co-signed by the vice-chairman of the special 
panel, Connecticut Democrat Sen. Christopher Dodd, said the committee 
simply wants ``lingering questions'' answered. 

Sandy Perle
E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/scperle

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