The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) depends on the owners of the Nuclear Plants to report conditions based on NRC inspection specifications.
I was unable to find one nuclear facility report produced by the NRC for the public to view. However, thanks to CEA (France), TECNATOM (Spain), VTT (Finland) I did find a very telling report.
There are two common problems with BWR plants:
1. Cracking and Corrosion of bolts, core shroud welds, pipes, and other critical components caused by irradiation/intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC); and
2. Failures have occurred in the jet pump attachment devices and occasionally loose parts have become wedged in the jet pump lines, causing failure.
Below are the US BWR Nuclear Plants (like Fukushima, Japan) listed in the report with a history of these problems.
Following will include a wrap up of what has been learned in the last few days and some excellent reading material links to help improve overall understanding of the Nuclear Industry in general.
These are a summary of The 1997 EU Report. To read the entire BWR Event section, go to Volume 2, pages 21-23, where you will find greater details.
This list does not include problems with other types of nuclear reactors operating in the US.
Yankee, #Vermont: 1984 loose core shroud bolts, leaked contaminated coolant. Oceanside Approvd by NRC for another 20 years.
Peach Bottom, #Pennsylvania: 1985 4 of 48 bolts cracked due to irradiation/intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC).
Peach Bottom 3 #PA: Experiencing core flow shortfall as EOV coastdown is begun. Problem is attibuted to jet pump fouling.
Grand Gulf, #Mississippi, 1989 Wearing of the bolt splines.
I. Hatch 1, #Georgia: Seven core shroud flawed head bolts from the moisture separator were removed
Hatch 2, #Georgia: Cracks were detected during the inspection of four welds (H3, H4, H2 and H1)
Quad Cities 2 #Illinois core shroud repair clamps created interference prevented 2 separators support legs from lowering.
Clinton Power Station #Illinois: An ultrasonic indication (crack) in the beam bolt area was identified in one beam
Brunswick 1 #NC: Cracks appeared close to the weld between the core shroud and the upper guide support ring.
Brunswick 2 #NorthCarolina: 1994 involved the impossibility of fitting a shroud bolt holding pawl in its position.
Dresden 2 #Illinois: Loose core shroud bolts, leaked contaminated coolant.
Dresden 3 #Illinois: Numerous indications of cracking were detected in the heat-affected zone located below weld H5,
Dresden 3 #Illinois: Rupturing of hold down beam, jet pump transition, causing failure of jet pump
Susquehanna 1 #Pennsylvania: some welds inspected in spring 1995 cracking found, NRC prepared a SER.
Limerick 1 #Pennsylvania: a crack discovered in weld joining inlet riser to two jet pumps and the transition piece
Monticello #Minnesota: Large crack detected inside vessel, of holding arm for inlet riser to jet pumps #7 & 8, caused by fatigue
#Washington Public Power 2: Discovered that several adjusting screws were not in contact with the jet pump inlet mixer
As we have shared a BWR Nuclear Reactor Vertical Learning Curve because of the tragic disaster with the Fukushima 6 Reactor Complex, the following is some important information that hasn't been broadly broadcast:
The self-reporting by the Private Nuclear Industry in Japan didn't go very well and resulted in scandal.
CNIC is a Japanese Nuclear Energy Watchdog. The following appeared in its 2003 Sept/Oct Issue, Number 97. Because of CNIC's work and a whistle blower, all the TEPCO nuclear plants in Japan were shutdown for a while.
Looking Back Over a Year of TEPCO’s Cover-up Defects
On August 29, 2002 last year, an announcement was made about the long-term
cover-up regarding cracks in the reactor shroud. Over the following year, numerous horrifying facts have been revealed one after another.
In the US the NRC relies on Private Nuclear Plants reports to the NRC.
The fragility of BWR technology
The first incident involved hiding cracks in the reactor core shroud. This was followed by the discovery the that Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) had also found cracks in the recirculation piping system, but had failed to report them. Then there was the cover-up of the results of the leak rate inspection test for the containment vessel.
Cracks. To summarize in laymen's terms, there is a certain water level where the radiation/heat is higher. This higher radiation/heat puts an increase stress on the METAL components which, over time, crack. Most of the cracks don't go all the way through the metal, however, they create a weakness that could eventually breach. And, as the validity of testing is in question, the may be a possibility that leakage could occur.
Leaking is certainly the case where cracked or loose bolts that attach the core shroud are concerned. This is why Yankee, Vermont leaked water and was ultimately shut down. The loose/broken bolts can cause the core shroud seal to be loose.
The first official announcement of cracks found in a reactor shroud was made for Fukushima II-3 on July, 2001.
GE and TEPCO were responsible for inspecting the Fukushima Nuclear Facilities .
Speaking of leaking, a whistleblower finally blew the lid on the GE/TEPCO inspection coverups.
Mr. Kei Sugaoka, a former GE engineer, who disclosed lax management of nuclear inspection by TEPCO and GE, revealed his name and appeared to the public in Fukushima Prefecture for the first time.
Mr. Kei Sugaoka is a third generation Japanese-American who had been working as an engineer at GE until 1998 when he was fired without being given sufficient reason. He was involved in the construction of Fukushima I-1 where he witnessed flaws that were kept secret by the company.
In replying to the question, why he decided to whistle-blow long concealed secrets in nuclear industry, he explained "it's all about GE's insincere manage-
ment attitude."
He added, however, that he never expected that his appealing could result in the
resignation of the former president of TEPCO as well as the shut down of all the nuclear plants in TEPCO's power supply region.
The Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 reactor building that exploded on Saturday, March 12, 2011, housed a General Electric Mark I reactor.
This design has been criticized by nuclear experts and even Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff for decades as being susceptible to explosion and containment failure.
Of the 110 operational nuclear power reactors in the United States, thirty-five are boiling water reactors (BWR). General Electric is the sole designer and manufacturer of BWRs in the United States.
There are 23 General Electric Mark I reactors that have been or about to be granted 20 year operational extentions. 21 built in the 1970s like Fukushima and 2 in the 1980s.
The NRC has granted 20 of them an additional 20 Year Extention!
I apologize for the poor line up quality. I don't know how to fix this cut/paste perfectly. Thanks for your understanding.
Reactor Location Size Year operation began
Browns Ferry 1* Decatur, AL 1065 MW 1974
Browns Ferry 2* Decatur, AL 1118 MW 1974
Browns Ferry 3* Decatur, AL 1114 MW 1976
**Brunswick 1 Southport, NC 938 MW 1976
**Brunswick 2 Southport, NC 900 MW 1974
Cooper* Nebraska City, NE 760 MW 1974
**Dresden 2 Morris, IL 867 MW 1971
**Dresden 3 Morris, IL 867 MW 1971
Duane Arnold* Cedar Rapids, IA 581 MW 1974
**Hatch 1 Baxley, GA 876 MW 1974
**Hatch 2 Baxley, GA 883 MW 1978
Fermi 2 Monroe, MI 1122 MW 1985
Hope Creek** Hancocks Bridge, NJ 1061 MW 1986
Fitzpatrick* Oswego, NY 852 MW 1974
**Monticello Monticello, MN 572 MW 1971
Nine Mile Point 1* Oswego, NY 621 MW 1974
Oyster Creek* Toms River, NJ 619 MW 1971
**Peach Bottom 2 Lancaster, PA 1112 MW 1973
**Peach Bottom 3 Lancaster, PA 1112 MW 1974
Pilgrim** Plymouth, MA 685 MW 1972
**Quad Cities 1 Moline, IL 867 MW 1972
**Quad Cities 2 Moline, IL 867 MW 1972
**Vermont Yankee Vernon, VT 620 MW 1973
1 Star - has received 20-year license extension from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
2 Star - 20-year license renewal extension is under review by Nuclear Regulatory Commission
2 Star, left of Facility name/bold print - On the European Problem Event list above.
What is most disconcerting is that it seems like not much reporting/writing has been done regarding safety and inspections since the 1990s.
I highly recommend reading this article by the Nuclear Information Resource Service. Everything that has happened at Fukushima is according to the anticipated flaws of the BWR design:
HAZARDS OF BOILING WATER REACTORS IN THE UNITED STATES
A lot of the BWR, GE Nuclear Plants were built during the Nixon Administration.
Perhaps it is now time to take a choice Pat Nixon made at his inauguration more seriously:
Pat Nixon held the family Bibles open to Isaiah 2:4, reading, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks."
It will be up the residents of each state where these BWR nuclear plants are located to bear pressure for them to be properly ultrasound tested for cracks and/or closed completely. The public must demand full disclosure of safety inspections, especially in light of GE's sleazy history in Japan.
No surprise, the Nuclear Energy Option took off when George Bush and Dick Cheney signed in.
Smaller Nuclear Plants. Pro-Nuke GOP Will argue new mini-nukes unrelated to Japan. 26 nuclear facilities are now already planned. Listen for this rhetoric to surface shortly if it hasn't already.:
Nuclear Power in the USA:
The USA is the world's largest producer of nuclear power, accounting for more than 30% of worldwide nuclear generation of electricity.
The country's 104 nuclear reactors produced 799 billion kWh in 2009, over 20% of total electrical output.
Following a 30-year period in which few new reactors were built, it is expected that 4-6 new units may come on line by 2018, the first of those resulting from 16 licence applications to build 24 new nuclear reactors made since mid-2007.
Government policy changes since the late 1990s have helped pave the way for significant growth in nuclear capacity. Government* and industry are working closely on expedited approval for construction and new plant designs.
*OUR TAX DOLLARS used to help private industry create nuclear energy for US TO BUY!
Here's a letter from a large US group begging Japan to NOT finance two Nuclear Power Plant in Texas:
The projected cost for the two South Texas reactors has increased from $5.6 billion in 2006 to as much as $18 billion today.
Good night, and good luck.