DAVIS-BESSE PLANT
New cracks known to regulators
By John Seewer ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOLEDO — Federal regulators confirmed yesterday (12-8-11) that they had been told by operators of a nuclear reactor about additional cracks found in the plant’s concrete shell, which were discovered several weeks after workers initially discovered the concrete was cracked in other spots.
Details about the cracks near the top of the structure came to light publicly after officials from the office of U.S. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, D-Cleveland, said they spoke with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kucinich’s office said it initiated talks with the NRC and investigated the issue, which revealed the cracks were more widespread at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo than what was publicly released.
A spokeswoman for FirstEnergy Corp. said on Wednesday that the additional cracks were found in November, and that the company informed regulators right away. It previously had announced that cracks were found near the bottom of a wall designed to protect the reactor from anything that might hit it from the outside, such as storm debris.
The plant along Lake Erie was shut down for maintenance in October when workers found the first 30-foot hairline crack. Other cracks were found soon after, leading to closer inspections that revealed cracks close to the top of the 224-foot-tall shield structure. The NRC analyzed those additional cracks before allowing the plant to restart this week, said Viktoria Mitlyng, an agency spokeswoman.
Jan’s Comments
(Sorry folks, my intention is NOT to spread doom and gloom. Especially now at our favorite season. But with the problems the WORLD is having to endure because of the Japanese Nuclear meltdown in which their government openly decries the hesitation with which they took action on their plant’s problems – - I simply cannot find any solace in the fact that the NRC “knows about” everything.
We are ALL entitled to know that they have indeed fully analyzed this thing and given specific answers as to why this has happened. If it is age – - for God’s sake, SHUT IT DOWN. If it is UNKNOWN – ditto – SHUT IT DOWN. we are ALL aware that the toxic exposure has spilt all over our world, contaminating dairy farms and plant farms, destroying much in it’s path. It can’t be cleaned up. We can’t allow this kind of thing to go on happening. Our very lives and our health depend on it.
Those of us who live in the Eastern part of the United States should be actively communicating with Obama and the NRC directly. The time is now. We LIVE HERE!
I am posting a 2nd article from today’s newspaper. . it follows. Essentially, the same stuff. Setting up a meeting to discuss January 5th. Pretty cavalier, if you ask me. NRC allowed First Energy to declare it was “safe” to start up again? Who the Hell is running the show, anyway?)
COLUMBUS DISPATCH / December 30, 2011
NEWS BRIEFS
TOLEDO
NRC to tell why nuclear plant opened with cracks
Federal regulators will reveal more details next month about cracks found in the concrete shell of a nuclear reactor in Ohio.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has set a public meeting on Jan. 5 at which they’ll also discuss the reasons behind allowing the plant near Toledo to reopen.
The Davis-Besse nuclear plant began producing electricity again in early December, less than two months after the cracks were discovered.
Regulators gave First-Energy Corp. the green light to restart the plant after saying the company provided reasonable assurance that the cracks don’t pose a threat.
Regulators say they also did their own checks.
U.S. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, D-Cleveland, criticized the decision, saying that it’s still not known what caused the cracks or whether it’s a bigger problem.
— Associated Press
