Engineers Assess Vermont Yankee Bid to Step Up Nuclear Power

VERNON, Vermont, August 9, 2004 (ENS) - Today a team of inspectors from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission begins a three week engineering design assessment at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon to determine if the 32 year old reactor is capable of safely generating an additional 20 percent more power. The 510 megawatt boiling water reactor is located five miles south of Brattleboro, in the southeastern corner of the state.

The plant operator, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. has applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for an "uprate" of 20 percent, equivalent to the greatest increase in a commercial nuclear power plant's maximum power level ever approved by the NRC. Uprates require major modifications to major equipment such as the high pressure turbines, condensate pumps and motors, main generators, and/or transformers.

Safety concerns have been raised by the Vermont government. The Vermont State Nuclear Advisory Panel voted unanimously at its July 29 meeting to seek a formal hearing on the issue of the pressure inside the reactor's containment system if a power uprate is approved.

The advisory panel, headed by David O'Brien, commissioner of the Department of Public Service, voted unanimously to pursue the federal hearing process over what it perceives to be the biggest safety issue if the power increase goes ahead.

David O'Brien is commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service. (Photo courtesy Vermont Department of Public Service)

Vermont Governor James Douglas, a Republican, has been noncommittal about the uprate.

The uprate issue was complicated by a fire in the Vermont Yankee's main transformer that forced a hot shutdown of the plant and an emergency declaration on June 18. It was the first "unusual event" declared there in seven years, officials said. There was "no release of radiation to the environment," Entergy said.

Entergy has identified that the root cause of the main transformer fire relates to "weaknesses with the preventive maintenance performed on the 22 KV electrical system."

The plant is now operating at full power, but the NRC still considers the fire an "unresolved item" because "additional information is needed to determine if these issues are more than minor," the federal agency said.

In addition, the NRC faulted Entergy for not notifying the officials of Vermont and surrounding states in a timely manner. In a July 26 Integrated Inspection Report to Entergy Site Vice President Joy Thayer, the NRC cited Entergy for "Failure to make timely notification of States upon declaration of unusual event on June 18, 2004."

In addition, Vermont Yankee staff lost track of two pieces of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel, an oversight that come to public attention in April. On July 13, the two pieces were located in the power plant's spent fuel pool where they belonged, but the incident raised questions about the plant's management at a time when Entergy is doing its best to convince state and federal agencies and the public that an uprate is a safe and beneficial move.

The Vermont Public Service Board has ruled in favor of the uprate, but with the condition that an independent engineering assessment be performed to ensure the reliability of the plant.

The engineering assessment that begins today is supposed to be independent. Jim Dyer, director of the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) at NRC headquarters, said, “Based on the team’s qualifications and demonstrated ability to identify issues on previous inspections, I’m confident this team will perform a rigorous inspection at Vermont Yankee.”

Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant (Photo courtesy NRC)

"None of the NRC employees on the team has been involved in Vermont Yankee oversight in at least the past two years, and none of the private contractors has been employed by Entergy Nuclear in at least the past two years," Dyer said.

"The NRC is closely coordinating the inspection with the state of Vermont. Vermont state’s Nuclear Engineer, Bill Sherman, will observe the inspection," said Dyer.

But Sherman already has gone on public record in support of the uprate. On November 5, 2003, Sherman testified on behalf of the Vermont Department of Public Service in an uprate hearing before the State of Vermont Public Service Board.

Estimating the costs and benefits, he said, "The proposal has a net benefit of approximately $9.8 million."

Sherman said that uprates granted elsewhere have been reliable. "Extended Power Uprate plants have accumulated over 25 reactor-years of operating experience at uprated power levels. While Quad Cities 2 has experienced extended outages, the other plants have had good operating records. This suggests that extended uprate-related outages are less likely rather than more likely."

Sherman's only comment on safety was an expression of confidence in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission." Based on my interaction, I can see that NRC does not take Entergy’s application for granted, but is embarked on a thorough and questioning review," he said.

He reminded the Board that "nothing in these actions restricts" the Vermont Department of Public Service's review of nuclear safety or the positions it may take before the NRC.

The New England Coalition, an anti-nuclear watchdog group is urging state and civilian oversight of the engineering assessment. "State and citizen participation in the assessment process is the surest way to guarantee public safety," the coalition says.

To complicate matters, unionized workers at the Vermont Yankee have authorized a strike to begin in less than two weeks, during the NRC inspection.

The plant's 148 unionized workers voted unanimously on Wednesday to strike when the contract expires at midnight August 19.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Unit 8 chairman Corey Daniels told the "Brattleboro Reformer" newspaper that the strike could affect the plant's safety. People on the picket line would include maintenance mechanics, reactor plant operators, technicians, and radiation protection workers.

He said that although Entergy has a contingency plan to bring in other workers in case of a strike, no other workers understand the plant's unique characteristics.

The newspaper quoted Vermont Yankee spokesman Rob Williams as saying, "It's common for nuclear power plants to have contingency plans, but the plant plans to concentrate on satisfying the union members." He would not speculate on what would happen if the workers strike.

New England Coalition Executive Director Peter Alexander said the Vermont Yankee should be shut down if a strike is called.

Entergy Nuclear, a unit of New Orleans based Entergy Corporation, is the second largest U.S. nuclear operator with 10 units and the largest operator in the Northeast. The company purchased Vermont Yankee in 2001.

The nuclear plant is located just north of the Massachusetts border across the Connecticut River from New Hampshire.