Nuclear plant pipe failures can threaten safety

[bananas]

http://www.ocregister.com/news/threaten-229284-failures-nuclear.html
January 15, 2010 1:11 PM
Nuclear plant pipe failures can threaten safety
By TERI SFORZA

A rash of recent failures in the buried piping systems of nuclear reactors - including one at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station - has prompted three congressmen to ask the Government Accountability Office to investigate "the integrity, safety, inspection, maintenance, regulations and enforcement issues surrounding buried piping at our nation's nuclear power plants," according to a public statement Thursday.

"Under current regulations, miles and miles of buried pipes within nuclear reactors have never been inspected and will likely never be inspected," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass. (who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee) in the statement. "This is simply unacceptable. As it stands, the NRC requires - at most - a single, spot inspection of the buried piping systems no more than once every 10 years. This cannot possibly be sufficient to ensure the safety of both the public and the plant."

Related thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x226472
Entergy (Nuclear Power Company) Caught Lying to Officials Under Oath; tritium LEAKS FOUND.

MONTPELIER — A Vermont Yankee executive took the blame Friday for providing incorrect information about the power plant’s underground pipes, but that didn’t ease the ire of state officials, lawmakers and others who say the misinformation was delivered several times with no attempts to correct it.

“We’ve concluded that statements I made to the Public Service Board were not correct,” Jay Thayer, vice president for operations of Entergy Nuclear, said Friday.

<snip>

Although Thayer took the blame for his own testimony, Public Service Commissioner David O’Brien said several Vermont Yankee representatives gave the same misinformation on several occasions. When the incorrect information appeared in the consultant’s report, Entergy officials made no attempt to correct it even as they went over the rest of the report in great detail, he said.

<snip>

Gundersen suggested why Entergy might want to mislead the state about the pipes’ existence. Discovery of leaked tritium at the Connecticut Yankee nuclear power plant significantly escalated the cost of decommissioning that plant, he said.

<snip>

[madokie]

1. Why did we ever listen to the nuclear power industry in the first place

+1

[diane in sf]

2. $$$$$$ kaching!!!

[madokie]

3. No doubt

:hi: