Don't Waste Michigan pleads with U.S. Senators Levin & Stabenow to address Palisades' embrittlement risks

Anti-nuclear watchdogs have long called for the shutdown of Palisades. Here, Don't Waste MI board members Michael Keegan, Alice Hirt, and Kevin Kamps speak out at the year 2000 Great Lakes Nuclear-Free Action Camp. Palisades' steam, as well as Lake Michigan, are visible in the background. In the foreground, crosses bearing the names of counties, cities, towns, and villages that would comprise the Dead Zone downwind of a catastrophic radioactivity release from Palisades, are planted into the beach sand.On March 9, 2012, board members representing various chapters of the statewide anti-nuclear watchdog coalition Don't Waste Michigan delivered a letter to U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow (both Democrats form Michigan) pleading with them to take action to address the very serious risks associated with the Palisades atomic reactor's worst embrittled pressure vessel in the U.S., dangerously vulnerable to a "Pressurized Thermal Shock" (PTS) Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA). The Emergency Core Cooling System at Palisades came precariously close to injecting cooling water into the hellishly hot reactor core on Sept. 25, 2011 during a chaotic incident of "substantial significance to safety," according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. If the ECCS had injected coolant into the badly embrittled reactor pressure vessel, it could have fractured it like a hot glass under cold water, testing NRC's repeated weakenings of PTS safety regulations in the real world.

Attached to Don't Waste Michigan's letter were a number of enclosures, including: Detroit Free Press articles, dated Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012; a Detroit Free Press editorial, same date; the Jan. 17, 2007 environmental coalition intervenors’ response to finalization of NRC rubberstamp of Palisades’ 20 year license extension; the first article in an Associated Press four part series, dated June 2011, entitled “Aging Nukes” -- this kick-off article is entitled “Nuke regulators weaken safety rules” (embrittlement regulatory weakening a featured case in point); a Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes 1993 backgrounder on embrittlement/PTS risks at Palisades (18 years earlier than AP article above), documenting that Palisades first violated NRC PTS regulations in 1981, just ten years into operations; an NRC Office of Inspector General Audit Report, dated Sept. 2007, on reactor license extensions, documenting that NRC staff “cut and paste” nuclear utility documentation, yet presented it as independent NRC safety, environmental, and audit work (aka plagiarism, in the company’s profit interest, but against the public interest in health, safety and environmental protection); an NRC OIG follow-up report, dated May 2008, documenting that NRC staff destroys its primary working documents once license extensions are rubberstamped; a large environmental coalition's March 20, 2006 letters to Senators Levin and Stabenow, requesting a GAO investigation on embrittlement/PTS risks at Palisades, and in fact nationwide, given NRC regulatory rollbacks (those letters were not even acknowledged, let alone acted upon).

Update on defending Great Lakes against risky atomic reactors

Satellite photo of the Great Lakes: 20% of the planet's surface fresh water; drinking water supply for 40 million people in the U.S., Canada, and numerous Native American/First Nations; and lifeblood of one of the world's biggest regional economies.Three weeks ago, we reported on Beyond Nuclear's efforts, in conjunction with environmental coalitions and concerned citizens, to shut down two especially risky atomic reactors on the Great Lakes shorelines that have been generating a lot of controversy recently: Palisades in southwest Michigan, and Davis-Besse in northwest Ohio.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) held a meeting on Feb. 29th in South Haven, on the Lake Michigan shoreline, in an attempt to calm public concern about a rash of accidents at Palisades in 2011 alone. It didn't work.Beyond Nuclear had spread the word about the meeting to its network in west Michigan, and provided background information. Before a large turn out of up to 200 people, in the room and on the phone, the NRC was forced to admit that Palisades has the most embrittled reactor pressure vessel in the U.S. NRC has repeatedly weakened its "Pressurized Thermal Shock" safety regulations in order to accomodate Palisades, to enable this dangerously degraded reactor to operate for over 40 years now. The most serious incident discussed, of "substantial significance to safety," was a Sept. 25, 2011 loss of electricity to half the control room during a light bulb changing operation. It activated the Emergency Core Cooling System, but fortunately the ECCS did not inject cooling water into the hot core. This would have tested NRC's risky regulatory rollbacks, and risked a fracture of the RPV like a hot glass under cold water. This would lead to a Loss of Coolant Accident and potential meltdown. The same incident also came precariously close to completely filling the pressurizer and one of the steam generators with water, which would have meant loss of control over core temperature and pressure, and could have broken pipes. Palisades' steam generators have long been in need of "major organ transplant" replacement, for the second time in the plant's history. A cascading rupture of steam generator tubes is another pathway to LOCA and meltdown. Beyond Nuclear prepared a summary of the meeting, including a compilation of media coverage and some of the statements delivered by concerned citizens.

At Davis-Besse, Beyond Nuclear and its environmental allies (Citizens Environment Alliance of Southwestern Ontario, Don't Waste Michigan, and the Green Party of Ohio) filed a supplement on Feb. 27th to their Jan. 10th cracked containment contention. It was based on a Feb. 8th revelation by U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) that NRC considered the outer layer of steel reinforcement rebar to be no longer functional, due to severe cracking over an extensive area of the concrete shield building, an integral part of Davis-Besse's radiological containment.On Feb. 28, FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) published its long-awaited "root cause analysis" on the cracking. Incredibly, FENOC claims the Blizzard of 1978 is to blame, combined with the fact that they forgot to apply weather sealant to the exterior of the shield building for the past 42 years. When asked by media reporters why no sealant had been applied, FENOC responded that it hadn't been required to. When asked why sealant had been applied to other concrete buildings at the plant that are less safety significant, FENOC responded that they had a splotchy appearance, so sealant had been applied for aesthetic reasons only. The environmental coalition, which has been opposing Davis-Besse's 20 year license extension since Dec. 2010, replied that this amounts to a "snow job of convenience." FENOC is saying the damage was done over a three day blizzard in 1978, and has not gotten worse since. This would undermine the environmental coalition's claim that the cracking is aging related, and will grow worse over time, a serious challenge to Davis-Besse's coveted 2017 to 2037 extension permit from NRC.

Congressman Kucinich has long watchdogged Davis-Besse. He has been especially active on this cracked containment issue, releasing information to the public on the severity of the cracking which FENOC and NRC had kept concealed for weeks or even months. With the backing of NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko, Kucinich won a Jan. 5th NRC public meeting Davis-Besse, which drew 300 attendees and lots of media coverage. The environmental coalition joined with Congressman Kucinich on March 3rd for a media release to challenge FENOC's "snow job of convenience." Unfortunately, Congressman Kucinich lost his primary bid to return to Congress on March 6th.John Nichols of the Nation has written a tribute to Kucinich's stellar progressive career in Congress, advocating against war, for justice, and in defense of workers' rights and environmental protection. To Nichol's list should be added Kucinich's deep commitmet to protecting his constituents and the Great Lakes against one of the most risky reactors in the country. Beyond Nuclear was honored in December 2011, when Congressman Kucinich submitted for the congressional record at a hearing of the Government Oversight and Reform Committee, where he serves as a Subcommittee Ranking Member, a backgrounder written by Beyond Nuclear on Davis-Besse's problem-plagued history. 

"Living on Borrowed Time" & "U.S. Nuclear Power Safety One Year After Fukushima": UCS shines spotlight on 15 near-misses at U.S. reactors in 2011, examines Japan "lessons learned," or not, at NRC

David Lochbaum, Director of the Nuclear Safety Project at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), recently published NRC and Nuclear Power Plant Safety in 2011: Living on Borrowed Time, describing 15 near-misses at U.S. atomic reactors in 2011 alone. Note that 4 near-misses took place at reactors belonging to one nuclear utility, Entergy: 2 near misses at Palisades in Michigan, and 2 at Pilgrim in Massachusetts. (Yet another near-miss occurred at Cooper in Nebraska, owned by Nebraska Public Power District, but with support services provided, yet again, by Entergy.)

The Thom Hartmann Show interviewed Dave Lochbaum about his report.

On March 7th, Lochbaum and Edwin Lyman, senior scientist at UCS's Global Security Program, released a report entitled U.S. Nuclear Power Safety One Year After Fukushima. Lochbaum and Lyman summarized their findings in a special published by CNN.

Concerned citizens turn out in force at NRC public meeting about rash of serious incidents at Palisades atomic reactor

The scorched electrical panel, caused by the Sept. 25, 2011 accident of "substantial safety significance" at Palisades

Up to 200 people attended a Feb. 29, 2012 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) public meeting about a rash of serious accidents at the Palisades atomic reactor in southwest Michigan, on the Lake Michigan shoreline. Beyond Nuclear spread the word about the meeting, provided background, and attended by phone. Many concerned citizens, some brand new to the issues, moved by the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe, others veteran anti-nuclear activists who have watchdogged and actively resisted Palisades for decades, fired questions off from the microphone over the course of two hours. NRC had eaten up the first hour with a basic presentation and a long break.

Perhaps the most significant revelation provided by the NRC staff was admitting that Palisades has the single most embrittled reactor pressure vessel (RPV) in the U.S., making it vulnerable to pressurized thermal shock (PTS). Jennifer Uhle, PhD., from NRC's Office of Regulatory Research, admitted that "it's true that Palisades' vessel is the most embrittled vessel at an operating nuclear power plant" in the U.S. Uhle said that Palisades is nonetheless safe to operate till 2017, at which point it would have to prove to NRC its embrittlement is not a problem. But NRC has repeatedly weakened its embrittlement standards, to allow risky reactors like Palisades to keep running. Palisades first violated NRC embrittlement regulations in 1981, just 10 short years into operations. This latest 2017 NRC deadline seems to be the newest extension to what had previously been a 2014 deadline for Palisades' shut down due to embrittlement.

Environmental watchdogs have long been concerned PTS could fracture Palisades' RPV like a hot glass under cold water if the emergency core cooling system (ECCS) is ever turned on. Frighteningly, Palisades' ECCS did activate on Sept. 25, 2011, during an incident of "substantial significance to safety," in NRC's words. However, the High-Pressure Injection and Low-Pressure Injection did not actually inject cooling water into the RPV, due to the high pressure inside.

In June, 2011, the Associated Press published a four part series on aging atomic reactor risks in the U.S. PTS, and NRC's weakening of safety regulations to allow embrittled RPVs as at Palisades to continue operating, were at the top of AP's list. But Don't Waste Michigan had reported these concerns 18 years earlier. RPV embrittlement and PTS risks were the single biggest concern of an environmental coalition that opposed Palisades' 20 year license extension during a 2005 to 2007 battle, but NRC rubberstamped it anyway. Despite competitive claims to the contrary, Palisades very well may be the oldest operating commercial atomic reactor in the world. It received an operations license in 1967, but failed to fire up until 1971 because it was such a lemon, despite being brand new. Thus, 2012 marks Palisades' 45th year, even though it has "only" operated for 41 years. 

Kevin Kamps of Beyond Nuclear challenged NRC claims that Palisades was compliant with earthquake safety regulations, pointing out that its dry cask storage of high-level radioactive waste, just 100 yards from the waters of Lake Michigan, violates NRC earthquake safety regulations, according to retired NRC dry cask storage inspector Dr. Ross Landsman, who has been warning about it since 1994. Kevin also pointed to an NRC media release, which reveals that earthquake risks are under major review at NRC and in the nuclear power industry, including in the Great Lakes region, as at Palisades.

Gail Snyder from Homer Glen, IL, who has a summer place near Palisades, presented a powerful statement.

The St. Joe Herald-Palladium reported on this story. It quoted Maynard Kaufman of Bangor, who: "said the NRC should have anticipated more general nuclear safety questions from the public. 'Tonight's performance didn't reassure me in the least,' he said. 'I think this is a distraction to the underlying issues. This is an old plant. I think this is a terribly dangerous way to make electricity. We're not fooled by this little performance.' "

Holland, MI radio station WHTC also reported on the meeting. It quoted Kevin as calling for Palisades' shutdown, "period." However, it should be pointed out that Kevin was born and raised in Kalamazoo, and still represents his hometown chapter of Don't Waste MI, on the board of directors, so isn't exactly an "outside" agitator (in fact, he was around a couple years before Palisades fired up, so he was there first!). And Palisades experienced not a "couple," but rather five un-planned shutdowns, as well as additional incidents, in 2011 alone.

WSBT also reported on this story, quoting Starla Montoya from Grand Junction: “It's really becoming senseless that we have to worry about this in our community, and with no plan if something does happen because they're just telling us this is safe." 

The Kalamazoo Gazette also reported on this story, quoting concerned citizens:

"Living between two nuclear power plants [Cook and Palisades], Bette Pierman has some concerns about Palisades nuclear power plant. 

'I guess I'm looking for reassurances that they (the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) are holding this company accountable,' the Benton Harbor woman said Wednesday...

Some opponents of nuclear energy said they worry a nuclear disaster could happen at Palisades.

Michael Martin, a 69-year-old Gobles resident, said it comes down to nuclear plant technology being too dangerous. He contends that Palisades should be shut down.

'I don't think this is going to change anything,' Martin said of Wednesday's meeting. 'We've been having the meetings since day one — it's getting old.' "

ABC57 also reported on this story. However, it inaccurately downplayed an accident that even NRC has determined had "substantial significance to safety." ABC57 reported:

"...Another violation came when an employee did not follow procedure when working on an electrical panel. The employee caused a short to occur which set off a chain reaction that forced the entire plant to shut down.

Again, there was no immediate danger, and the complications the short created were easily handled."

Actually, the employee himself was nearly electrocuted. Half of the control room lost electricity. Nearly two dozen systems, many safety related, went instantly haywire. It took several hours for order to be restored, with a significant safety incident growing more likely as the clock ticked. Plant personnel worked with a growing sense of urgency to bring the plant under control. The pressurizer and a steam generator filled 97-98% full of liquid water, coming just 9 minutes from "going solid," which would have resulted in loss of control over pressure and temperature, and the potential for pipe breaks. NRC determined that a single error by plant workers would not have provided any recovery time. Given Palisades' degraded steam generators, corroded reactor vessel head, and the most embrittled reactor pressure vessel in the country, there were multiple pathways to a Loss of Coolant Accident in the reactor core, that could have then caused a meltdown and catastrophic radioactivity release. Top Entergy official at Palisades, Tony Vitale, said at a Jan. 11th NRC meeting that he would never let such a thing happen again, given the look on the face of the control room supervisor coming off the floor after the near-miss. Another top plant official said at the same Jan. 11th meeting that he could have gotten someone killed that day -- the electrician who was nearly electrocuted.

Michigan Public Radio reported the filing of a 10CFR2.206 emergency enforcement petition by Thomas Saporito, calling for NRC to "fine the company a million dollars, revoke its operating license, and shut down the plant until the safety is independently confirmed."

Lessons from Fukushima: new Greenpeace report a warning on nuclear risks

Jan Beranek blogs on a new report just published by Greenpeace International on the "Lessons of Fukushima." He provides links to a 12 page executive summary, as well as the full 52 page report.